Is Detroit's Rebound Around The Corner?

Professor Robert Fishman, author of "The Fifth Migration", argues that Americans' rediscovery of inner cities will give even troubled cities like Detroit a major boost.

1 minute read

April 24, 2007, 6:00 AM PDT

By Christian Madera @http://www.twitter.com/cpmadera


"Fishman said while Detroit lags behind virtually all of big-city America in experiencing a rebirth, he believes the city will, someday, see its long hoped-for renaissance.

The return to cities is a powerful trend, Fishman said, 'and as expectations of urban living rise...this is going to come to Detroit as well.'

"Fishman is hardly predicting the return of the manufacturing economy that made Detroit one of the world's most dynamic cities during the first 50 years of the 20th Century. He is talking about simple urbanity -- a lively street with diverse stores and apartments on which people can enjoy the best that high-density living has to offer."

"Fishman said Detroit is perhaps the 'most challenged' city and region in the nation, but he noted that while many experts believed New York was trapped in a terminal crisis in the 1970s, the city today is booming."

"What has happened in other cities will happen in Detroit, Fishman said."

Monday, April 23, 2007 in The Detroit Free Press

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