Detroit

What Will It Take to Move Detroit's Holdout Homeowners?

Marooned in an ocean of crumbling homes, declining city services, stray dogs, and crime, as many as 10,000 Detroiters live in areas that are unlikely to rebound. What incentives can the city devise to get them to relocate?

October 9, 2013 - Bloomberg News

How is Technology Transforming the American City?

For a feature on Technology and the City, Architectural Record examines how the digital economy and tech culture are transforming Chattanooga, Detroit, Austin, and San Francisco. Many changes are welcome, but can urban success become too successful?

October 3, 2013 - Architectural Record

Detroit Bankruptcy Highlights Nation's Obsession With Diplomas

If you thought the bankruptcy in Detroit was caused by the disappearance of manufacturing jobs, well, you'd be wrong. Alan Mallach explains how our obsession with college degrees contributed to the downfall of a city.

October 1, 2013 - Rooflines

$300 Million Aid Package Aimed at Revitalizing Detroit's Neighborhoods

The $300 million in federal and private aid announced Friday for Detroit is just a drop in the bucket compared to the city's $18 billion debt. While the aid is far short of a bailout, it represents a down payment on the city's recovery.

September 28, 2013 - Detroit Free Press

A Deep Dive on Detroit's Path to Insolvency

The story of how Detroit became the largest US city to ever file for bankruptcy is a long and tangled one featuring many villains and several "if only" moments. The Detroit Free Press reviews 50+ years of financial history to set the record straight.

September 16, 2013 - Detroit Free Press

Midwestern Cities Using Transit as Economic Development Tool

Chicago's Fulton Market's new transit stop is attracting attention and investment in the neighborhood. Increasingly, more cities in the Midwest are embracing transportation projects as a means to revitalize downtowns and historic districts.

September 4, 2013 - The Architect's Newspaper

Detroit Contemplates Privatizing Parking Assets

In his quest to leave no source of potential revenue unexplored, Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr is looking into selling Detroit's parking lots, meters and garages. The experiences of other cities who've trodden a similar path offer cause for caution.

August 30, 2013 - The Detroit News

aerial view of downtown detroit showing lots of parking lots

This is What Downtown Looks Like When Your Employees All Live in the Suburbs

In bright reds and oranges, a map produced by Data Driven Detroit makes clear how much the city has suffered from decades of suburban flight. Nearly every block of downtown features substantial parking, including a stunning amount of surface lots.

August 16, 2013 - DC.Streetsblog

Want to Avoid Detroit's Fate? Diversify Your Economy

"Nearly all the rich world’s industrial cities fell on hard times between 1950 and 1980," says The Economist. Why did some recover while others failed? A new paper argues that skilled workers and a diverse economy are key to overcoming adversity.

August 16, 2013 - The Economist

Indianapolis Revival Is a Team Effort

What's made the difference in the trajectories of similarly-sized Midwest cities Detroit and Indianapolis? According to David Masciotra, cross-sector partnerships centered around sports entertainment have been the driving force behind Indy's success.

August 13, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

Detroit Default Ripples Through Municipal Bond Market

The Motor City is the not the only victim of the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history. Local governments across Michigan are now encountering substantial obstacles to borrowing amid concerns about the security of municipal bonds.

August 12, 2013 - The New York Times

Detroit People Mover

The Grand Plans that Failed to Save Detroit

The $500 million Renaissance Center, a 2.9-mile People Mover, and new downtown sports stadiums are just some of the grand schemes that were supposed to help arrest Detroit's decades-long decline.

August 11, 2013 - The Washington Post

Urban Revivals Give Hope to Detroit Emergency Manager

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, emergency manager Kevyn Orr explains how his own experiences living in once-derelict, now-thriving cities leave him optimistic about Detroit's revival.

August 5, 2013 - The Wall Street Journal

Atlanta Sprawl

Bemoan Atlanta, as Well as Detroit, Writes Columnist

New York Times columnist Paul Krugman looks at two great American cities, one losing population for decades and now filed for bankruptcy, the other growing rapidly but through sprawl, not smart growth. Yet Atlanta suffers lower social mobility.

August 4, 2013 - The New York Times - The Opinion Pages

Improved Public Services a Beneficial By-Product of Detroit Bankruptcy

The addition of 50 new police cars, ramped up bus service, and long overdue streetlight repairs are all being planned as bankruptcy proceedings allow Detroit to increase funding for public services.

July 29, 2013 - Detroit Free Press

With East Riverfront Redevelopment, Builder Bets on Detroit's Future

Just outside of downtown, and a short walk from the Detroit River, developer McCormack Baron Salazar is planning to build a new neighborhood of town houses, apartments, and retail on mostly vacant land - a $60 million bet on the city's future.

July 24, 2013 - Detroit Free Press

Do the Feds Have a Responsibility to Help Detroit?

The federal government has a role to play in the financial crises afflicting cities across America, and most notably of late, in Detroit. Should Washington also play a role in helping them to recover?

July 23, 2013 - The Nation

'Against All Odds', Detroit is Poised for Growth

With its recent bankruptcy filing, Detroit has a plethora of challenges ahead of it. But the city is well positioned for growth, argue Bruce Katz and Jennifer Bradley, which will be as important for the city's renewal as fixing its fiscal problems.

July 22, 2013 - Brookings

How a Private-Sector Approach Can Save Your Transit System

Is your city's transit agency caught in a cycle of rising fares, declining service, and chronic financial problems? Mark Aesch has used an innovative approach to turn around the bus systems in Rochester and Detroit. Could it work in your city?

July 19, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

What's Next for Detroit?

Yesterday, Detroit became the largest municipality in U.S. history to declare bankruptcy. Such an action is unprecedented, so the path forward is murky. Yet one word seems to signify what lies ahead over the next year: battles.

July 19, 2013 - Detroit Free Press

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