Another Step Forward for Gateway Mall on Woodward Avenue just south of 8 Mile

[ghettopalmetto]

In any era, that 8 Mile/Woodward area was never one for retail, since it had a fucking STATE FAIRGROUNDS attached to it and, for the most part, exclusive residential and cemetary across from it.

Of couse, given your history, I respect and assume you know about the area, and understand that between old fairgrounds and cemetary and 8 lane thoroughfares, there is nothing remotely "urban" about the area and never has been. EVER. But my goodness, your unsubstantiated, bully-pulpit and gap-toothed opinions opinions are usually at least thinly cloaked in some loose shred of knowledge of what you are talking about.

it goes without saying that if you build something anti-urban on the site, it will REMAIN anti-urban. The only way to urbanize it is to [[surprise!) build urban form.

Your line of reasoning is a Mobius strip [[mall) of self-fulfilling prophecy. You can't keep building strip malls and then wonder why Detroit isn't more urban.

[bartock]

it goes without saying that if you build something anti-urban on the site, it will REMAIN anti-urban. The only way to urbanize it is to [[surprise!) build urban form.

Your line of reasoning is a Mobius strip [[mall) of self-fulfilling prophecy. You can't keep building strip malls and then wonder why Detroit isn't more urban.

OK so when the flying monkeys drop an A-Bomb on Woodward from 7 Mile north to 8 mile, and the purple unicorns carrying pixie-dust and $20 billion dollars pay to turn Woodward back into a four lane road, remove "the bridge" and make 8 Mile/Woodward a four way stop, while Santa's elves build this Magical Kingdom of Urbania that the people of this region will undoubtably want to flock to in what has always been a decidedly suburban area, I will agree with you. Until then, something is better than nothing.