What did Dearborn do right?

**Novine** · March-25-11, 10:02 AM

Dearborn was the only large urban city in the state that actually saw its population increase. Every other urban city in the state lost population. With all the factors working against cities like Dearborn, how did they manage to add new residents and what can we learn from that?

**esp1986** · March-25-11, 10:03 AM

Originally Posted by Novine

Dearborn was the only large urban city in the state that actually saw its population increase. Every other urban city in the state lost population. With all the factors working against cities like Dearborn, how did they manage to add new residents and what can we learn from that?

I wouldn't call Dearborn a "large urban city," but I think the best thing they did was manage not to ever be annexed by Detroit.

**iheartthed** · March-25-11, 10:06 AM

Originally Posted by Novine

Dearborn was the only large urban city in the state that actually saw its population increase. Every other urban city in the state lost population. With all the factors working against cities like Dearborn, how did they manage to add new residents and what can we learn from that?

Probably foreign immigration. I believe it worked to Hamtramck's advantage as well.

**Detroitnerd** · March-25-11, 10:09 AM

Definitely immigration. From all over the Middle East. It's not exactly all flowers and sunshine over there right now. And, yes, I tend to think of Dearborn as Detroit's city-suburb. It's like two cities in one, actually.

**Novine** · March-25-11, 10:41 AM

By "large", I was focused on any city with at least 80,000 residents which puts it in the top 20 by population in Michigan. By "urban", I wanted to draw a distinction between more urbanized cities with defined downtowns surrounded by lower density neighborhoods [[Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing, Kalamazoo) versus suburban cities with largely low density subdivision-style development and often no defined "downtown" [[Sterling Heights, Farmington Hills, Troy). Cities like East Lansing and Dearborn may be "little brother" to their larger neighboring core city but I still consider them more urban than suburban.

**Lombaowski** · March-25-11, 11:04 AM

Ethnic enclave. Imagine if immigrants could move into lower cost areas of the city without getting robbed every week?

**Danny** · March-25-11, 02:10 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

Definitely immigration. From all over the Middle East. It's not exactly all flowers and sunshine over there right now. And, yes, I tend to think of Dearborn as Detroit's city-suburb. It's like two cities in one, actually.

That's the answer I'm looking for. Herny Ford created the New Mecca "New Little Islam" for Arab Muslim descent. It's was 1900, automobile production was only to be created for rich. Henry Ford change that. He started the five dollar a day assembly line for his workers. But he needed more.

In the meantime in the middle eastern nations, The Ottoman Turks are losing some territories, European Imperialism and world colonialization is slowly losing power. The silk and opium trade was increasing in China and the Europeans want it. This cause the opium and silk production in some Middle Eastern Nations to slow down. Also the Brittish and Americans has found a humongous oil supply in Iraq, Iran and later Saudi Arabia. However they have hold on the land and its puppet leaders. Even up to World War I and founding of the League of Nations, Brittian gain more "Protectorate" powers and held Arab Muslims free themselves for Ottoman Rule and build new independent nations. The Rothschildian Banks help out with its oil world trade. Therefore Arab Muslims losing most of their land, farming, Opium and Silk trades.

Henry Ford came to them and ask them to come to America and work in my factories. Most Arabs say yes. By 1910 The Yemeni Muslims moved to an area what once Dearbornville and Springwells TWP. on Dix and Vernor Ave. Now we called it "ARABIAN VILLAGE" The community is still there and thriving.

Dearbornville has been annexed to Dearborn while Sprigwells TWP. was annexed to Detroit.

Most of the Arab families work at Ford Motor Company Rouge Plant until they brought their families for differn Middle-Eastern nations. They build up shops and build mosques. By the 1960s The Arabs Yemenis and Lebanese Muslims migrated to some parts of SW Detroit neighborhoods but that didn't last [[Some of them still live there today and slowly growing) Most of them moved up to W. Warren Ave from Lonyo/ Wyoming Ave. and spread further west. [[ Some of them tried to move further pass Tireman Ave. and up to Grand River and Plymouth St. in Detroit's West Side. However they divert back to Dearborn due to sudden growth of black families moving over there.

At the time "East Dearborn" was mostly German and Italian community. Most of them don't want them over there. Mayor Orville Hubbard make sure that his goon squad will keep them out. After Hubbard died, more Arabs were filling up all of "East Dearborn" neighborhoods. By 1980 Arabs are dominate race in W. Warren Rd. from Detroit border to Greenfield Rd. and so on. I say that Arabs saved Dearborn from its urban plight and the businesses draw people from all over the Metro-Detroit Area.

WORD FROM STREET PROPHET

Because changing a community take action and arguments for Neda's sake.

**Bham1982** · March-25-11, 02:23 PM

Dearborn didn't do anything right. Or, at least, they didn't do anything different than their neighbors.

The reason Dearborn [[and Dearborn Heights) are growing or stable is simply because Middle Eastern immigrants happen to be flowing into their municipal boundaires.

I bet you West Dearborn is losing population, just like other inner-ring suburbs. The Middle Eastern immigrants haven't gotten over there in big numbers yet.

**Detroitnerd** · March-25-11, 02:30 PM

I can assure you that, as the old west siders age out or move west, the Middle Eastern communities are moving west along Ford Road, with plenty of new arrivals to fill the gaps they leave on Dearborn's east side.

**Novine** · March-25-11, 03:56 PM

"Dearborn didn't do anything right. Or, at least, they didn't do anything different than their neighbors.

The reason Dearborn [[and Dearborn Heights) are growing or stable is simply because Middle Eastern immigrants happen to be flowing into their municipal boundaires."

Are you taking the position that growth by immigrants is a bad thing?

**Bham1982** · March-25-11, 04:03 PM

Originally Posted by Novine

Are you taking the position that growth by immigrants is a bad thing?

No, in fact I think it's a good thing. I generally prefer places with immigrants and diversity.

My point is that Dearborn doesn't have some "master plan" for population growth or anything. It just happens to be a huge center for Middle Eastern immigration.

**Detroitnerd** · March-25-11, 04:17 PM

Originally Posted by Bham1982

No, in fact I think it's a good thing. I generally prefer places with immigrants and diversity.

My point is that Dearborn doesn't have some "master plan" for population growth or anything. It just happens to be a huge center for Middle Eastern immigration.

I guess you could say that Dearborn, for the most part, welcomed the immigration. I grew up on Dearborn's east side and thought my Middle Eastern classmates were mostly AOK. I guess you could say the thing Dearborn did right was it wasn't populated with a bunch of xenophobic pinheads like Orange County seems to be.

**DetroitTeacher** · March-25-11, 04:23 PM

Dearborn has awesome city services and awesome police response. Streets are swept EACH week, snow is plowed and streets salted, there are a zillion parks with play equipment that is kept up, and neighbors are friendly. I live in West Dearborn and I couldn't ask for better city services. Cop response time is less than 5 minutes, same with fire and ambulance service. If I call City Hall with a question, I get a live person who has the answer to my question. I don't think Detroit has the type of efficient city services Dearborn has. Word gets out that Dearborn is a nice ccommunity in which to live. It's also close enough to the city where residents can take advantage of all of the attractions that Detroit has to offer.

**Detroitnerd** · March-25-11, 04:28 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitTeacher

It's also close enough to the city where residents can take advantage of all of the attractions that Detroit has to offer.

Yeah, in that sense, it reminds me of Brooklyn: Already a "city," but then you can also go "into the city."

**Frumoasa** · March-25-11, 07:31 PM

Also, I work at a school in Dearborn and nearly all of the families have three or more children. When these children get married at 20-25 and have three children...the population increases too. So between immigration and larger families, the growth makes perfect sense..and the Arab influence in West Dearborn is increasing. Two new hijab shops opened on Ford Rd...one near Telegraph and one by Beech Daly in DH...thats a paradigm shift since people do not need to go to Warren and Schaefer to go to specialty shops anymore.

**szla** · March-25-11, 07:42 PM

The thing that Dearborn did right was enforce the zoning code religiously. In an area with marginal housing and lots of two family flats it's the only way to protect the area. Prior to about the early 70s the Michigan Avenue neighborhoods and a lot of east Dearborn were the same demographic- East European. There were also sections which were heavy Italian. The Lebanese were still in Salinas which I think was originally Romanian. As they [[Lebanese) moved north of the Rouge plant the Yemenis tended to have replaced them. Detroit east of Wyoming enforce virtually nothing. The city viewed them as stable relative to other areas in the city and did nothing to protect them from the ravageds of blight and crime. Many of the two family flats were owner occupied. As grandma and grandpa died the homes were taken over by the kids and grandkids who increasingly did not live in the homes. They rented to whoever. The neighborhood slowly declined. Immigrants helped but they were not the sole reason for the success. Large numbers of new Romanians moved into the area around Chadsey. Crime and no code enforcement ensued. Many have now left. This was also true in the aviation subdivsion with some Arabs. I do not beleive there is much movement across Tireman today. Attention to crime and code enforcement are what made Dearborn different. It's a quality of life issue. If you do not protect the tax base you can have nothing. No street sweeping, not enough cops, parks that are clean, real city services or schools.

NorthEndere · March-25-11, 09:13 PM

It's been already said, but immigration. If you look at this map NYT map:

http://projects.nytimes.com/census/2010/map?hp

You can see that only eastern Deaborn grew. The westside declined like everywhere else.

**Lombaowski** · March-25-11, 10:14 PM

Originally Posted by szla

The thing that Dearborn did right was enforce the zoning code religiously. In an area with marginal housing and lots of two family flats it's the only way to protect the area. Prior to about the early 70s the Michigan Avenue neighborhoods and a lot of east Dearborn were the same demographic- East European. There were also sections which were heavy Italian. The Lebanese were still in Salinas which I think was originally Romanian. As they [[Lebanese) moved north of the Rouge plant the Yemenis tended to have replaced them. Detroit east of Wyoming enforce virtually nothing. The city viewed them as stable relative to other areas in the city and did nothing to protect them from the ravageds of blight and crime. Many of the two family flats were owner occupied. As grandma and grandpa died the homes were taken over by the kids and grandkids who increasingly did not live in the homes. They rented to whoever. The neighborhood slowly declined. Immigrants helped but they were not the sole reason for the success. Large numbers of new Romanians moved into the area around Chadsey. Crime and no code enforcement ensued. Many have now left. This was also true in the aviation subdivsion with some Arabs. I do not beleive there is much movement across Tireman today. Attention to crime and code enforcement are what made Dearborn different. It's a quality of life issue. If you do not protect the tax base you can have nothing. No street sweeping, not enough cops, parks that are clean, real city services or schools.

Really good stuff here.

**reddog289** · March-26-11, 12:53 AM

My latest Saturday afternoon thing is to go to the Dearborn Italian Bakery to pick up some Pepperoni rolls. I like Dearborn and always have. I sorta think of my city as a Dearborn cousin who relies on Grandpa Ford. My city plows and sweeps their streets, Has pretty much made sure that I am obeying all the codes, and they have a good police response time. With my kids outta school, I would move to Dearborn if I could afford it.They seem to have a good selection of businesses. Unlike my city which is pretty much used car heaven.
Also I like the way the houses look in Dearborn. Alot of diversity in that department.

**Russix** · March-26-11, 05:48 AM

The only thing Dearborn did was be Detroit without the crime and corruption.

**Wesley Mouch** · March-26-11, 07:52 AM

What Dearborn did right it do everything right. Be open to immigrants. Enforce codes. Responsive police. Responsive public officials. Encourage business.

There's seldom a 'silver bullet'. Success comes from doing a lot of things well.

Oh, then there's an auto company there too.

**Novine** · March-26-11, 09:09 AM

I'm more interested in knowing what Dearborn did that other cities its size did not do, didn't do as well, or were unable to do. Everyone knew Detroit was going to take a massive fall. Most people expected the Flints and Lansings to see population declines too. But some expected the Ann Arbors and Kalamazoos to have possible stopped shrinking or even have seen some growth. But that was only the case in Dearborn. Can Dearborn provide any guidance to those communities or is it an abberation that can't be replicated?

**mjb3** · March-26-11, 10:07 AM

Arabic population has more childrens. Also, extended family[[aunts, grandparents) living in these houses.

So Dearborn has same housing stock as 50 yrs ago, but 3-5 people in each house as opposed to 1-2 for white families.

Not a bad thing, just may explain why they didn't lose population.

**Lowell** · March-26-11, 11:07 AM

Maybe I am missing something but unless one is a believer in the saying "Flat is the new growth" Dearborn + Dearborn Heights did not grow. Dearborn grew by 378 the Heights lost 490 for a net -112.

I am more intrigued by the movement in household income. For instance Sterling Height grew by 4.2, the only one is the top ten in Michigan other than Dearborn's negligible gain. However, as much discussed on this board, it suffered the largest drop in household income in the nation.

So who did more right? Dearborn, Sterling Heights or neither?

**Novine** · March-26-11, 11:22 AM

"Maybe I am missing something but unless one is a believer in the saying "Flat is the new growth" Dearborn + Dearborn Heights did not grow."

I wasn't looking a the numbers for the Heights but it does make sense to include those in the discussion. But in 2010 Michigan, for urban centers, treading water was progress. Not losing population was success compared to most cities.