Buffalo Case Study

Detroit maintains a unrivaled position as the iconographic post-industrial legacy city. Its bonafides have come from actual long-term disinvestment, depopulation, and economic decline, as well as a symbolic and breathtaking fall from the aspirational “Arsenal of Democracy” to the universally recognized “Tragedy of Detroit. The reality and symbolism of Detroit have intertwined to create a powerful and consumable narrative that can mask important historic contributions, existing challenges, and emerging opportunities for the future. Detroit’s robust growth was not just linked to industrial automotive production, but also to its consumption, and to federal policy that would enable an exponential increase in auto use and auto-dominant transportation systems. While many leaders were focused on the operations of urban renewal, Detroit’s economy became more dominated by the automotive industry, just as the industry itself seemed to be moving out. Detroit has the opportunity to shape a new future where existing and often unrecognized assets can be leveraged, and long-running liabilities can be transformed.