Detroit Continues to Suffer From Historic Divisions

Traditions must die hard in Detroit, where the region can't seem to shake its enduring geographic and racial divisions, reports Sarah Hulett.

2 minute read

September 17, 2012, 12:00 PM PDT

By Andrew Gorden


The divisions that divide Detroit go back generations. Segregating events, like the Federal Housing Administration's discriminatory housing policies and the city's 1967 riots, continue to shape the economics and politics of Detroit into the present. Tensions between the city and its suburbs, and blacks and whites endure.

Although the region's demographics are changing, Hulett notes that, "the acrimony remains, and it's tangible any time there's a debate over regional cooperation between Detroit and its suburbs. Inside the city, residents fear a loss of political power. In the suburbs, the fear is that hard-earned tax dollars will be siphoned off by a poorly run city."

"It's a debate that's played out repeatedly through the years: over the city-owned water system that serves the suburbs, for example, and over the zoo and the convention center that serve the region but needed help staying afloat," says Hulett. Even the city's "gem," Belle Isle park, is close to slipping into the State's hands. "The proposal is part of a consent agreement between the state and the city intended to keep Detroit from sliding into bankruptcy," states Hulett. "But it's been derided by some...as yet another attempt by people outside Detroit to erode the city's self-determination."

Still, there is some hope for greater regional cooperation. "Last month, the majority of people in Detroit's suburbs voted to raise their taxes to keep the [Detroit Institute of the Arts] afloat."

Tuesday, September 11, 2012 in NPR

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1, 2025 - KQED

Blue and silver Amtrak train at small station.

Amtrak Rolls Out New Orleans to Alabama “Mardi Gras” Train

The new service will operate morning and evening departures between Mobile and New Orleans.

July 3 - New Orleans City Business

Large spinning swing ride at Chicago's Navy Pier.

The Subversive Car-Free Guide to Trump's Great American Road Trip

Car-free ways to access Chicagoland’s best tourist attractions.

July 3 - Streetsblog Chicago

Aerial view of downtown San Antonio, Texas at night with rotating Tower of the Americas in foreground.

San Antonio and Austin are Fusing Into one Massive Megaregion

The region spanning the two central Texas cities is growing fast, posing challenges for local infrastructure and water supplies.

July 3 - Governing