Just because it's being built on a plot of nothing doesn't mean it's a prudent planning decision. Detroit's downtown has a spatial continuity problem because of the freeways and stadia inhibits strong residential and business districts from growing. Really, it's an issue of desirability and freeways and stadiums are incompatible uses with residential and even offices in an urban context. People don't choose to be near their teams or have good freeway access next to where they live. People choose neighborhoods that have street life on a daily basis and storefronts instead of blank walls and overpasses.
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