Having been raised in Detroit, when I thought of downtown I thought of the Riverwalk. I hadn’t noticed the transformations that had occurred from my youth through today. How to Kill a City made the situation feel a bit more personal since a lot of my family were raised and still live in Detroit today. Throughout my time in Detroit this summer, I’ve noticed more things like the Mike Illitch School of Business, the Quicken Loans building, and who made up most of the foot traffic (all things I would normally overlook).
I’ve have discussions with my mother, who lives in Midtown, about things I’ve noticed and learned through reading the book and the events we’ve attended. If I’d just began my placement without having read the book, I wouldn’t have been able to make those connections. I would still see blocks of vacant homes, a fancy lit downtown, and a fading luxurious lifestyle as I travel down Woodward; I just wouldn’t know why.
I mainly realized that the whole thing is something you don’t see unless someone points it out. It’s like hearing a song on the radio and then noticing it all over social media. Gentrification isn’t new, but growing up it’s not something I was ever made aware of to any degree besides “it’s bad”.
Visiting many urban agriculture sites throughout the city and seeing what people are involved in locally gives me hope for the future of Detroit.
Do you think gentrification is something that should be taught in public high school?