I am wondering about the plan for Detroit from the Kresge foundation, and perhaps the need to effect a moratorium on the demolition of all sizable buildings before any plan is revealed. Since apart form the big hospital projects admittedly on available campus real estate, there arent other significant investments to let important structures be demolished. This short term stuff is a really negative aspect of doing business in detroit from outside observers. The real balls as Detroitnerd and others pointed out so many times, is in saying NO. A moratorium on new construction wouldnt be so bad either. This would send a signal that the city finally means business.

Who wants Detroit to become another casino disneyland [[check out Bethlehem Pennsylvania).

On the other hand, I do think that heavy mono industry has forged Detroit character to the extent that it is less inclined to think of itself as endowed in the artistic. One of the important things for the future generations is the opportunity for expression in the arts. The city, state and federal govs need to foster arts and crafts institutions and businesses. These as well as light industry to complete the mix in order to reuse existing structures and anchor parts of the city.

It is a city with a good bone structure and it needs to get steady doses of calcium to keep standing. So the planning phase should comprise some interim where nothing goes up or down for a while...