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Abstract:
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Detroit has steadily declined as a city since the height of its greatness in the 1950s. Deindustrialization, suburbanization, divisive racism, and disenfranchisement have taken a toll on a city that once stood for the American Dream. Democracy and urbanization have been marginalized in favor of a pursuit that is no longer possible.
Any plan for Detroit must address its vacancies, both political (and communal), and physical. These aspects deserve their own attentions, under the dire circumstances they face. However, any solution to the problems facing Detroit must also adhere to a larger vision - history tells us this is Detroit's way.
Detroit has lost more than money and housing - It has lost people, optimism, and will. Once built on an idea. Detroit must present itself once again as more than just a city. It must reassert its symbolism as a promised land for a new version of the American Dream. |