My Peace Corps years in Southern Africa long ago revealed to me that Detroit had become a 'reverse' Johannesburg which is a city with vibrant center surrounded by a ring of slums and poverty. This is the typical third world model. Metro Detroit has reversed that donut. Some call Detroit third world. It actually is fourth world, a new dimension in urbanity.

In both cases 'problems' are ghettoized. The wealthy parts of the city get a pass on a share of the difficulties and expenses. If you are on one side of the donut everything is fine. Race and class are the dividers in both cases.