Ruin Porn

Detroit - Renaissance Center

The Portrayal of Detroit Through 'Ruin Porn' Fails To Tell The Full Story

Do the stylized pictures of crumbling edifices and the recent incorporation of a vacant home in an art show do a disservice to the residents—mostly poor and black—who still call Detroit home?

February 22, 2016 - The Guardian

Urban Exploration Misinterpreted

Urban explorer and urban ethnographer Bradley L. Garrett argues that the act of urban exploration has become increasingly misunderstood, and misinterpreted through the lens of a recent popular fascination with ruin fetishism.

June 2, 2011 - domus

Against 'Ruin Porn'

The city of Detroit is increasingly characterized through imagery of its abandoned and decaying buildings. This piece from The New Republic says it's time to stop.

January 24, 2011 - The New Republic

Halloween Costumes for Urban Planners - 3rd Edition

It's Halloween time again, the day when dressing up in silly costumes is required of every conscionable person. Some opt for the scary ghost or the sexy nurse, but others, more thoughtful others, make more of this opportunity.

October 25, 2010 - Nate Berg

From 'Ruin Porn' to 'Prosperity Porn'

A new series of films about Detroit go beyond the "ruin porn" that has flooded the media in recent years and focuses on the good things happening in the city.

September 24, 2010 - Grist

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