Can Detroit's Urban Revitalization Undo the Mistakes of Urban Renewal?

Some experts think the language used to describe a redevelopment project in Detroit might be overly ambitious.

1 minute read

May 17, 2016, 8:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Detroit

Patricia Drury / Flickr

A proposal to redevelop the former Brewster-Douglass public housing site in Detroit raises a big question in a recent article by John Gallagher: "Is it really possible today to undo the damage that urban renewal policies of 50 years ago did to Detroit’s African-American community?"

According to Gallagher, the request for proposals released by the city for the Budweiser-Douglass project "boldly stated that a goal of the project was to 'repair the tear in the urban fabric' that the demolition of the historic Black Bottom and Paradise Valley neighborhoods created in the 1950s."

Gallagher speaks to a sample of academic researchers in the area of urban renewal, who all express skepticism that the project could achieve such lofty goals. "For one thing," explains Gallagher, "the new developments in the Brewster-Douglass site would house only about 1,500 new residents, compared with the 150,000 or so former black residents who once lived on Detroit's near lower east side but were forced to move due to the building of I-75 and other projects."

Gallagher also describes the project, which has since been awarded to Dan Gilbert's Bedrock Real Estate Services (along with two sites in Eastern market), as an example of upscale development investments coming to the downtown Detroit area. Gallagher surveyed the downtown development scene in a separate article from April.

Saturday, May 14, 2016 in Detroit Free Press

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

Bird's eye view of manufactured home park.

Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing

Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?

March 25, 2025 - Shelterforce

U-Haul truck on road with blurred grassy roadside in background.

Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?

Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?

March 27, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Rusty abandoned oil well and equipment with prickly pear cactus next to it in West Texas.

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage

Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

March 31, 2025 - Pennsylvania State University

Downtown Los Angeles skyline viewed from a distance with freeway and trees in foreground.

Updating LA’s Tree Rules Could Bring More Shade to Underserved Neighborhoods

A new USC study finds that relaxing Los Angeles’ outdated tree planting guidelines could significantly expand urban tree canopy and reduce shade disparities in lower-income neighborhoods, though infrastructure investments are also needed.

4 hours ago - USC Dornsife

Aerial view of Claifornia aqueduct with green orchard on one side.

California's Canal Solar Projects Aim to Conserve Resources and Expand Clean Energy

California’s Project Nexus has begun generating electricity from solar panels installed over irrigation canals, with researchers and state agencies exploring statewide expansion to conserve water and boost clean energy production.

5 hours ago - Turlock Journal

Close-up of older woman's hands resting on white modern heating radiator mounted on wall indoors.

HHS Staff Cuts Gut Energy Assistance Program

The full staff of a federal program that distributes heating and cooling assistance for low-income families was laid off, jeopardizing the program’s operations.

6 hours ago - The New York Times