Discuss Detroit » Archives - Beginning January 2006 » Is Detroit still ranked second/third in pre-WWII historic buildings ? « Previous Next »
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Darwinism
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Username: Darwinism

Post Number: 333
Registered: 06-2005
Posted From: 69.215.30.34
Posted on Friday, January 20, 2006 - 2:55 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I have heard numerous times here, UrbanPlanet and elsewhere that Detroit is second or third, only behind NYC and/or Chicago in its stock of pre-WWII structures.

At this time, beginning of 2006, are we still at 2nd/3rd ?

Is Detroit at risk of losing its spot to the next city below ? What is the next city looming under Detroit that is anxiously waiting for more demos to occur so that there will be a re-shuffle of the ranking order ?
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Rberlin
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Username: Rberlin

Post Number: 315
Registered: 06-2005
Posted From: 68.255.76.255
Posted on Friday, January 20, 2006 - 4:04 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I thought we were #1 in pre-depression building, but I have nothing to back that up.
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Matt_the_deuce
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Username: Matt_the_deuce

Post Number: 441
Registered: 10-2003
Posted From: 69.14.248.252
Posted on Friday, January 20, 2006 - 4:57 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Considered # 3 or 4. New York and Chicago ahead of us, and then possibly Philly too. This was suggested to me by Douglas Kelbaugh, the dean of Architecture at U or M. I emailed him this exact question. I have mentioned this on here before so excuse me for repeating myself.

An argument can probably be made for Detroit being solidly #3 if you just count taller structures, as Philly had a height restriction at the time. But in total number of buildings, Philly has more. Quality of buildings - who knows, and a very subjective topic at that. Mr. Kelbaugh even said he was basing his opinion on his experiences seeing both cities, not some sort of hard/scientific data.
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Blessyouboys
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Username: Blessyouboys

Post Number: 234
Registered: 07-2005
Posted From: 69.209.133.186
Posted on Friday, January 20, 2006 - 5:04 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

what about art-deco buildings, what's our ranking? anyone?
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Danindc
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Username: Danindc

Post Number: 1178
Registered: 10-2003
Posted From: 67.100.158.10
Posted on Friday, January 20, 2006 - 5:31 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I have seen Kelbaugh quoted as saying that Detroit has the 3rd largest collection of *pre-Depression skyscrapers* in the U.S. This is entirely different.

Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Baltimore, Washington, and possibily Cincinnati, I would think, all have many more pre-WWII structures than Detroit. If I'm not mistaken, about half of Detroit was built since 1940, and much of what had been built previously no longer exists.

As always, someone correct me if I'm wrong.
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J_stone
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Username: J_stone

Post Number: 267
Registered: 10-2003
Posted From: 63.77.247.130
Posted on Friday, January 20, 2006 - 5:40 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Pittsburgh has a ton of buildings that look as though they pre date the 1920's skyscraper boom.

And they're not all labotomized like what remains of ours - they have cornices.

God Detroit sucks!
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Matt_the_deuce
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Username: Matt_the_deuce

Post Number: 443
Registered: 10-2003
Posted From: 69.14.248.252
Posted on Friday, January 20, 2006 - 5:43 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I would love to see a study done on these two subjects:

-total number of structures

-number of skyscrapers

of coarse definitions/peramiters would have to be agreed on.

-what is a skyscraper?
-area involved (cbd? citywide? etc.)

I always thought this would be a great class project.
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Citylover
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Username: Citylover

Post Number: 1555
Registered: 07-2004
Posted From: 4.229.126.226
Posted on Friday, January 20, 2006 - 5:44 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

In general I have also read where Detroit has the 3rdlargset collection of pre-depression and I would add depression era skyscrapers.

Tha may sound impressive and I am glad that Detroit has such impressive architecture.........but when considering the # of buildings in Nyc it has to drwarf Detroits.They have torn down more bldgs in NYC then have ever existed in Detroit from that era.
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Lmichigan
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Username: Lmichigan

Post Number: 3053
Registered: 10-2003
Posted From: 67.172.95.197
Posted on Friday, January 20, 2006 - 6:44 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Detroit has lost SO MUCH. I wouldn't be surprised to see the cities current rank for multi-story buildings somewhere pretty far down. I think a rather large skyline is being left out of this talk, here. Some may not believe it, but apart from Los Angeles' newer downtown core around Library Hill lies the historic downtown that is probably one of the most intact historic downtown's I've seen. It's not very tall but dense as heck, and large.
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Dialh4hipster
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Username: Dialh4hipster

Post Number: 1340
Registered: 11-2004
Posted From: 68.250.205.35
Posted on Friday, January 20, 2006 - 6:44 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Detroit definitely has the largest collection of depressing skyscrapers.
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Citylover
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Username: Citylover

Post Number: 1557
Registered: 07-2004
Posted From: 4.229.126.226
Posted on Friday, January 20, 2006 - 7:16 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

The cool thing about LA and NYC is that both cities are well documented in movies.There must be thousands of old movies filmed in both cities from the 1920s to the 1960s.
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Jjw
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Username: Jjw

Post Number: 28
Registered: 10-2005
Posted From: 68.33.56.156
Posted on Friday, January 20, 2006 - 9:06 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

it all depends on the size of the buildings. If you include the housing stock, Boston, NYC, Philly, DC, Baltimore, Chicago, and probably many more outdo Detroit in terms of pre WW2-Skycrapers?? Detroit would weigh much higher but no idea since so many have been razed.
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L_b_patterson
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Username: L_b_patterson

Post Number: 277
Registered: 10-2003
Posted From: 68.249.150.208
Posted on Saturday, January 21, 2006 - 2:10 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

don't forget LA's great old downtown....
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623kraw
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Username: 623kraw

Post Number: 747
Registered: 10-2003
Posted From: 68.41.224.200
Posted on Saturday, January 21, 2006 - 5:32 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Detroit is #1 in post-depressing parking lots...
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Detourdetroit
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Username: Detourdetroit

Post Number: 155
Registered: 10-2003
Posted From: 69.213.205.102
Posted on Saturday, January 21, 2006 - 11:45 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Detroit outstrips everyone in its collection of post-buildings.

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