Does Detroit has a master plan?

[iheartthed]

Lorax, you highlight one interesting thing I'd probably add to the list. Detroit has one of America's largest stocks of pre-war skyscrapers. What to do with these? It is easy to say preserve them all, but that would cost a fortune. Just restoring the MCD alone would be hundreds of millions of dollars most likely. And what would that buy the city? Part of this has to understand that you've got limited resources and you have to deploy them where it makes the most sense.

I'm an urban kind of guy, love density, love transit, etc. In fact, I just won a competition sponsored by the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce for how to boost transit ridership in that city I'm happy to say. But Detroit is incredibly auto-oriented. Yet what does the city want to do but build a fancy and extremely expensive transit system? I'm not saying transit would be bad. But is this where Detroit need to be focusing? That's what I mean by just regurgitating the conventional wisdom. Light rail advocates push the same solution regardless of the city. I think we've got to look at the local context and see what makes sense. I don't think trains are going to be a big part of Detroit's near to mid-term future. In that light, is MCD really the right investment?

When times are tough, as they are in Detroit, we have to be willing to have the courage to look the unthinkable right in the eye. Change is going to be painful, not easy. And Detroit won't be turned around without sacrifices. The MCD might be one of them.

As for Moroun, I found the Detroit News article on him highly revealing. It makes me wonder, why is it that local billionaires in Kansas City [[the Stowers family) donated $2 billion to endow a medical research institute there while the big money guy in Detroit gives little back? Could it be that he is simply an authentic product of Detroit? Is he an anomaly or a symptom of what is wrong more broadly?

You might be interested in this post as well, where I argue Detroit's cultural problems run deep and have their roots as far back as 1920. A commenter named thundermutt has some interesting insights as well.

http://theurbanophile.blogspot.com/2...ican-city.html

See, my disagreement with you about MCD, and transit in Detroit in general, is that Detroit was not built as a car-oriented city. It was built as a mass transit-oriented city that built cars. If you look at how Detroit has deteriorated today, it has deteriorated outward from those neighborhoods that were the least car oriented, and spread like a wildfire to everywhere else. I don't see how you can rectify this without rectifying the transit situation.

Thus, I think that Michigan Central is where the line in the sand needs to be drawn. Detroit has already sacrificed many buildings in the name of progress, only to move towards that progress at a snails pace. What Detroit has not put two cents towards, in fifty years of scratching its head about the urban decay, is improving its mass transit infrastructure. There are numerous examples of cities in America who have turned themselves around through the use of transit systems: New York, Washington D.C., San Francisco. I can't think of any major American city that has had a major turnaround and not had transit as a main focus.


[[Btw, I hear that Obama is supposed to be making some major announcements this week about high speed rail networks in the U.S. The northeast corridor is jockeying for special attention because they already have a pseudo-high speed rail line in place. California is jockeying for attention because it's California and they will never let the rest of us forget that they have the 8th largest economy in the world. But I think the Detroit to Chicago line has a great chance of being the test-dummy for high speed rail funding in the U.S. If that happens, then that will really make the discussion about what happens to MCS interesting...)

[firstandten]

Great comments in here. I just see it as Detroit is going to have to close off services to a significant portion of land especially on the east side. You have blocks with one or two houses on it. Some politican will need to have the political will to actually close those areas off by stopping water/ lighting and other essential city services to those area. Those areas need to to vacated but prepped for either residential or industrial development at some point. The city like the school needs to be downsized and rightsized.

[ThaFuzz]

Excuse the typo in the thread title... It's late.

Drat, I was gonna go for the "Detroit has no master plan, but they has CHEESEBURGERZ!!!" joke

[Danny]

Does Detroit has a master plan?

NO!

If only we put away our race cards, then the master plan for Detroit's rise will begin.

[detmich]

Does Detroit has a master plan?

NO!

If only we put away our race cards, then the master plan for Detroit's rise will begin.

Does Detroit have a master plan?

[gnome]

Lorax, just wondering...do several people use your screen name? As in, are there people with wide ranging personalities that log-in using the name Lorax? A computer set up in the day-room of an in-patient psych-ward perchance?

Just wondering.

[detroitchef]

Go to the Happy-Place Gnome. Lorax is no more disjointed and rambling than Danny.

[Lorax]

Lorax, just wondering...do several people use your screen name? As in, are there people with wide ranging personalities that log-in using the name Lorax? A computer set up in the day-room of an in-patient psych-ward perchance?

Just wondering.

It's all me, Garden Gnome. I think you've been sniffing the fertilizer a little too much.

As for the psych ward remark, we'll just chalk it up to you not able to converse on varied subject matters.

Letting it go......there it goes.....................

[Lorax]

Lorax, just wondering...do several people use your screen name? As in, are there people with wide ranging personalities that log-in using the name Lorax? A computer set up in the day-room of an in-patient psych-ward perchance?

Just wondering.

Perhaps you need to return to your day job doing Expedia commercials. Just a thought.

[DetroitDad]

One area where I think Detroit struggles is engaging the grass-roots of the community. This gets back to the comment made earlier about getting people in the area to buy into a vision for the region. But how?

Lorax says how, but he didn't say who. Detroit just doesn't have the proper mix of residents to make this happen. We need more wealthy people in Detroit.

A single urban neighborhood with at least one wealthy family is statistically much better off than urban neighborhoods without one. You need wealthy families because wealthy families get things done, and improve the community. They are also the ones the middle class follows and the ones who create a lot of the culture. They are the ones who have the means and time to donate to the DIA and charity events, and even the ones who have more time to donate organizing events and attending the city and school meetings.

I would say that Detroit has a large amount of poor and working class. Those people do not have the time or money to do the things that need to be done, they're too busy working, going to school, and paying bills. I, like many DetroitYESers have some great ideas for what needs to get done, but just like many of you, I have a family and work to worry about. I can't really help Detroit very much.

What is worse about all this, is most of Detroit's wealthy people all high tailed it out of Detroit years ago, and the middle class followed. Now you have the poor with pockets of middle class, and all of their kids dream about leaving Detroit for the suburbs. Our children have no real respect for the places near ghettos they grew up in. The Detroit dream is to leave. The only solution I have to that is in what the Georgia Street Community Center is doing; fostering a pride and sense of community that these kids will want to come back to.

What else can be done?

[Lorax]

Lorax says how, but he didn't say who. Detroit just doesn't have the proper mix of residents to make this happen. We need more wealthy people in Detroit.

First of all, thanks for listening and contributing to the thread, dialogue is the first step to things changing. Secondly, I'd like to add the "who" to the "how".

Wealthy people are often not the answer. They are an important component in any revitalization effort, however, it's the Detroiters who currently live and work in the city who need to start this effort.

Everyone has bills, families, and work responsibilites, but like I said above, Democracy is not a spectator sport.

If George Bush proved anything, he proved that when you stop paying attention to whom you put in elected office, you get what you deserve.

I'm reminded of the line from "A Christmas Carol" by Dickens when Scrooge says he feels his taxes are enough contribution for the work houses and treadmills where the poor eat and are clothed. However, we know it's not enough, not just for the wealthy like Scrooge, but for those of us who are not wealthy, but can contribute in other ways.

I'm sure we can all find time in our day to make a few phone calls, write a letter or email, co-ordinate with neighbors to get things done. Calling your representatives is something you can do, and regularly. Make them sick of getting the calls and emails.

They really do respond when pestered, since they have only one goal in life, which is to be re-elected. I have found this true in each and every city I've lived in.

If they are unresponsive, they will be when you threaten to expose their corruption, or indifference to your concerns, specifically in print and online. This one has worked for me every time. It's amazing how many new friends you'll make from your elected officials! They work for you- as trite as that may sound, it's still true, and you can still pitch a bitch when necessary.

And when they do good, they need to know that as well. Positive reinforcement, like when raising a child works on politicians too. Let them know when they are doing things right.

Too often we are consumed by our daily lives, when in fact we have a responsibility to each other, if we are to continue to live in a civilized environment.

Some may find these efforts too great, and many won't do anything about it but wring their hands. Others will, even in small ways, do something constructive, even if it fails the first few times, but ultimately it will make a difference when enough people contribute.

It's Detroiters who will either make the changes necessary, or live with the results of inaction.

Wealthy people have what they need for a comfortable lifestyle, and will jump in with their checkbooks when there is money to be made.

It's the people living in Detroit that need to decide whether or not they want to take their city back.

[DetroitDad]

First of all, thanks for listening and contributing to the thread, dialogue is the first step to things changing. Secondly, I'd like to add the "who" to the "how".

Wealthy people are often not the answer. They are an important component in any revitalization effort, however, it's the Detroiters who currently live and work in the city who need to start this effort.

Everyone has bills, families, and work responsibilites, but like I said above, Democracy is not a spectator sport.

If George Bush proved anything, he proved that when you stop paying attention to whom you put in elected office, you get what you deserve.

I'm reminded of the line from "A Christmas Carol" by Dickens when Scrooge says he feels his taxes are enough contribution for the work houses and treadmills where the poor eat and are clothed. However, we know it's not enough, not just for the wealthy like Scrooge, but for those of us who are not wealthy, but can contribute in other ways.

I'm sure we can all find time in our day to make a few phone calls, write a letter or email, co-ordinate with neighbors to get things done. Calling your representatives is something you can do, and regularly. Make them sick of getting the calls and emails.

They really do respond when pestered, since they have only one goal in life, which is to be re-elected. I have found this true in each and every city I've lived in.

If they are unresponsive, they will be when you threaten to expose their corruption, or indifference to your concerns, specifically in print and online. This one has worked for me every time. It's amazing how many new friends you'll make from your elected officials! They work for you- as trite as that may sound, it's still true, and you can still pitch a bitch when necessary.

And when they do good, they need to know that as well. Positive reinforcement, like when raising a child works on politicians too. Let them know when they are doing things right.

Too often we are consumed by our daily lives, when in fact we have a responsibility to each other, if we are to continue to live in a civilized environment.

Some may find these efforts too great, and many won't do anything about it but wring their hands. Others will, even in small ways, do something constructive, even if it fails the first few times, but ultimately it will make a difference when enough people contribute.

It's Detroiters who will either make the changes necessary, or live with the results of inaction.

Wealthy people have what they need for a comfortable lifestyle, and will jump in with their checkbooks when there is money to be made.

It's the people living in Detroit that need to decide whether or not they want to take their city back.

Yes, but the poor can only do so much, and it's not enough. It also is a problem when our wealthy consists of countless corrupt slumlord scrooges, I agree; that goes along with grass roots support for the community. The wealthy are a small but important piece of a diverse community.