tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9902677.post116999935160264819..comments2024-03-19T01:35:10.559-04:00Comments on *: What it means, on balance (and why you should care)Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03547640380443175482noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9902677.post-1170291722670086502007-01-31T20:02:00.000-05:002007-01-31T20:02:00.000-05:00I wonder if the Detroit area will ever be capable ...I wonder if the Detroit area will ever be capable of a regional perspective. You grew up here, so you can probably speak better than I could about the possibilities, but there seems to be so much hostility between the city and the suburbs that the atmosphere is very toxic, to the point of zero visible cooperation.<BR/><BR/>There is a tremendous unease in the suburbs about the future, and I wonder if people are starting to wake up to the fact that our economy really isn't more secure just by being outside the city.<BR/><BR/>Suarez talks about the fact the cars made suburbs possible enabled flight from the cities to be practical. It's a well-documented irony that Detroit, which did more than anyone to make personal travel a reality, is now totally done in by its ingenuity. I'll have a look Rusk's book, it sounds pretty timely.Jonathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03547640380443175482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9902677.post-1170182282371839302007-01-30T13:38:00.000-05:002007-01-30T13:38:00.000-05:00I actually missed the mark the first time I read y...I actually missed the mark the first time I read you posting. It is clear you recognize the importance of neighborhoods. But how do we get there? <BR/><BR/>If you are interested, I recommend you check out a book called "Inside Game / Outside Game" by David Rusk. Along the same lines as your post, he argues for a regional perspective. And he advocates for coalition building among central cities and inner-ring suburbs to get there. The inner-rings are starting to face the same plight and share many of the same interests as the central city. And he says the cantons and howell's of the region should pitch in their fair share.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9902677.post-1170181680203873742007-01-30T13:28:00.000-05:002007-01-30T13:28:00.000-05:00Hi Jon -I think you are missing the mark just a bi...Hi Jon -<BR/>I think you are missing the mark just a bit on what makes a city a city. <BR/><BR/>It isn't the monuments, pillars, stadiums , and majestic fountains. These projects might spruce the place up a bit, though most recent wave of major beautification projects executed in the 70s now look tacky and dated (i.e. "the fist"). They also make no meaningful impact on the lives of the people that live and work there, whom are the constituent parts of neighborhoods and communities. <BR/><BR/>In my view, what makes a city great is vibrant neighborhoods. Neighborhoods that foster interaction among neighbors. Neighborhoods that cope with changing economic and demographic change. And neighborhoods that call for residents to love and tend to them in a public way.<BR/><BR/>Major public interventions are typically guided by major corporate actors. I believe empowering everyday citizens to take control of their city on a scale that is meaningful to them, be it their own block or boulevard, is the way towards sustainable urban revitalization.<BR/><BR/>DavidAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com