'Detroit was once the symbol of progress, of what is good and possible...' I believe it still is
In Reid Hoffman's and Ben Casnocha's 2012 book titled, The Start-up of You: Adapt to the Future, Invest in Yourself, and Transform Your Career, they detail the downfall of the auto industry and describe the city of Detroit in the following manner:
'The great thing about living in America's most abandoned city,' deadpanned Tom Walsh, the local columnist, "is that there is never any traffic at any hour." Abandoned is certainly the word that comes to mind if you walk the streets just outside the main downtown drag in Detroit. You can go blocks without seeing anybody.
Empty houses languish. Some are professionally boarded up, with 'Condemned' signs tacked to the front door; others have only black tarp stapled within empty window frames. Many buildings bear an eerie resemblance to crumbling gingerbread houses. About a third of the city -- an area the size of San Francisco -- is deserted. Continue Reading...
#America #Diversity #Detroit #SpiritofDetroit #StudentVoices
Advisor, Japan Productivity Center
8 年Nice article, Renwei; you are so right that Detroit's comeback is underway. I can tell you from first-hand experience that the city's financial management team is first-rate, and the overall financial architecture of the city is much stronger today than in the recent past. But there is also a spirit of renewal in the city that is harder to measure, but just as important.