Detroit, 'Comeback City'

Despite the massive improvements Detroit has made both in public perception, it still has a long way to go to in overcoming misperceptions associated with its decades of struggles.

1 minute read

November 4, 2019, 7:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Detroit, Michigan

J Dennis / Shutterstock

"It's fair to say that Detroit's reputation has flipped fairly quickly from 'Ruin Porn Capital' to 'Comeback City,'" writes John Gallagher.

"But that easy generalization is too simple, almost a cartoon, to capture the complex nature of Detroit's reality and its changing image."

Given the complexity of the challenges facing Detroit, Detroit Future City has released a report every year since 2013, "[surveying] city and suburban residents and national business leaders on their attitudes toward Detroit," according to Gallagher, who shares the findings of the latest survey in the source article.

"The latest survey, known as the 2019 Detroit Reinvestment Index, released Sunday, carries mostly positive news. City residents, suburbanites and national business leaders all reported rising rates of confidence in the city," according to Gallagher.

The catch: some misperceptions persist, like a significant number of business leaders who think the city is still mired in bankruptcy.

Monday, November 4, 2019 in Detroit Free Press

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