Detroit: Techno City

Introduction: Electronic Music, Policies and Space in the Contemporary City

“…The promotion of urban electronic scenes through specific events (e.g., techno parades, outdoor festivals) and cultural policies impacting electronic scenes often serve other agendas such as city branding, economic development strategies or tourist industry development strategies. Some cities (e.g., Toronto or Detroit) see the cultural value of music as a way to construct an attractive identity or brand and use it as a way to rejuvenate the city (Rietveld and Kolioulis 2019;Ross 2017). Rietveld and Kolioulis (2019, p. 34) explain that the city and its citizens activate techno music in Detroit as a way of promoting cultural heritage and fostering the economic renaissance of the city.…”

“…Historical scenes are where electronic music really started to grow into a distinct genre. Important US cities for electronic music like Chicago and Detroit have received significant academic attention, especially in relation to the development of Electronic Dance Music (EDM) (Matos 2015;Rietveld and Kolioulis 2019). Electronic music as a genre also developed early in other countries, tied to the development of technology among other aspects.…”