The 139 Square Miles report attempts to comprehensively report the realities of Detroit, without commentary or critique.
Oscar Perry Abello shares insights into the report 139 Square Miles by the nonprofit Detroit Future City.
"The report claims to be the first, comprehensive, citywide, data-driven study on the state of Detroit 'without analysis or critique.' It compiles quantitative and spatial data from a variety of sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau’s Survey of Business Owners, which is conducted every five years," according to Abello.
The article focuses on a few themes from the report, including the size of small businesses and the racial and economic segregation of neighborhoods around the city. One of the obvious takeaways is the lack of jobs located in the city.
"Even with the recent job growth, the report found that Detroit still only has 30 jobs per 100 residents (though that’s up from 25 per 100 in 2010). Among the jobs that are inside Detroit, well-paying jobs tend to be held by workers who live in the suburbs and commute into the city for work, while many Detroiters leave the city for low-paying jobs outside the city," explains Abello.
For more on the 139 Square Miles report, see also an article by John Gallagher for the Detroit Free Press.
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