Week 3: A City’s Change Over Time

From my experience thus far, something that has stood out is the role of the city. My coworkers describe “the city” as an actor in community affairs, by which I assume they mean bodies like City Council and the mayor. Admittedly, it is tricky to keep up with the many names, but I have gathered that various mayoral administrations maintain reputations over time as a result of their specific initiatives. Of course, it has become abundantly clear to all of us that the city as a whole has gained a reputation for ‘picking and choosing’ neighborhoods to revitalize, letting other ones scramble to stay afloat on their own. I would like to believe that there are some figures in city politics that contradict this narrative, but I cannot deny that the condition of the neighborhood I work in, Northeast Detroit (directly to the North and East of Hamtramck), displays the consequences of being “forgotten” by the city. Semi-trucks have been routed right through the neighborhood, making walkable and bikeable streets a challenge. On a large scale, businesses and homes have been abandoned and left in disrepair. Industrial companies have moved in all around the neighborhood- a new Amazon Warehouse of monstrous size lies on land that was once the location of the local annual festival. 

Simultaneous to these observations, however, there is a lot of community pride and hope. Older residents reminisce on the theaters, pools and retail boulevards that once populated the district. More recently, community members have formed organizations and block clubs to keep the neighborhood alive. Pocket parks have been developed in scattered locations across the region. Just yesterday, I attended a business association meeting for businesses on the Van Dyke commercial corridor. City officials, such as the District 3 Business Liaison, were present in order to discuss codes and ordinances that local businesses should understand and follow. There was a lot of engagement from the small crowd of business owners who attended the meeting, indicating an interest in being a part of, and by extension, in taking care of the community. 

Yesterday, my mentor told me and a few others about Northeast Detroit’s “fresh air” as the first thing she took note of when she was ten years old and her family moved from the Southeastern (then, heavily industrialized) section of Detroit to the Northeast side. Over time, industry built up along the Conner Creek, a tributary of the Detroit River, expanding development up and through Northeast Detroit. From the small towns like Norrisville and Leesville to current-day Northeast Detroit, it is clear that history can provide many explanations for the current state of the city and its neighborhoods. It makes me wonder how the history of the city might also point to solutions to the circumstances my non-profit tries to navigate through today. Perhaps, then, I might say that Detroit’s history matters when it comes to explaining its contemporary condition. Moreover, with the consideration of future developments, Detroit’s history is crucial in recognizing and respecting Detroit’s culture, environment and desires. 

Overall, I’ve learned that Detroit is a complex place. That seems like a simple-enough and maybe even a redundant statement, but I feel as though it is important to recognize this when working in the city. There are many complicated layers to the work that we are all doing, and we cannot expect to understand it all and make easy progress just by immersing ourselves in the community for three weeks. I am interested to see how my perspective might change (or remain the same) once we reach the end of the program in August!