As the automotive industry takes a deep hit during the current economic recession, many tie the Detroit's hopes to those of the auto industry. But Richard Florida argues Detroit needs to think beyond the car business.
"Michigan has the country's highest jobless rate, 12.6 percent. Detroit's unemployment rate is even higher that that. But all may not be lost for the city that gave birth to the Model-T and Motown. If, says Richard Florida, the city and the region can move past the auto industry."
"...Right now, according to Florida, people are simply focusing on the wrong thing."
"'I know in this time of economic crisis people are saying where are the jobs going to come from. And clearly there has to be a focus on providing good work. But at the same time, it's not just about attracting companies and firms and jobs, it has to be about retaining and attracting and motivating people,' he cautions."
"So how does a city like Detroit, or even a state like Michigan do this? Florida offers what he admits may seem like a strange idea in the middle of these troubled times."
"'Instead of bailing out the auto firms, and giving industrial incentives to companies that are going to try and come and create low skill dead end jobs, why not use that same money to enable business start ups?'"
FULL STORY: Scholar: It's Time For The Post-Automotive Era
Ford Plans New Headquarters for a New Century
Following the example of much newer corporations in Silicon Valley, the Ford Motor Company is planning a $9 billion new campus in Dearborn, to be built over ten years.
The Fall of Windsor, Canada's Detroit
The Economist reports that the collapse of Detroit's auto industry has had a ripple effect up north, particularly in Windsor, Ontario.
The Shared Woes of the Auto Industry and the Black Middle Class
The downfall of the American auto industry is also having a major impact on middle and working class African-American families. This piece from the The New York Times Magazine looks at the connection.
Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself
The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.
‘Displaced By Design:’ Report Spotlights Gentrification in Black Neighborhoods
A new report finds that roughly 15 percent of U.S. neighborhoods have been impacted by housing cost increases and displacement.
Nevada and Utah Groups Oppose Public Land Sell-Off Plan
A set of last-minute amendments to the budget reconciliation bill open up over half a million acres of federally managed land to sales.
More Than a Park: A Safe Haven for Generations in LA’s Chinatown
Alpine Recreation Center serves as a vital cultural and community hub in Los Angeles' Chinatown, offering a safe, welcoming space for generations of Chinese American residents to gather, connect, and thrive amidst rapid urban change.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Clovis
City of Moorpark
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions