Many have spoken about the cause of the downfall of this great city and many have foreseen it fasting moving along the path of oblivion but has anything been done to prevent it? Is there something which could be done to divert this path towards a new horizon? The essay referenced in my previous blog has illustrated clearly what went wrong with Detroit and what spelled its doom over the past four decades. The auto industries, the labor unions, the industrial and political lobbyist’s, corrupt politicians, disinterested sub-urbanites, and the black-white divide was summarized as the recipe of disaster for Detroit. As an idealist I have my concoction of steering this city towards a greener patch as every Detroiter might have. It is a quality of a champion to find opportunity under adversity and for this city facing its worst phase in decades has the opportunity to deviate from its traditional path and start fresh as a new, young and modern city. Not many cities get an opportunity like Detroit to press the restart button without being criticized about it-rather it will be applauded for doing so finally! The concoction which I have formulated is a blend of India and other big cities around the US.One of the most visible disabilities of Detroit over the decades and now an area to exploit to its advantage is the local transportation. The automakers have sidelined the proponent’s of local transports for their commercial benefits overlooking the plight of those who cannot afford to own one of their gas guzzlers. Why not have eco-friendly taxi services, run by the three Detroit automakers? They can employee the drivers and run the service commercially for profit. There are two advantages on establishing such system. If each of the three auto makers has a fleet of 750 to 1000 eco-friendly taxis they not only can use this as a real time testing ground for their hybrids but also employee at least 3000 unemployed individuals. Another mode of transportation which can be revitalized in the city is the subway or metro system. It is a proven success in cities like New York, London and even Mumbai, where over 5 million people travel on the subways daily. In the age of suburban living, transportation to the major points in a city prove to be a boon to the citizens. If we dig deeper and look at the future prospect of this initiative, it gives way for the opportunity to develop commercial offices in and around downtown which have easy access to these satellite subway systems, drawing the crowd back to the city.
Continuing with the effort of restructuring, the rundown areas around downtown can be cleared to give way to solar fields. In this era of non-conventional energy, Detroit can take the opportunity to convert its barren and vacant real estate to encourage
solar farms and stations. With most of the high rises towards the east side of the city, the solar panels have a clear path for sun light from the southwest. This will not only drive investments from outside but also reduce the energy cost of commercializing the city itself. The vacant real estate along Woodward Ave is an ideal location to erect charging station for the electric taxis and cars extracting power from the neighboring solar fields. The construction of a solar park on the beautiful island of Belle Isle on the Detroit River will not only serve to harvest energy but also utilize it to demonstrate its effectiveness and exploits.
Speaking about instituting solar parks and solar farms, the city can promote urban vegetation and green houses similar to the one in Bangalore and Hyderabad which are known for its botanical gardens. The products from this effort can be utilized to enhance the green market along Russell Street which houses Detroit’s own sabji mandi called Eastern Market. Maintenance of greenhouses, botanical gardens, solar farms etc boosts employment and investment by small bio tech labs and universities to harvest their products and conduct research.
In the prequel of this blog, I had highlighted the bright and colorful two block area of Greek Town and its populous streets and restaurants.
Now imagine multiplying this two block area by five, for the Arabic populations which is the highest outside Saudi Arabia, for the Indians and Asians who are nowadays located everywhere and the African American who hold a majority in and around Detroit. This multi cultural setup will attract people of all race and creed to their shops, restaurants and cultural centers from all neighboring cities and even states. If anyone has to question the viability of such an outlook, they should look at the China Towns in New York and Chicago or even at Dearborn which houses the vastly populated Middle Eastern immigrants in Michigan. The fleet of cars, electric cabs, and metro railways passing by this multicultural center will not only bring revenue and employment to the city but also bring back its lost life.
Another mock up which can be capitalized by the city are
piers similar to the one in San Francisco or Chicago which harbors tourist boats and ferries; and houses restaurants, roadside vendors, souvenir shops etc. The ideal location which comes to my mind for such a setup is Belle Isle and the River Front adjacent to the GM headquarters. Currently there is only one ferry- the ‘Detroit Queen’ operating 3 or 4 times a day between Belle Isle and the Ambassador Bridge. Connects the dots and the ride resembles the Maid of Mist without the glorious Niagara falls, with Canada on one side and the United States on the others, making it a perfect setting for tourist and the tourism industry.
As Idealist as these ideas might be, I do understand the practicality behind implementing these changes under the current scenario. The current city deficit, crime rate, city political corruption and to an extent social and racial divide are few of the demon’s which need to be fought along this path of revival. Suggestion like tax incentives, subsidies, financing, donations etc are option which can be explored to make such ideas and innovations viable, but not in this blog and not by an immigrants who wants to see his second home live its glory days once again. I reiterate my line that Detroit has to seize this opportunity before it’s too late to revive itself to a bold, dynamic, colorful, young and lucrative Utopian metropolitan.
solar farms and stations. With most of the high rises towards the east side of the city, the solar panels have a clear path for sun light from the southwest. This will not only drive investments from outside but also reduce the energy cost of commercializing the city itself. The vacant real estate along Woodward Ave is an ideal location to erect charging station for the electric taxis and cars extracting power from the neighboring solar fields. The construction of a solar park on the beautiful island of Belle Isle on the Detroit River will not only serve to harvest energy but also utilize it to demonstrate its effectiveness and exploits.Speaking about instituting solar parks and solar farms, the city can promote urban vegetation and green houses similar to the one in Bangalore and Hyderabad which are known for its botanical gardens. The products from this effort can be utilized to enhance the green market along Russell Street which houses Detroit’s own sabji mandi called Eastern Market. Maintenance of greenhouses, botanical gardens, solar farms etc boosts employment and investment by small bio tech labs and universities to harvest their products and conduct research.
In the prequel of this blog, I had highlighted the bright and colorful two block area of Greek Town and its populous streets and restaurants.
Now imagine multiplying this two block area by five, for the Arabic populations which is the highest outside Saudi Arabia, for the Indians and Asians who are nowadays located everywhere and the African American who hold a majority in and around Detroit. This multi cultural setup will attract people of all race and creed to their shops, restaurants and cultural centers from all neighboring cities and even states. If anyone has to question the viability of such an outlook, they should look at the China Towns in New York and Chicago or even at Dearborn which houses the vastly populated Middle Eastern immigrants in Michigan. The fleet of cars, electric cabs, and metro railways passing by this multicultural center will not only bring revenue and employment to the city but also bring back its lost life.Another mock up which can be capitalized by the city are
piers similar to the one in San Francisco or Chicago which harbors tourist boats and ferries; and houses restaurants, roadside vendors, souvenir shops etc. The ideal location which comes to my mind for such a setup is Belle Isle and the River Front adjacent to the GM headquarters. Currently there is only one ferry- the ‘Detroit Queen’ operating 3 or 4 times a day between Belle Isle and the Ambassador Bridge. Connects the dots and the ride resembles the Maid of Mist without the glorious Niagara falls, with Canada on one side and the United States on the others, making it a perfect setting for tourist and the tourism industry.As Idealist as these ideas might be, I do understand the practicality behind implementing these changes under the current scenario. The current city deficit, crime rate, city political corruption and to an extent social and racial divide are few of the demon’s which need to be fought along this path of revival. Suggestion like tax incentives, subsidies, financing, donations etc are option which can be explored to make such ideas and innovations viable, but not in this blog and not by an immigrants who wants to see his second home live its glory days once again. I reiterate my line that Detroit has to seize this opportunity before it’s too late to revive itself to a bold, dynamic, colorful, young and lucrative Utopian metropolitan.
A very thoughtfull blog.
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