The restructuring of Detroit: City block form change in a shrinking city, 1900–2000

Urban Heritage as a Generator of Landscapes: Building New Geographies from Post-Urban Decline in Detroit

“…At the time, Detroit officials saw the interventions of urban renewal as signs of success and progress [37], not as creating unforeseen side-effects which visionary Jane Jacobs had already described as far back as the late 1950's [38]. She described an intimate connection between the city's loss of economic diversity (in the early 20th Century) and its subsequent loss of diversity in urban mismanagement, economic over-specialization around automobile manufacturing and subsequent economic stagnation have been well described in previous research (see, for example, [31][32][33][34]). In addition to serving as a textbook case for urban decline, Detroit is also a prototypical example of efforts to revitalize cities under the "urban renewal" programs of the mid-twentieth century, and also one of the first to attempt it [35].…”

“…The causes of the city's decline, including federal policies, racial tensions, municipal mismanagement, economic over-specialization around automobile manufacturing and subsequent economic stagnation have been well described in previous research (see, for example, [31][32][33][34]). In addition to serving as a textbook case for urban decline, Detroit is also a prototypical example of efforts to revitalize cities under the 'urban renewal' programs of the mid-twentieth century, and also one of the first to attempt it [35].…”

“…The second step, which is beyond the scope of this paper, is to example specific tools and methods for doing so, here the multidisciplinary field of urban morphology as reviewed in this paper offers potentials for studying and analyzing the city as a system of relations. Typically the loss of historic buildings through demolition, fire, and obsolescence has been well noted (see [32,53]), but the consequences relating to the loss of the connectivity of historic urban fabric, including Detroit's ability to be resilient in the face of economic changes has received far less attention. Further studies would analyze the economic effects of "border vacuums" and dis-connectivity, and would analyze the economic impacts of reweaving the urban fabric in key locations with high potential.…”

Developing open space networks in shrinking cities

“…In the future, broader discussions that contextualize open space development approaches within citywide urban renewal policies may be helpful. Specifically, exploring why demolitions are concentrated in certain parts of the city (e.g., Weaver & Bagchi-Sen, 2012), whether large-scale demolitions will result in the removal of low-income areas (e.g., Ryan, 2008), and whether open space approaches, such as the one introduced here, will be viewed as green forms of urban renewal. While these larger social issues are being examined, the method demonstrated here can support flexibility in selecting which properties to demolish from the pool of those in need.…”

Editorial

“…The author aims to promote an understanding of musealisation and proposes that this process should not remain as a passive practice which only arises due to historical past and special circumstances, but can be actively addressed and regulated through the planning procedures involving political and administrative establishments, as well as organised communities.In the concluding paper of this issue, Jose Javier Gomez Alvarez writes from Mexico on 'fragmentary industrial areas and urban renewal'. By addressing the issue of deindustrialisation and industrial conversion that has recently been common to many major cities in technologically advanced countries of Western Europe and North America (Ryan, 2008), the author attempts to illustrate an alternative view and understanding of this process for the medium income Latin American cities. Paradoxically, he finds that conditions of the transformation of fragmented and degraded industrial inner areas into urban public spaces 'often exist within the context', as existing configuration, location and potential of such industrial zone usually either strongly stimulate or completely hinder the renewal of the area.…”