Can Detroit be Reinvented?

The near-bankruptcy of the American auto industry is just the latest in a long history of challenges Detroit has endured.

1 minute read

March 31, 2009, 12:00 PM PDT

By Michael Dudley


"By almost any measure, Detroit is in deep trouble. Unemployment has risen above 20 per cent, the city's government is more than $300-million (U.S.) in debt, there are 87,000 vacant homes and one study recently reported that about 30 per cent of the city is now vacant land.

The population started to decline slowly in the 1950s with the advent of suburbs and the development of a freeway system that made commuting easier. The turning point came in July, 1967, when race riots destroyed much of the downtown and left lasting emotional scars. The rioting hastened the flight of whites to the suburbs, leaving Detroit to cope with a falling population and a reduced tax base.

While few people in Detroit are banking on the auto sector to help revitalize the economy, there are signs of hope. A $100-million non-profit venture, called the New Economy Initiative, is providing grants to help start dozens of new businesses. Another non-profit group, the Detroit Vacant Property Campaign, is helping revamp abandoned houses, and Mr. George said he has more than 10,000 registered volunteers who help clean up neighbourhoods. Home sales are on the rise, jumping 18 per cent last month from a year ago as buyers start to snap up bargains."

Tuesday, March 31, 2009 in The Globe and Mail

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

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

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.

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Close-up on BLM sign on Continental Divide Trail in Rawlins, Wyoming.

BLM To Rescind Public Lands Rule

The change will downgrade conservation, once again putting federal land at risk for mining and other extractive uses.

15 minutes ago - Public Domain

Calvary Street bridge over freeway in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Indy Neighborhood Group Builds Temporary Multi-Use Path

Community members, aided in part by funding from the city, repurposed a vehicle lane to create a protected bike and pedestrian path for the summer season.

2 hours ago - Smart Cities Dive

Holland Tunnel, vehicular tunnel under Hudson River that connects New York City neighborhood of SoHo in Lower Manhattan to east with Jersey City in New Jersey.

Congestion Pricing Drops Holland Tunnel Delays by 65 Percent

New York City’s contentious tolling program has yielded improved traffic and roughly $100 million in revenue for the MTA.

4 hours ago - Curbed