What do these images have in common?
Hint: they all point to the reality that Detroit is geographically an untenable political entity.
The top graphic was first published here in 2005 and most recently here. The middle graphic was published in December, 2008 and the lower one on May 22, 2009... both in the Detroit Free Press.
Detroit is broken and broke. It grew historically through annexation of perimeter areas. The growth was based on the emerging automotive industry. As that industry has dispersed, the basis for Detroit's wealth has dispersed. The city is now at the brink of collapse along with Chrysler and General Motors.
Rezoning will not address the basic problem. The city needs to be reconstituted by shrinking and allowing the some of the perimeter areas to become annexed by other communities, forming new communities, and placing areas under state management for development into new "greenfields" or park land.
Detroit is a metaphor for what has gone wrong in the U.S.
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The top graphic was first published here in 2005 and most recently here. The middle graphic was published in December, 2008 and the lower one on May 22, 2009... both in the Detroit Free Press.
- The middle graphic simply reinforces the need for size reduction by comparing Detroit with other urban areas of similar or larger populations.
- The top graphic argues for a break-up of the present city with some perimeter areas being annexed by adjacent communities and some forming newer, smaller communities.
- The bottom graphic argues for rezoning Detroit into new land uses.
Detroit is broken and broke. It grew historically through annexation of perimeter areas. The growth was based on the emerging automotive industry. As that industry has dispersed, the basis for Detroit's wealth has dispersed. The city is now at the brink of collapse along with Chrysler and General Motors.
Rezoning will not address the basic problem. The city needs to be reconstituted by shrinking and allowing the some of the perimeter areas to become annexed by other communities, forming new communities, and placing areas under state management for development into new "greenfields" or park land.
Detroit is a metaphor for what has gone wrong in the U.S.
It is reliance on a large political entity to solve underlying economic and social issues caused by reliance on a large political entity that has benefited the governing at the expense of the governed....Not that our national politicians suddenly become wealthy after being elected... or would think of creating huge economic or policy changes that might benefit them personally... ahem.
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