 
Youngprofessionaldetroiter
Member
Username: Youngprofessionaldetroiter
Post Number: 61
Registered: 07-2008
| | Posted on Sunday, July 27, 2008 - 12:28 am: |    |
I'm posing these questions to everyone who is living or has lived in the city of Detroit.
The one area in Detroit that is growing in population is the CBD, the central business district -- aka Downtown. The source of this growth is varied from wealthy Detroiters from Indian Village and the like moving downtown...high-income couples (or singles) from the Oakland County suburbs...Wayne State Med and Law students...out-of-staters moving into Michigan wanting to continue an walkable urban living experience (no, in most other states, "urban" isn't a euphemism for low-income)...and young professionals.
Some of these new downtown residents have called Detroit their home for decades. Many of them are brand new to the city.
If you're a Detroiter in an area that hasn't seen direct benefit from all of this development, do you perceive long-term benefit? Or are you angry that money is being spent on low-priority items while your neighborhoods are in decline?
Is it strange to have all these new "suburbanites" living in the City? Do you feel that they are bringing foreign political values in to the city with them? Are you comfortable with a growing voting bloc that represents view more traditionally associated with people outside the city?
If you're like many who have been associated with the automobile industry your whole life, how do you feel about the fact that most of the economic growth in the state (and definitely in the city limits) is coming from sectors outside of manufacturing? These shiny new buildings in the city are going to technology-based companies and financial services companies and not manufacturing. Do you support that?
I guess to put it concisely...the are some wholesale demographic and attitudinal shifts going on in our region and in the City. When Detroit does come back, it's not going to be the Detroit of 1950. Manufacturing isn't going to drive this region. And it won't be 1975 with the UAW having the President's ear.
Most of the people who are and will be responsible for Detroit's revival are completely fine with that. Are you?
YPD
(Message edited by YoungProfessionalDetroiter on July 27, 2008) |
Fnemecek
Member
Username: Fnemecek
Post Number: 2865
Registered: 12-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, July 27, 2008 - 1:43 am: | |
quote:The one area in Detroit that is growing in population is the CBD, the central business district -- aka Downtown.
If I recall correctly, Mexicantown is also growing in population. At least it was as of 2007. I don't know if that's changed.
quote:If you're a Detroiter in an area that hasn't seen direct benefit from all of this development, do you perceive long-term benefit?
Yes, there will definitely be a long-term benefit.
quote:Or are you angry that money is being spent on low-priority items while your neighborhoods are in decline?
There is so much money being spent on low-priority items that it's not even funny. Quite frankly, I think we're rapidly approaching the point where many of Detroit's neighborhoods need to start talking about secession from the rest of Detroit just to survive.
However, I think there's very little correlation between who are moving into downtown and stupid decisions made by Mayor Kilpatrick and the City Council.
quote:Is it strange to have all these new "suburbanites" living in the City? Do you feel that they are bringing foreign political values in to the city with them? Are you comfortable with a growing voting bloc that represents view more traditionally associated with people outside the city?
No. Although, I do sometimes wish that some of them went all in with it (e.g., using their Detroit address for insurance, paying resident income taxes and so on).
I know several downtown residents who reportedly "live" in Troy.
(Message edited by fnemecek on July 27, 2008) |
Eastsidedame
Member
Username: Eastsidedame
Post Number: 461
Registered: 12-2006
| | Posted on Sunday, July 27, 2008 - 2:54 am: | |
Most cities cannot survive with just service-based industries. Sun-drenched tourism centers, like Miami, are the obvious exception.
We need at least some manufacturing in Detroit, and a Federal gov't that allows American mfg. to succeed on a level playing field. That would be a big help across the board.
In the 18th C., Detroit had a diverse and broad-based economy. Why not again in the 21st C?
Geographically, the first step has to start somewhere, and Downtown was the only "fair" place to begin. However, I'd like to see a revitalized EBD (along Gratiot or Mack), DBD (along Michigan) and a WBD, (along, perhaps, Grand River).
That would at least give everyone a fair "starting place" from which to expand. There's another discussion about neighborhoods on the very good Michigan Avenue between 6th and 14th Street....the potential thread. |
Rid0617
Member
Username: Rid0617
Post Number: 231
Registered: 03-2008
| | Posted on Sunday, July 27, 2008 - 5:05 am: | |
Just a thought, several neighborhoods in Fulton County (Atlanta) got tired of paying taxes but not receiving services they wrote their own charter, put the question on the ballot and began their own cities out of Fulton County existing city limits. New cities like Johns Creek, Buckhead and many others now exist that did not exist 5 years ago. |
Vetalalumni
Member
Username: Vetalalumni
Post Number: 1066
Registered: 05-2007
| | Posted on Sunday, July 27, 2008 - 3:21 pm: | |
Seeking the financial windfall of "new" citizens (downtown or elsewhere within city limits) has consequences, positive and/or negative. Be it Tourists, businesses, young childless adults, or entire families purchasing homes. All carry both benefits and "luggage", as in any relationship. The new citizens will bring with them the requisite new ideas, which should not cause fear. Current de facto leadership should define and clear the path. The anticipated positive results may manifest themselves AFTER some of our lifetimes.
Growth in additional sectors beyond manufacturing does expand the potential revenue base. Granted some of the incomes may well be lower in general. These and other yet unknown changes are and will be required. |
Youngprofessionaldetroiter
Member
Username: Youngprofessionaldetroiter
Post Number: 64
Registered: 07-2008
| | Posted on Sunday, July 27, 2008 - 4:12 pm: | |
Hey y'all...just a clarification of my meaning of the term, "Service Sector". I use the term very broadly, and only to distinguish it from the Technology Sector and Manufacturing Sector. So I mean it to include consulting, banking, financial services, health care, graphic and industrial design, etc. i.e. Knowledge based services.
Just didn't want you to think I was banking on Detroit's rebound coming from the $10.00/hr jobs working at Wendy's.
YPD |
Eastsidedame
Member
Username: Eastsidedame
Post Number: 478
Registered: 12-2006
| | Posted on Sunday, July 27, 2008 - 9:30 pm: | |
If a school is no good, forget about families coming in. That's one of the 1st things they ask.
Guyton Elementary School just missed being closed by promising to get their enrollment up. They really need families to move into that area. |
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