Detroit, Michigan
Traveling up the Detroit River on the ship
Le Griffon (previously captained by
La Salle), Father
Louis Hennepin noted the north bank of the river as an ideal location for a settlement. There, in
1701,
French officer
Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac founded a fort and settlement called
Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit, naming it after the
comte de Pontchartrain, minister of marine under
Louis XIV. The settlement prospered as a
fur-trading center, and its fort offered protection for French ships sailing the Great Lakes.
In
1760, during the
French and Indian War,
British troops gained control of the area and shortened the name of the settlement to
Detroit. Local Native American tribes, many of whom had developed friendly relations with French colonists, became alarmed at this development. Led by
Chief Pontiac, an
Ottawa leader, in
1763 several tribes launched what became known as
Pontiac's Rebellion, which included a
siege of Fort Detroit; they were ultimately defeated by the British. In
1796, Detroit passed to the
United States under the
Jay Treaty. In
1805, fire destroyed almost the entire town; a river warehouse and brick chimneys of the wooden homes were the sole structures to survive.
[Ste. Anne of Detroit St. Anne Church (accessed April 29, 2006).]From
1805 to
1847, Detroit was the
capital of Michigan. Detroit fell to British troops during the
War of 1812 in the
Siege of Detroit, was recaptured by the United States in
1813 and incorporated as a city in
1815. Prior to the
American Civil War, the city's access to the Canadian border made it a key stop along the
underground railroad.
[Blockson, Charles and Chase, Henry (4/05). Detroit - Follow the North Star, The Guiding Light of the Underground Railroad. American Visions.]Strategically located along the
Great Lakes waterway, Detroit emerged as a transportation hub. The city grew steadily from the
1830s with the rise of shipping, shipbuilding, and manufacturing industries. A thriving carriage trade prompted
Henry Ford to build his first
automobile in
1896 in a rented workshop on Mack Avenue, and in
1904, the
Model T was produced. Ford's manufacturingâ€"and those of automotive pioneers
William C. Durant, the
Dodge brothers, and
Louis Chevroletâ€"reinforced Detroit's status as the world's automotive capital. The industry spurred the city's spectacular growth during the first half of the
20th century as it drew many new residents, particularly from the
Southern United States. Strained racial relations were evident in the trial of
Ossian Sweet, a black Detroit physician acquitted of murder after he shot into a large mob when he moved from the all-black part of the city to an all-white area.
[Zacharias, Patricia (2003). 'I have to die a man or live a coward' -- the saga of Dr. Ossian Sweet. Detroit News.] With the introduction of
prohibition, the river was a major conduit for Canadian
spirits, organized in large part by the notorious
Purple Gang.
[ How Prohibition made Detroit a bootlegger's dream town. Detroit News.] |
A photograph of the Detroit Cadillac plant on Clifford Avenue, circa 1910 |
With the factories came high-profile labor strife, climaxing in the
1930s as the
United Auto Workers initiated bitter disputes with Detroit's auto manufacturers. The labor activism established during those years brought notoriety to hometown union leaders such as
Jimmy Hoffa and
Walter Reuther. The
1940s saw the construction of the world's first urban depressed freeway,
the Davison[Michigan Highways. michiganhighways.org (accessed April 30, 2006).] and the industrial growth during
World War II that led to Detroit's nickname as the
Arsenal of Democracy.
[Nolan, Jenny (2003). Willow Run and the Arsenal of Democracy. Detroit News]Detroit has endured a painful decline since the
1950s, and is often held up as a symbol of Rust Belt
urban blight. The
12th Street Riot in
1967 and
court-ordered busing accelerated
white flight from the city. Large numbers of buildings and homes were abandoned, with many remaining for years in a state of decay. The percentage of black residents increased rapidly thereafter, as most of them stayed on. The city elected its first black mayor,
Coleman Young, was elected in
1973. Young's style during his record five terms in office was not well received by many whites.
[Detroit's 'great warrior,' Coleman Young, dies (November 29, 1997). CNN.com.]The
1970s and
1980s saw the rise of the
heroin and
crack cocaine epidemics, which spread to big cities across the United States, including Detroit. Drug-related property crimes and violence among competing drug dealers rose, and urban renewal efforts led to the razing of abandoned homes. Sizeable tracts have reverted to nature, to become a form of
urban prairie with wild animals spotted migrating into the city.
[Wild Kingdom. Detroit Blog. Accessed March 8, 2006.]"Renaissance" has been a perennial buzzword among leaders since the 1967 riots, reinforced by the construction of the
Renaissance Center in the early 1970s. It was not until the
1990s that Detroit enjoyed a moderate revival, much of it centered downtown. In
1996, three casinos opened:
MGM Grand Detroit,
Motor City Casino, and
Greektown Casino. In 2000, amid controversy,
Comerica Park replaced historic
Tiger Stadium as the home of the
Detroit Tigers,
[Lage, Larry (2003). Comerica Park has what Tiger Stadium didn't - in many ways. The Detroit News] and in
2002,
Ford Field brought the
NFL's
Detroit Lions back into Detroit from
Pontiac. The
2004 opening of the
Compuware Center gave downtown Detroit its first significant new office building in a decade. The city hosted
Super Bowl XL, and saw the arrival of many improvements to the downtown area. Additionally, the first portions of the Detroit
River Walk were laid down. In the summer of
2006, announcements came for the redevelopment of the abandoned Fort Shelby and
Book-Cadillac Hotels.
|
A simulated-color satellite image of Detroit taken on NASA's Landsat 7 satellite. |
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 142.9
square miles (370.2
km²); of this, 138.8 square miles (359.4 km²) is land and 4.2 square miles (11 km²) is water. The highest elevation in Detroit is in the University District neighborhood in northwestern Detroit, just west of Palmer Park sitting at a height of 670 feet (204 m). Detroit's lowest elevation is along its riverfront, of course, sitting at a height of 579 feet (176 m). Detroit completely encircles the cities of
Hamtramck and
Highland Park. On its northeast border are the wealthy communities of
Grosse Pointe.
Oakland and
Macomb counties lie to the north.
Alter Road divides Detroit and
Grosse Pointe Park. It divides one of the poorest and most crime-ridden communities in the United States to one of the most affluent, with multi-million dollar mansions on Lake Shore Drive in the Grosse Pointes.
The city is crossed by three road systems: the original French template, radial roads from a Washington, D.C.-inspired system, and true north–south roads from the Northwest Ordinance township system. It sits atop a large salt mine,
[Zacharias, Patricia (2001). The ghostly salt city beneath Detroit. The Detroit News.] and is north of
Windsor, Ontario. Detroit is the only major city along the U.S.-Canadian border in which one travels south in order to cross into Canada. Detroit has four border crossings: the
Ambassador Bridge and the
Detroit-Windsor Tunnel provides motor vehicle thoroughfare and the
Michigan Central Railway Tunnel railroad access to and from Canada. The fourth border crossing is the
Detroit-Windsor Truck Ferry, located near the
Windsor Salt Mine and
Zug Island.
Cityscape
Detroit buildings show a variety of architectural styles.
Art Deco from the 1920s and 30s mingle with more modern structures in the downtown area near the
Detroit River and in the
New Center adjacent to
Wayne State University. While the downtown and New Center areas contain high-rise buildings, the majority of the city consists of low-rise structures and single-family homes. Many abandoned buildings and large tracts of empty land are scattered throughout the city, although several neighborhoods, such as
Greektown and
Indian Village, are prosperous and show few signs of urban blight. In 2005, Detroit's architecture was heralded as some of America's finest; many of the city's architecturally significant buildings are listed by the
National Trust for Historic Preservation as among America's most endangered landmarks.
[Sharoff, Robert (2005). American City: Detroit Architecture 1845-2005 Wayne State University Press''] |
An open field in Detroit where houses once stood, an example of the urban blight that sections of Detroit suffer from. |
A number of downtown redevelopment projectsâ€"of which
Campus Martius Park is one of the most notableâ€"have revitalized parts of the city. Since the 1990s, there have been plans to redevelop the riverfront area from the Ambassador Bridge to
Belle Isle (the largest island park in a U.S. city) with a combination of parks, residential buildings, and commercial areas. Other major parks include Palmer (north of
Highland Park), River Rouge (in the southwest side), and Chene Parks (on the Detroit River east of downtown).
Detroit is also trying to rebuild its riverfront to make it similar to the park directly across the river in
Windsor, Ontario. Windsor replaced acres of train tracks and some abandoned buildings with what is now 3 miles (5 km) of uninterrupted parkland. The
Detroit Riverfront Conservancy is spearheading most of this development. Plans include
Tri-Centennial State Park, Michigan's first urban state park. Hopes are that returning the riverfront to pedestrian uses rather than industrial uses will spur more residential development.
[ Detroit Riverfront Conservancy. (accessed May 27, 2006).]Climate
Detroit and the rest of southeastern Michigan have a typically
Midwestern temperate seasonal climate, which is influenced by the
Great Lakes. Winters are cold with moderate
snowfall; summers can be warm and humid.
[Detroit Weather & Climate (2006). Michigan Vacations (accessed April 20, 2006).] The average high temperature in July is 85°F (29°C) and in January 33°F (1°C). Summer temperatures can exceed 90°F (32°C), and winter temperatures rarely drop below 0°F (–17°C). Average monthly precipitation ranges from about two to five
inches (50 to 130
mm), being heaviest in the summer months. Snowfall, which typically occurs from November to early April, ranges from 1 to 10 inches (3 to 25 cm) a month.
[Monthly Averages for Detroit, MI (2006). Weather.com (accessed April 20, 2006).] The highest recorded temperature was 103.0°F (39.0°C) on
June 25,
1988, while the lowest recorded temperature was –17.0°F (–27.0°C) on
January 19,
1994.
[Records and Averages - Detroit (2006). Yahoo! Weather (accessed April 20, 2006).]| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year | | Avg high °F (°C) | 31 (0) | 33 (0) | 44 (6) | 58 (14) | 70 (21) | 79 (26) | 83 (28) | 81 (27) | 74 (23) | 62 (16) | 48 (9) | 35 (1) | 58 (14) |
|---|
| Avg low °F (°C) | 16 (-8) | 18 (-7) | 27 (-2) | 37 (2) | 48 (8) | 57 (13) | 62 (16) | 60 (15) | 53 (11) | 41 (5) | 32 (0) | 22 (-5) | 39 (3) |
|---|
| Rainfall in inches (millimeters) | 1.9 (48.3) | 1.7 (43.2) | 2.4 (61.0) | 3.0 (76.2) | 2.9 (73.7) | 3.6 (91.4) | 3.1 (78.7) | 3.4 (86.4) | 2.8 (71.1) | 2.2 (55.9) | 2.7 (68.6) | 2.5 (63.5) | 32.3 (820.4) |
|---|
Source: Weatherbase[http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=073527&refer=&units=us] |
Detroit's population increased more than sixfold during the first half of the 20th century, fed largely by an influx of Eastern European and
Southern migrants â€" both white and black â€" who came to work in the burgeoning automobile industry. As of the 2000
census2, there were 951,270 people, 336,428 households, and 218,341 families residing in the city. The
population density was 6,855.1 people per square mile (2,646.7/km²). There were 375,096 housing units at an average density of 2,703.0 people per square mi (1,043.6/km²).
As of 2001, the city was 81.55%
Black or
African American.
Metro Detroit has a higher percentage of blacks than any other northern U.S. metropolitan area â€" roughly one quarter of the area population. More than one million African-Americans live in the metropolitan area, with about 80% living within the Detroit city limits. With the suburban outflux, Metro Detroit is among the nation's most racially segregated regions.
[Race Relations & Cultural Collaboration. New Detroit. Accessed March 8, 2006.] 12.26% of residents are
White, 0.33%
Native American, 0.97%
Asian (mostly
Hmong), 0.03%
Pacific Islander, 2.54% from
other races, and 2.32% from two or more races. 4.96% of the population was
Hispanic or
Latino of any race. The city's foreign-born population also stood at 4.8%, one of the lowest percentages of any big city in the country.
Metro Detroit's ethnic communities are diverse and include descendants of the French founders, as well as
Germans,
Poles,
Irish,
Italians,
Scots and
Greeks who settled during the city's early 20th century industrial boom. Metro Detroit has the largest concentration of
Belgians outside of
Belgium. The Detroit area is also home to a large
Chaldean-Assyrian population and the country's largest concentration of Arab Americans .
Mexicantown, on the southwest side of the city, is the historical center of a small
Chicano community. Up until the 1980s, there was a growing
gay presence in the
Palmer Park area in the north of the city that migrated to the cities of
Ferndale and
Royal Oak after the community collapsed.
[Sharon Gittleman (1/12/06) Gay 'brain drain'. Pridesource.com]There were 336,428 households out of which 33.9% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 26.7% were
married couples living together, 31.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.1% were non-families. 29.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.2% had someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.45.
There is a wide age distribution in the city, with 31.1% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 89.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.5 males.
The median household income in the city was $29,526, and the median income for a family was $33,853. Males had a median income of $33,381 versus $26,749 for females. The
per capita income for the city was $14,717. 26.1% of the population and 21.7% of families were below the
poverty line. Out of the total population, 34.5% of those under the age of 18 and 18.6% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
The National Institute for Literacy declared in 1998 that 47% of Detroiters were "
functionally illiterate."
[Literacy Volunteers of America-Detroit. United Way for Southeastern Michigan (accessed April 20, 2006)] Some 72% of all Detroit children are born to single mothers.
[Meeting on Supporting the Role of Fathers in Families - Statement of Travis Ballard (November 27, 1995). National Congress for Fathers and Children] |
A United States Coast Guard Cutter passes the Renaissance Center, headquarters of General Motors. |
Detroit and the surrounding region constitute a manufacturing powerhouse, most notably as home to the
Big Three auto companies. There are hundreds of offices and plants in the automotive support business: parts, electronics, and design suppliers. The domestic Auto Industry accounts directly and indirectly for one of every ten jobs in the U.S.
[Alliance of Automobile Manufaturers (2006). From the 2003 Study "Contributions of the Automotive Industry to the U.S. Economy" University of Michigan and the Center for Automotive Reseach] Because of its dependence on the
auto industry, Detroit is more acutely vulnerable to economic cycles than most large cities.
[Flint, Jerry (9/9/1996). Can Detroit Weather a Downturn?. Forbes, found at faculty.ncwc.edu/denders/eng112/sample_summary.htm] Greater competition from foreign rivals and more inexpensive labor in other regions of the world have led to a steady decline of manufacturing jobs in the region. In the early 21st century, losses and bankruptcy filings by several of the area's auto parts manufacturers have exacerbated Detroit's economic situation. Other factors contributing to the habitability of the city are historically high taxes, with many unable to afford the cost of citizenship entailed by levys on property and income
[Josar, David (5/27/2005) Neighborhood rebirth stalls: High property taxes burden Detroit homeowners. Detroit News.] and a lack of city services. In February 2006, the metropolitan Detroit's unemployment rate was 8.6%, topped only by communities devastated by
Hurricane Katrina.
[Bureau of Labor Statistics (2/06). Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment Summary. U.S. Department of Labor.] In the city, the unemployment rate hovered around 15% at the end of 2005, leaving Detroit as the nation's poorest city with more than one-third of residents below the poverty line.
[Bello, Marisol (12/30/2005).Auto woes add to city's budget problems. Detroit Free Press.]Some allege that the domestic auto industry's woes can be traced to its own history and devices. The Big Three automakers have collectively lost market share to foreign rivals which many had perceived as having higher quality
[Standard and Poors Report (3/14/06). Asia's Auto Makers Think Globally. Business Week] However, in 2003, Cadillac outscored Lexus in 2 of 3 quality surveys by AutoPacific, Strategic Vision, and J.D. Power.
[USA Today (2003-06-04)Auto Quality] The perception of quality from foreign rivals has been called into question. In 2006, Toyota became the most recalled car
[ Business Week Online (2006-07-17)The Most recalled Cars] Toyota was reprimanded by Japan and is under investigation for allegedly shirking recalls for 8 years.
[Associated Press (2006-07-21)Japan Condemns Toyota on recall practices] In 1994, with a boom in demand for
sport-utility vehicles and
pickup trucks, the industry fought the
Clinton administration's efforts to impose a 40% increase in
Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for many trucks and obtained
Congress's approval to block the plan to develop stricter regulations.
[Woellert , Lorraine (3/3/2001). Why Detroit May Swallow Some Bitter CAFE. Business Week.] In the late 1990's, Detroit's Big Three automakers had gained market share and were enjoying record profits until the recession of 2000 and the subsequent
September 11, 2001 attacks caused a severe decline in the stock market along with a pension and benefit funds crisis.
Initially, GM and Ford had sought to avoid or delay the introduction of unprofitable hybrids in favor of the all fuel cell vehicle; however, with rising
gasoline prices and foreign rivals marketing hybrid cars, Detroit's auto makers responded by introducing hybrids amid criticism for the delay. GM's all electric
EV1 had been a sales and marketing disappointment in California and had been dropped. In 2006,
Ford announced a dramatic increase in production of its
hybrid gas-
electric models,
[ Dorinda Elliott (1/30/2006). "Can This Man Save The American Auto Industry?" Time Magazine.] as well as promote the use of existing technologies to equip vehicles with
mixed ethanol and gasoline fuelled systems.
General Motors has invested heavily in all
fuel cell equipped vehicles,
[ Kiley, David (6/13/2001). GM buys stake in firm tapping hydrogen power. USA Today.] while
Chrysler is focusing much of its research and development into
biodiesel.
[PRNewswire (3/22/2006). Diesel Jeep Liberty Sales Double Expectations Yahoo News.] Two days after the
September 11, 2001 attacks,
General Motors announced it had developed the world's most powerful fuel cell stack capable of powering large commerical vehicles.
[ GM (2001-09-13) GM announces world's most powerful fuel cell stack Press Release ] In 2002, the state of Michigan established NextEnergy, a non-profit corporation whose purpose is to enable commercialization of various energy technologies, especially hydrogen fuel cells. Its main complex is located north of
Wayne State University.
Other
Fortune 500 companies headquartered in Detroit include auto parts maker
American Axle & Manufacturing,
Comerica, and
DTE Energy.
[ Fortune 500 (2006). CNNMoney.com.] Detroit is home to
Compuware and the national pizza chain
Little Caesars.
Electronic Data Systems,
Visteon,
Ernst & Young, and GM's ONSTAR, are a new major presence downtown. Reportedly,
Quicken Loans is considering a consolidation of its suburban offices into a new downtown Detroit headquarters.
Casino gaming plays a major economic role, with Detroit currently the largest city in the United States with legalized gaming.
[Brunker, Mike (3/12/1999) Detroit bets big on downtown casinos. MSNBC.] In 2006, downtown Detroit reported $1.3 billion in restorations and new developments boosting construction jobs for the city.
[See the Change (2006) TheWorldisComing.com City of Detroit Partnership]Medical service providers such as the
Detroit Medical Center and
Henry Ford Hospital are major employers in the city.
Wayne State University provides educational and Research and Development prestigue to the City of
Detroit. Other major industries include advertising, chemicals, and computer software.
|
The Coleman A. Young Municipal Center, housing the Detroit and Wayne County governments |
The city government is run by a mayor and nine-member city council and clerk elected on an at-large nonpartisan ballot. Since voters approve the city's charter in 1974, Detroit has had a "
strong mayoral" system, with the mayor approving departmental appointments. The council approves budgets but the mayor is not obligated to adhere to any earmarking. City ordinances and substantially large contracts must be approved by the council. The city clerk supervises elections and is formally charged with the maintenance of municipal records. Municipal
elections for mayor, city council and city clerk are held every year congruent to 1
modulo 4 (meaning 1993, 1997, 2001, 2005, 2009).
[Ward, George E. (July 1993). Detroit Charter Revision - A Brief History. Citizens Research Council of Michigan (pdf file).] The city consistently supports the
Democratic Party in local and national elections.
|
Exit onto 8 Mile Road from I-94, with 8 Mile being the city's northern border |
Suburb baiting is another common feature in Detroit politics. In his 1974 inaugural address, former Mayor
Coleman Young told the city's criminals to "hit
Eight Mile Road" (the most prominent dividing line between Detroit and northern suburbs). When Mayor
Kwame Kilpatrick found himself behind in the polls in the 2005 election, his campaign tried to draw attention to the support his opponent,
Freman Hendrix, received in the suburbs. During one debate, Kilpatrick spoke of higher illegal drug use in the suburbs compared to Detroit.
[Associated Press (9/19/05). Mayor rekindles tensions between Detroit and suburbs. USA Today.] However, many opponents have criticized Kilpatrick on the basis that many of his policies facilitate the
gentrification taking place in the city.
With a decreasing population and decline in the automotive industry, the city's finances have been adversely affected. Detroit has cut its workforce and closed operations, including recreational facilities, to avoid state-ordered receivership.
[Lin, Judy (4/28/05). Detroit triggers loan limit. The Detroit News.] In addition, Detroit has demanded pay cuts and other dramatic "give backs" from the municipal
unions that represent city employees.
[ Heath, B., et al. (1/13/05). Mayor: Fix Detroit or risk takeover. Detroit News.] In the 2000s, Detroit has fought off legislative efforts to turn control of the city-owned Water and Sewer system to the suburbs.
[ Wisely, John (10/25/05). Suburbs ramp up water system fight. The Detroit News.] Detroit's courts are all state-administered and elections are nonpartisan. The Circuit and Probate Courts for Wayne County are located in the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center in downtown Detroit. The city is also home to the 36th District Court, as well as the 1st District of the Michigan Court of Appeals' and the
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.
Detroit has several
sister cities, including
Chongqing (
People's Republic of China),
Dubai (
United Arab Emirates),
Kitwe (
Zambia),
Minsk (
Belarus),
Nassau, Bahamas,
Toyota (
Japan), and
Turin (
Italy).
[Online Directory: Michigan, USA (2006). Sister Cities International (accessed April 20, 2006).]2004 Crime statistics
(per 100,000)[ Detroit Crime Barometer (October 2005). Wayne State University.][ Crime in the United States 2004. Department of Justice/Federal Bureau of Investigation (accessed May 5, 2006).] |
|
| Crime | Detroit! USA |
|---|
| Rape| 81| 32
| Robbery| 611 | 137
| Assault| 1,049| 291
| Burglary| 1,368| 730
| Larceny | 2,314| 2,366
| Auto Theft | 2,755| 421
|
Despite improvement in recent years, Detroit's
crime figures are often among the highest in the U.S. The city is currently listed as the most dangerous city with more than 500,000 by the
Morgan Quitno's statistics,
[City Crime Rankings by Population Group (2006). Morgan Quitno at www.morganquitno.com/cit06pop.htm#500,000+.] but comes after
Camden, New Jersey. Detroit is consistently in the top five for homicide rates. Murders peaked at 714 in 1974, though the highest murder rate was recorded in 1991, when there were 615 homicides and the city's population was just over a million. In 2003, there were 361 homicides, the lowest count in recent years.
Many of these problems are blamed on the widespread
middle-class flight (which has contributed greatly to
urban decay), poverty, de facto
segregation of the region, and unemployment.
[Broken Detroit - Death of a City Block (6-17-2001). The Detroit News.] Some credit years of divisive, racially polarized government under
Coleman Young with accelerating this flight; during the administration of
Dennis Archer, who succeeded Young, Detroit saw middle-class residents moving into the city, and a large growth in residential and commercial development.
Abandoned and burned out shells of buildings are a frequent sight, with some 16,037 empty houses recorded in 1999. The city lacks funding to demolish the properties and the homes are often used for the production, sale, and use of illicit drugs, with drug gangs such as
Young Boys Inc..
[Woolley, Wayne and Hunter, George (1999). Detroit Drug Houses: Out of Control. Detroit News.] |
Abandoned buildings are often left to the elements with the city government having no funds for restoration or removal.[Josar, David (6/27/05). Demolition of Detroit homes slows. Detroit News.] |
An analysis of crime in downtown Detroit by the Michigan Metropolitan Information Center at
Wayne State University found crime rates in the central city lower than rates for the entire nation, state and other large Michigan metro areas - and improving. Detroit also includes middle-class neighborhoods in which crime is less prevalent than in impoverished areas. Critics of the study have responded that the low crime rates are mainly a consequence of the very low population density in the city center.
The city has faced hundreds of
arsons, often in the city's many abandoned homes, each year on
Devil's Night, the evening before
Halloween. The
Angel's Night campaign, launched in the late 1990s, draws many volunteers to patrol the streets during Halloween week. The effort has reduced arson: while there were 810 fires set in 1984, this was reduced to 142 in 1996.
[Urban Community Intervention to Prevent Halloween Arson - Detroit, Michigan, 1985-1996 (4-11-1997). CDC Wonder at aepo-xdv-www.epo.cdc.gov/wonder/prevguid/m0047208/m0047208.asp.]Brutality and the failure to ensure the rights of suspects has caused problems within the Detroit Police Department. In 2004, following scandals and multiple adverse legal decisions, a court-ordered reorganization of the Detroit Police Department was implemented under the supervision of the
Federal Bureau of Investigation.
[Quarterly Status Report to the Independent Federal Monitor. Detroit Police Department] From 2005 to 2006, the Detroit Police Department has more recently undergone large scale cuts and reorganization, cutting the number of precincts from 12 to 6 "districts." While the stated purpose of this reorganization was to improve services, it has resulted in widespread dissatisfaction within the Detroit Police Department, where members cite such problems as overcrowding, overwork, greatly increased response times, and constant change in the administrative structure of the department as senior officers are moved, promoted, and replaced.
[Detroit to trim 150 cops, precincts (8/30/2005). Detroit News.]The city is served by the
Detroit Public Schools (DPS) district, various
charter schools, and
private schools, and parochial
Catholic schools run by the
Archdiocese of Detroit.
[Kozlowski, Kim (2/27/2005). Catholic schools fight to keep doors open. The Detroit News.] In the early 1970s, the federal courts ordered
busing to desegregate the system, which helped to accelerate the
white flight that had been ongoing in the city.
[Wolfe, Alan (6/21/1998). Enough Blame to Go Around. The New York Times, through the Manhattan Institute at www.manhattan-institute.org/html/_nyt-enough_blame.htm] As of 2004, Detroit schools were 91% African-American.
[Census 2000. School Segregation Data for the School District Area U.S. Census (accessed April 20, 2006). See also Detroit Public Schools Attendance Report. DPS Schools (accessed April 20, 2006).] |
Wayne State University's Hilberry Theatre |
In the mid-to-late 1990s, the
Michigan Legislature removed the locally elected board of education amid allegations of mismanagement and replaced it with a reform board appointed by the mayor and governor. The elected board of education returned following a city referendum in 2005. The first election of the new eleven member board of education occurred on
November 8,
2005.
[LewAllen, Dave (8/3/2005). Detroiters Vote for New School Board. WXYZ.com.] Due to rapidly declining enrollment, Detroit Public Schools has projected the closure of 95 schools by 2009.
[MacDonald, Christine (11-23-2005). Detroit schools down by 10,000. The Detroit News.] Detroit Public Schools has closed 29 schools,
[MacDonald, Christine (3/17/2006). Detroit schools lose 11,500 kids at a cost of $63M. The Detroit News.] and the state mandated deficit reduction plan calls for the closure of a total of 110 schools.
[Bukowski, Diane (2006). Where did the first billion go?. The Michigan Citizen.]Detroit has several universities and colleges within its borders.
Wayne State University is an internationally renowned university with medical and law schools. Other institutes of higher education are
College for Creative Studies,
Lewis College of Business,
Marygrove College,
University of Detroit Mercy, and
Wayne County Community College. The
Detroit College of Law, now affiliated with
Michigan State University, was founded in the city in 1891 and remained there until 1997, when it relocated to
East Lansing. Detroit was once the home of the
University of Michigan, which was founded in Detroit in 1817 but later moved to
Ann Arbor in 1837.
|
Entrance to the Detroit Institute of Art located in the Cultural Center |
Music has been the dominant feature of Detroit's nightlife since the late 1940s. The metropolitan area boasts two of the top live music venues in the United States:
DTE Energy Music Theatre and
The Palace of Auburn Hills[DTE Energy Music Theatre Listed as 2004 Top Attended Amphitheatre (1/25/05). DTE Energy Music Theatre.] Detroit is home to the
Detroit Symphony Orchestra and the Detroit Opera House. Major theaters include the
Fox Theatre, Masonic Temple Theatre, and the
Fisher Theatre.
Throughout the 1950s, Detroit was a center for jazz, in which stars of the era often came to Detroit's
Black Bottom neighborhood to perform.
[Herb Boyd (9/17/97) Cookin' in the Motor City. The Metro Times.] One highlight of Detroit's musical history was
Motown Records success during the 1960s and early 1970s, founded in Detroit by
Berry Gordy, Jr. During the late 1960s, Detroiter
Aretha Franklin became America's preeminent female
soul artist. In the late 1960s, Metro Detroit also spawned a high-energy rock scene, the precursors of the
punk rock movement. The area is also generally accepted as the birthplace of the
Techno movement. Detroit is more recently home to many prominent musical artists, notably
Aaliyah,
Eminem, and
Sufjan Stevens. In addition, Detroit's
garage rock scene of the 1990s rose to national attention with the success of
The White Stripes. Eight annual music events are held in the city, including the
DEMF/Movement/Fuse-In electronic music festival,
Ford Detroit International Jazz Festival, the
Motor City Music Conference (MC2), the
Concert of Colors, and the hip-hop
Summer Jamz music festival.
Artist Tyree Guyton created the controversial street art exhibit known as the
Heidelberg Project in the mid 1980s, using junk and abandoned cars, clothing, shoes, vaccuum cleaners and other garbage he found in the neighborhood near and on Heidelberg Steet on the near East Side of Detroit. Guyton also painted polka dots and other symbols on several houses on Heidelberg Street, capturing international attention. The city of Detroit sued Guyton twice for creating a public nuisance and removed large parts of his art project, tearing down two vacant homes he had painted with various symbols, but much of the Heidelberg Project remains today.
The car plays a major role in Detroit's cultural life in major events such as the
North American International Auto Show. Due its close proximity to Canada, Detroit participates in the
Windsor-Detroit International Freedom Festival, which features a fireworks display over the Detroit River and coincides with
U.S. Independence day and
Canada Day. The America's Thanksgiving Parade â€" previously referred to as the Hudson's Thanksgiving Day Parade â€" is one of the nation's largest and has been held continuously since 1924.
[Everyone Loves a Parade. The Parade Company.]Media
The major daily
newspapers serving Detroit are
The Detroit Free Press and
The Detroit News, both
broadsheet publications that are published together under a
joint operating agreement. Other Detroit publications are weekly tabloids
The Metro Times and
Crain's Detroit Business. Detroit is home to the weekly
Michigan Chronicle, the state's largest African American owned newspaper, and the
Michigan Citizen.
The Detroit television market is the 11th largest in the United States;
[Nielsen Media Research Local Universe Estimates (9/24/05) The Nielson Company] however, these estimates do not include large areas of
Ontario,
Canada (
Windsor and its surrounding area on broadcast and cable, as well as portions of northern Ontario on cable) which receive and watch Detroit television stations, so the actual audience ranking may be higher. Broadcast channels in Detroit include
WJBK (
Fox),
WDIV-TV (
NBC),
WXYZ (
ABC), and
WWJ-TV (
CBS). Other Metro Detroit television stations include
WMYD (
The WB),
WKBD-TV (
UPN),
WPXD-TV (
Pax TV) and
WADL-TV.
WTVS is the city's
PBS station. Detroiters also receive broadcasts from
CBET, the
CBC Television affiliate in Windsor. Depending on location, some viewers can receive Canadian networks such as
TVOntario,
CTV,
Global,
A-Channel,
Citytv, and
SRC.
Cable television came late to the city of Detroit; instead of breaking the city into several franchise areas, Mayor Young's administration granted a single franchise that covered the entire city to Barden Cablevision in 1982. This made it, at the time, the largest minority-owned cable television operator in the United States, though Barden could not begin to wire the city until 1986. It did not complete the wiring until several years later. The last areas to be wired were the few remaining white areas of the city, in line with Barden's corporate philosophy of targeting minority communities.
[[http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/biography/A-E/Barden-Don-H-1943.html Don H. Barden1943â€" (2006)] at referenceforbusiness.com.] Barden Cablevision was bought by
Comcast in 1994.
Detroit has the ninth largest
radio market in the United States.
[Market Ranks and Schedule (1-50) (2006). Arbitron.com.] As with television, this ranking does not take into account Detroit radio's large Canadian audiences. The primary
AM stations are
WWJ 950 (news),
WJR 760 (news-talk),
WDFN 1130 (sports), and
WXYT 1270 (sports-talk).
WDET 101.9 is the city's
NPR station.
WUOM 91.7 and
WEMU 89.1 are also regional NPR affiliates.
Windsor radio stations
CIMX 88.7 and
CBC 89.9 can be heard in the Detroit area.
Sites of interest
Many Detroit museums are located in the
Cultural Center near
Wayne State University. These museums include
Detroit Institute of Arts, the Detroit Historical Museum,
Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, Detroit Science Center, and the main branch of the Detroit Public Library. Other cultural highlights include the
Motown Historical Museum,
Tuskegee Airmen Museum,
Fort Wayne, Dossin Great Lakes Museum, and the Belle Isle Conservatory. The
Eastern Market farmer's distribution center is the largest open-air flowerbed market in the United States and has more than 150 foods and specialty businesses.
[History of Eastern Market. Eastern Market Mechant's Association (accessed March 8, 2006).]Hart Plaza, between the
Renaissance Center and
Cobo Hall on the riverfront, is the site of many events and various music festivals. Other sites of interest are the
Detroit Zoo, the
Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory, and the
Belle Isle Aquarium. The aquarium and zoo on Belle Isle are currently closed.
[ City of Detroit Budget Cuts Lead to Closure of 101 Year Old Belle Isle Aquarium (1/14/05). Detroit Zoological Association.] The
J.W. Westcott II, which delivers mail to
freighters on the Detroit River, is the world's only floating post office.
[America's Floating ZIP Code 48222 J.W. Wescott Homepage.]The most important civic sculpture in Detroit is the "
Spirit of Detroit" at the Coleman Young Municipal Center. The image is often used as a symbol of Detroit and the statue itself is occasionally dressed in sports
jerseys to celebrate when a Detroit team is doing well.
[Vivian M. Baulch (1998). Marshall Fredericks -- the Spirit of Detroit. The Detroit News.] A memorial to
Joe Louis at the intersection of Jefferson and Woodward Avenues was dedicated on
October 16,
1986. The sculpture, commissioned by
Sports Illustrated and executed by
Robert Graham, is a 24 foot (7.3 m) long arm with a fisted hand suspended by a pyramidal framework.
[Sarah Karush, The Associated Press (2/23/04). Police arrest two men suspected of vandalizing Joe Louis statue. USA Today.]Other notable buildings include the
Compuware headquarters,
Fisher Building,
Guardian Building,
Detroit Public Library, and the
Penobscot Building. Detroit has several historic churches that are open to the public.
Sports
Detroit is home to professional teams representing the four major sports in North America. All but two play within the city of Detroit (
basketball's Detroit Pistons and
Detroit Shock play in suburban
Auburn Hills). There are three active major sports venues within the city:
Comerica Park (home of the
baseball team
Detroit Tigers),
Ford Field (home of the
football team
Detroit Lions), and
Joe Louis Arena (home of the
ice hockey team
Detroit Red Wings). Detroit is known for its avid hockey fans. Interest in the sport has given the city the moniker of "Hockeytown."
In college sports, the
University of Detroit Mercy has a
NCAA Division I program, and
Wayne State University has both NCAA Division I and
II programs. The NCAA football
Motor City Bowl is held at Ford Field each December.
Since 1904, the city has been home to the
American Power Boat Association Gold Cup unlimited
hydroplane boat race, held annually on the Detroit River near Belle Isle.
[History. The Detroit APBA Gold Cup]. Detroit was the former home of a round of the
Formula One World Championship, which held the race on the
streets of downtown Detroit from 1982 until 1988, after which the sanction moved from Formula One to
Indycars until its final run in 2001.
[Track History. CART.]Comerica Park hosted the 2005
MLB All-Star Game on
July 12,
2005, and
Ford Field hosted
Super Bowl XL on
February 5,
2006. On
December 13,
2003, the largest crowd in basketball history (78,129) packed Ford Field to watch the
University of Kentucky defeat
Michigan State University, 79-74.
[History. FordField.com.]If the Detroit Tigers continue on their current trend and remain the #1 team in Major League Baseball, then Detroit will be the first city in American history to host three major sports teams who have finished first in their league in regular season standings (Detroit Tigers, Detroit Red Wings & Detroit Pistons) all in the same calendar year (2006).[
1][
2][
3]
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Emergency entrance to Detroit Receiving Hospital |
Medicine
Detroit is home to three major medical systems: the
Detroit Medical Center (DMC),
Henry Ford Health System, and the St. John Hospitals. The DMC, a regional
Level I trauma center, consists of Detroit Receiving Hospital and University Health Center, Children's Hospital of Michigan, Harper University Hospital, Hutzel Women's Hospital, Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan, Sinai-Grace Hospital, and the Karmanos Cancer Institute. The DMC has more than 2,000 licensed beds and 3,000 affiliated physicians.
[Organization History and Profile Detroit Medical Center (accessed April 29, 2006).] The center is staffed by physicians from the
Wayne State University School of Medicine, the largest single-campus medical school in the United States.
[Webpage: About the School. Wayne State University School of Medicine (accessed April 20, 2006).]Transportation
Because of its proximity to Canada and its industrial facilities, major highways, rail connections and international airport, Detroit has been an important transportation hub. There are three international border crossings at the
Ambassador Bridge,
Detroit-Windsor Tunnel and
Michigan Central Railway Tunnel, linking Detroit to
Windsor, Ontario. Some 35% of U.S. trade with Canada passes through Detroit.
[Crawford, Mark (12/04). NAFTA Border Towns. Area Development Online.] The Ambassador Bridge is the nation's busiest border crossing, carrying 25% of the total trade between the U.S. and Canada.
[Ambassador Bridge Crossing Summary (5/11/05). U.S. Department of Transportation.]Detroit is the crossroads for three
Interstate Highways:
I-94 (
Edsel Ford Freeway),
I-96 (
Jeffries Freeway) and
I-75 (Fisher and
Chrysler Freeways).
I-696 (
Walter Reuther Freeway) serves the northern suburbs, while
I-275 serves the western suburbs and
I-375 is a short extension of the Chrysler Freeway. Other major routes are the
John C. Lodge Freeway (
M-10), the
Southfield Freeway (M-39) and the
Davison Freeway (M-8).
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A Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) bus traveling along Woodward Avenue |
Coleman A. Young International Airport (DET), previously called Detroit City Airport, is on Detroit's northeast side. Although
Southwest Airlines once flew from the airport, there is currently no commercial passenger service.
[Sapte, Benjamin (2003). Southwest Airlines: Route Network Development since 1971. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (accessed April 20, 2006).] Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW), the area's principal airport, is located in nearby
Romulus and is a hub for
Northwest Airlines and
Spirit Airlines.
Willow Run Airport, in far-western Wayne County near
Ypsilanti is a general aviation and cargo airport.
Mass transit in the city functions in two separate spheres of influence. Bus services are provided by the
Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT), which terminates at the outer edges of the suburbs. Services in the suburbs are provided by the
Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART). Combining the systems has been problematic and tainted by the racial politics that has affected all aspects of city–suburban relationships.
[Bagwell, Jennifer (12/22/99). Mass transit off track. Metro Times.] An
automated guideway transit system known as the
People Mover provides a 2.9 mile (4.6 km) loop in the downtown area and usually operates daily.
[Detroit Area Transit Systems. focalhost.com (accessed April 20, 2006).] Amtrak provides service to Detroit, operating its
Wolverine service between
Chicago, Illinois, and
Pontiac. The current passenger facility north of downtown replaced the presently unused
Michigan Central Station, which was opened in 1913 and vacated in 1988.
Currently, a study is underway to investigate the feasibility of a Detroit-
Ann Arbor commuter line,
[Ann Arbor to Detroit Lightrail at annarbordetroitrapidtransitstudy.com.] which would service the nearly 100,000 daily commuters between the two regional hubs. The proposed system would be funded by a
$100 million federal grant that is secured based on the results of the study.
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This decrepit Victorian-era mansion, one of many abandoned buildings in Detroit, may be restored as part of the Brush Park renewal project. |
Much of Detroit's revitalization is built upon its ability to keep pace with ever-changing internet technologies. The World Wide Web has not only connected Detroit to the international community, but allowed for more robust business growth within the city itself. As Detroit moves to promote its advancements locally and around the globe, it will be well represented by the sheer volume and variety of websites dedicated to its progressive businesses. Several prominent manifestations of Detroit's online presence are frequently visited sites such as [
4], [
5], and [
6]. These, among other popular Detroit destinations, deliver a message that the
new Detroit can, and will, remain a viable metropolitan city whose reach truly extends far and wide. Its roots founded in a unique American history and its future promoted via a strong internet presence.
Community message boards such as [
7] offer Detroiters an open forum for discussing views on city policies. Such sites also provide interesting historical information on the evolution of the city and the people instrumental to its growth as a famous American city.
*
Detroit (song)*
Detroit in literature*
List of movies set in Michigan*
List of people from Michigan*
List of songs about Detroit
*Powell, L. P (1901). "Detroit, the Queen City,"
Historic Towns of the Western States (New York).
*
Municipal government and local Chamber of Commerce*
City of Detroit official website*
Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau*
Detroit Regional Chamber of CommerceVisitor's Guide*
Experience Detroit: Attractions & Self-Guided ToursHistorical research and current events*
Forgotten Detroit*
Old Detroiter?*
HistoryDetroit*
Fabulous ruins of Detroit*
detroitblog*
Model D - A weekly online magazine with news about growth and investment in Detroit including neighborhoods guides.
*
Girl in the D
