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About Detroit
Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat for Wayne
County. The city is located on the Detroit River, north of Windsor, Ontario.
Founded in 1701 by French fur traders, it is the center of an industrial area in
the American Rust Belt. Today it is known as the world's traditional automotive
center and an important source of popular music—legacies celebrated by the
city's two familiar nicknames, Motor City and Motown. The city ultimately gets
its name from the Detroit River, which in turn derives from the French, "Riviere
du Detroit", literally, the "River of the Strait". The name alludes to the
connection the river forms between Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie, although it is
not literally a strait.
In 2005, Detroit ranked as the United States's 11th most populous city with
886,675 residents; this is less than half of the peak population it boasted in
1950 and Detroit leads the nation in terms of declining urban population.
Detroit's crime rate has created notoriety while the city continues to struggle
with the burdens of racial disharmony between itself and its suburban neighbors.
Nevertheless, Detroit is currently experiencing a downtown revival with the
construction of the Compuware headquarters, a recently renovated Renaissance
Center, three gambling casinos, new stadiums, and a Riverwalk – albeit amid
budget shortfalls and cuts in city services.
Residents are generally known as "Detroiters." The name Detroit is also
sometimes used as shorthand for the entire Metro Detroit area, a sprawling
region with a population (2000) of 5,456,428. Local colloquialisms for the city
are The D and The 313 (its area code).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 142.9
square miles (370.2 km); of this, 138.8 square miles (359.4 km) is land and
4.2 square miles (11 km) is water. The highest elevation in Detroit is in the
University District neighborhood in northwestern Detroit, just west of Palmer
Park sitting at a height of 670 feet (204 m). Detroit's lowest elevation is
along its riverfront, of course, sitting at a height of 579 feet (176 m).
Detroit completely encircles the cities of Hamtramck and Highland Park. On its
northeast border are the wealthy communities of Grosse Pointe. Oakland and
Macomb counties lie to the north. Alter Road divides Detroit and Grosse Pointe
Farms.
The city is crossed by three road systems: the original French template, radial
roads from a Washington, D.C.-inspired system, and true north–south roads from
the Northwest Ordinance township system. It sits atop a large salt mine, and
is north of Windsor, Ontario. Detroit is the only major city along the
U.S.-Canadian border in which one travels south in order to cross into Canada.
Detroit has four border crossings: the Ambassador Bridge and the Detroit-Windsor
Tunnel provides motor vehicle thoroughfare and the Michigan Central Railway
Tunnel railroad access to and from Canada. The fourth border crossing is the
Detroit-Windsor Truck Ferry, located near the Windsor Salt Mine and Zug Island.
Detroit buildings show a variety of architectural styles. Art Deco from the
1920s and 30s mingle with more modern structures in the downtown area near the
Detroit River and in the New Center adjacent to Wayne State University. While
the downtown and New Center areas contain high-rise buildings, the majority of
the city consists of low-rise structures and single-family homes. Many abandoned
buildings and large tracts of empty land are scattered throughout the city,
although several neighborhoods, such as Greektown and Indian Village, are
prosperous and show few signs of urban blight. In 2005, Detroit's architecture
was heralded as some of America's finest; many of the city's architecturally
significant buildings are listed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation
as among America's most endangered landmarks.
A number of downtown redevelopment projects—of which Campus Martius Park is one
of the most notable—have revitalized parts of the city. Since the 1990s, there
have been plans to redevelop the riverfront area from the Ambassador Bridge to
Belle Isle (the largest island park in a U.S. city) with a combination of parks,
residential buildings, and commercial areas. Other major parks include Palmer
(north of Highland Park), River Rouge (in the southwest side), and Chene Parks
(on the Detroit River east of downtown).
Detroit is also trying to rebuild its riverfront to make it similar to the park
directly across the river in Windsor, Ontario. Windsor replaced acres of train
tracks and some abandoned buildings with what is now 3 miles (5 km) of
uninterrupted parkland. The Detroit Riverfront Conservancy is spearheading most
of this development. Plans include Tri-Centennial State Park, Michigan's first
urban state park. Hopes are that returning the riverfront to pedestrian uses
rather than industrial uses will spur more residential development.
Detroit and the rest of southeastern Michigan have a typically Midwestern
temperate seasonal climate, which is influenced by the Great Lakes. Winters are
cold with moderate snowfall; summers can be warm and humid. The average high
temperature in July is 85F (29C) and in January 33F (1C). Summer
temperatures can exceed 90F (32C), and winter temperatures rarely drop below
0F (–17C). Average monthly precipitation ranges from about two to five
inches (50 to 130 mm), being heaviest in the summer months. Snowfall, which
typically occurs from November to early April, ranges from 1 to 10 inches (3 to
25 cm) a month. The highest recorded temperature was 103.0F (39.0C) on June 25,
1988, while the lowest recorded temperature was –17.0F (–27.0C) on January 19,
1994.
Population and rank among US cities, 1840–2000 censuses.
Detroit's population increased more than six-fold during the first half of the
20th century, fed largely by an influx of Eastern European and Southern migrants
— both white and black — who came to work in the burgeoning automobile industry.
As of the 2000 census, there were 951,270 people, 336,428 households, and
218,341 families residing in the city. The population density was 6,855.1 people
per square mile (2,646.7/km). There were 375,096 housing units at an average
density of 2,703.0 people per square mi (1,043.6/km).
As of 2001, the city was 81.55% Black or African American. Metro Detroit has a
higher percentage of blacks than any other northern U.S. metropolitan area —
roughly one quarter of the area population. More than one million
African-Americans live in the metropolitan area, with about 80% living within
the Detroit city limits. With the suburban out flux, Metro Detroit is among the
nation's most racially segregated regions. 12.26% of residents are White,
0.33% Native American, 0.97% Asian (mostly among), 0.03% Pacific Islander, 2.54%
from other races, and 2.32% from two or more races. 4.96% of the population was
Hispanic or Latino of any race. The city's foreign-born population also stood at
4.8%, one of the lowest percentages of any big city in the country.
Metro Detroit's ethnic communities are diverse and include descendants of the
French founders, as well as Germans, Poles, Irish, Italians, and Greeks who
settled during the city's early 20th century industrial boom. Metro Detroit has
the largest concentration of Belgians outside of Belgium. The Detroit area is
also home to a large Chilean-Assyrian population and the country's largest
concentration of Arab Americans . Mexican town, on the southwest side of the
city, is the historical center of a small Chicano community. Up until the 1980s,
there was a growing gay presence in the Palmer Park area in the north of the
city that migrated to the cities of Ferndale and Royal Oak after the community
collapsed.
There were 336,428 households out of which 33.9% have children under the age of
18 living with them, 26.7% were married couples living together, 31.6% had a
female householder with no husband present, and 35.1% were non-families. 29.7%
of all households were made up of individuals and 9.2% had someone living alone
who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the
average family size was 3.45.
There is a wide age distribution in the city, with 31.1% under the age of 18,
9.7% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% who are
65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females
there were 89.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.5
males.
The median household income in the city was $29,526, and the median income for a
family was $33,853. Males had a median income of $33,381 versus $26,749 for
females. The per capita income for the city was $14,717. 26.1% of the population
and 21.7% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population,
34.5% of those under the age of 18 and 18.6% of those 65 and older were living
below the poverty line.
The National Institute for Literacy declared in 1998 that 47% of Detroiters were
"functionally illiterate." Some 72% of all Detroit children are born to single
mothers.
Detroit and the surrounding region constitute a manufacturing powerhouse, most
notably as home to the Big Three auto companies. There are hundreds of offices
and plants in the automotive support business: parts, electronics, and design
suppliers. The domestic Auto Industry accounts directly and indirectly for one
of every ten jobs in the U.S. Because of its dependence on the auto industry,
Detroit is more acutely vulnerable to economic cycles than most large cities.
Greater competition from foreign rivals and more inexpensive labor in other
regions of the world have led to a steady decline of manufacturing jobs in the
region. In the early 21st century, losses and bankruptcy filings by several of
the area's auto parts manufacturers have exacerbated Detroit's economic
situation. Other factors contributing to the habitability of the city are
historically high taxes, with many unable to afford the cost of citizenship
entailed by levees on property and income and a lack of city services. In
February 2006, the metropolitan Detroit's unemployment rate was 8.6%, topped
only by communities devastated by Hurricane Katrina. In the city, the
unemployment rate hovered around 15% at the end of 2005, leaving Detroit as the
nation's poorest city with more than one-third of residents below the poverty
line.
Some allege that the domestic auto industry's woes can be traced to its own
history and devices. The Big Three automakers have collectively lost market
share to foreign rivals which many had perceived as having higher quality
However, in 2003, Cadillac outscored Lexus in 2 of 3 quality surveys by AutoPacific,
Strategic Vision, and J.D. Power. The perception of quality from foreign rivals
has been called into question. In 2006, Toyota became the most recalled car
Toyota was reprimanded by Japan and is under investigation for allegedly
shirking recalls for 8 years. In 1994, with a boom in demand for
sport-utility vehicles and pickup trucks, the industry fought the Clinton
administration's efforts to impose a 40% increase in Corporate Average Fuel
Economy (CAFE) standards for many trucks and obtained Congress's approval to
block the plan to develop stricter regulations. In the late 1990's,
Detroit's Big Three automakers had gained market share and were enjoying record
profits until the recession of 2000 and the subsequent September 11, 2001
attacks caused a severe decline in the stock market along with a pension and
benefit funds crisis.
Initially, GM and Ford had sought to avoid or delay the introduction of
unprofitable hybrids in favor of the all fuel cell vehicle; however, with rising
gasoline prices and foreign rivals marketing hybrid cars, Detroit's auto makers
responded by introducing hybrids amid criticism for the delay. GM's all electric
EV1 had been a sales and marketing disappointment in California and had been
dropped. In 2006, Ford announced a dramatic increase in production of its hybrid
gas-electric models, as well as promote the use of existing technologies to
equip vehicles with mixed ethanol and gasoline fuelled systems. General Motors
has invested heavily in all fuel cell equipped vehicles, while Chrysler is
focusing much of its research and development into bio diesel. Two days after
the September 11, 2001 attacks, General Motors announced it had developed the
world's most powerful fuel cell stack capable of powering large commercial
vehicles. In 2002, the state of Michigan established Next Energy, a
non-profit corporation whose purpose is to enable commercialization of various
energy technologies, especially hydrogen fuel cells. Its main complex is located
north of Wayne State University.
Other Fortune 500 companies headquartered in Detroit include auto parts maker
American Axle & Manufacturing, Comerica, and DTE Energy. Detroit is home to
Compuware and the national pizza chain Little Caesars. Electronic Data Systems,
Visteon, Ernst & Young, and GM's ONSTAR, are a new major presence downtown.
Reportedly, Quicken Loans is considering a consolidation of its suburban offices
into a new downtown Detroit headquarters. Casino gaming plays a major economic
role, with Detroit currently the largest city in the United States with
legalized gaming.[38] In 2006, downtown Detroit reported $1.3 billion in
restorations and new developments boosting construction jobs for the city.
Medical service providers such as the Detroit Medical Center and Henry Ford
Hospital are major employers in the city. Other major industries include
advertising, chemicals, and computer software.
The city is served by the Detroit Public Schools (DPS) district, various charter
schools, and private schools, and parochial Catholic schools run by the
Archdiocese of Detroit. In the early 1970s, the federal courts ordered busing to
desegregate the system, which helped to accelerate the white flight that had
been ongoing in the city. As of 2004, Detroit schools were 91%
African-American.
In the mid-to-late 1990s, the Michigan Legislature removed the locally elected
board of education amid allegations of mismanagement and replaced it with a
reform board appointed by the mayor and governor. The elected board of education
returned following a city referendum in 2005. The first election of the new
eleven member board of education occurred on November 8, 2005. Due to rapidly
declining enrollment, Detroit Public Schools has projected the closure of 95
schools by 2009. Detroit Public Schools has closed 29 schools, and the state
mandated deficit reduction plan calls for the closure of a total of 110 schools.
Detroit has several universities and colleges within its borders. Wayne State
University is an internationally renowned university with medical and law
schools. Other institutes of higher education are College for Creative Studies,
Lewis College of Business, Marygrove College, University of Detroit Mercy, and
Wayne County Community College. The Detroit College of Law, now affiliated with
Michigan State University, was founded in the city in 1891 and remained there
until 1997, when it relocated to East Lansing. Detroit was once the home of the
University of Michigan, which was founded in Detroit in 1817 but later moved to
Ann Arbor in 1837.
Music has been the dominant feature of Detroit's nightlife since the late 1940s.
The metropolitan area boasts two of the top live music venues in the United
States: DTE Energy Music Theatre and The Palace of Auburn Hills Detroit is
home to the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and the Detroit Opera House. Major
theaters include the Fox Theatre, Masonic Temple Theatre, and the Fisher
Theatre.
Throughout the 1950s, Detroit was a center for jazz, in which stars of the era
often came to Detroit's Black Bottom neighborhood to perform. One highlight of
Detroit's musical history was Motown Records success during the 1960s and early
1970s, founded in Detroit by Berry Gordy, Jr. During the late 1960s, Detroiter
Aretha Franklin became America's preeminent female soul artist. In the late
1960s, Metro Detroit also spawned a high-energy rock scene, the precursors of
the punk rock movement. The area is also generally accepted as the birthplace of
the Techno movement. Detroit is more recently home to many prominent hip-hop
artists, notably Aaliyah, Eminem, and Sufjan Stevens. In addition, Detroit's
garage rock scene of the 1990s rose to national attention with the success of
The White Stripes. Eight annual music events are held in the city, including the
DEMF/Movement/Fuse-In electronic music festival, Ford Detroit International Jazz
Festival, the Motor City Music Conference (MC2), the Concert of Colors, and the
hip-hop Summer Jamz music festival.
The car plays a major role in Detroit's cultural life in major events such as
the North American International Auto Show. Due its close proximity to Canada,
Detroit participates in the Windsor-Detroit International Freedom Festival,
which features a fireworks display over the Detroit River and coincides with
U.S. Independence day and Canada Day. The America's Thanksgiving Parade —
previously referred to as the Hudson's Thanksgiving Day Parade — is one of the
nation's largest and has been held continuously since 1924.
Many Detroit museums are located in the Cultural Center near Wayne State
University. These museums include Detroit Institute of Arts, the Detroit
Historical Museum, Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, Detroit
Science Center, and the main branch of the Detroit Public Library. Other
cultural highlights include the Motown Historical Museum, Tuskegee Airmen
Museum, Fort Wayne, Dossin Great Lakes Museum, and the Belle Isle Conservatory.
The Eastern Market farmer's distribution center is the largest open-air
flowerbed market in the United States and has more than 150 foods and specialty
businesses.
Hart Plaza, between the Renaissance Center and Cobo Hall on the riverfront, is
the site of many events and various music festivals. Other sites of interest are
the Detroit Zoo, the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory, and the Belle Isle
Aquarium. The aquarium and zoo on Belle Isle are currently closed. The J.W.
Westcott II, which delivers mail to freighters on the Detroit River, is the
world's only floating post office.
The most important civic sculpture in Detroit is the "Spirit of Detroit" at the
Coleman Young Municipal Center. The image is often used as a symbol of Detroit
and the statue itself is occasionally dressed in sports jerseys to celebrate
when a Detroit team is doing well. A memorial to Joe Louis at the
intersection of Jefferson and Woodward Avenues was dedicated on October 16,
1986. The sculpture, commissioned by Sports Illustrated and executed by Robert
Graham, is a 24 foot (7.3 m) long arm with a fisted hand suspended by a
pyramidal framework.
Other notable buildings include the Compuware headquarters, Fisher Building,
Guardian Building, Detroit Public Library, and the Penobscot Building. Detroit
has several historic churches that are open to the public.
Because of its proximity to Canada and its industrial facilities, major
highways, rail connections and international airport, Detroit has been an
important transportation hub. There are three international border crossings at
the Ambassador Bridge, Detroit-Windsor Tunnel and Michigan Central Railway
Tunnel, linking Detroit to Windsor, Ontario. Some 35% of U.S. trade with Canada
passes through Detroit. The Ambassador Bridge is the nation's busiest border
crossing, carrying 25% of the total trade between the U.S. and Canada.
Detroit is the crossroads for three Interstate Highways: I-94 (Edsel Ford
Freeway), I-96 (Jeffries Freeway) and I-75 (Fisher and Chrysler Freeways). I-696
(Walter Reuther Freeway) serves the northern suburbs, while I-275 serves the
western suburbs and I-375 is a short extension of the Chrysler Freeway. Other
major routes are the John C. Lodge Freeway (M-10), the Southfield Freeway (M-39)
and the Davison Freeway (M-8).
Coleman A. Young International Airport (DET), previously called Detroit City
Airport, is on Detroit's northeast side. Although Southwest Airlines once flew
from the airport, there is currently no commercial passenger service.
Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW), the area's principal airport,
is located in nearby Romulus and is a hub for Northwest Airlines and Spirit
Airlines. Willow Run Airport, in far-western Wayne County near Ypsilanti is a
general aviation and cargo airport.
Mass transit in the city functions in two separate spheres of influence. Bus
services are provided by the Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT), which
terminates at the outer edges of the suburbs. Services in the suburbs are
provided by the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART).
Combining the systems has been problematic and tainted by the racial politics
that has affected all aspects of city–suburban relationships.
An automated guideway transit system known as the People Mover provides a 2.9
mile (4.6 km) loop in the downtown area and usually operates daily. Amtrak
provides service to Detroit, operating its Wolverine service between Chicago,
Illinois, and Pontiac. The current passenger facility north of downtown replaced
the presently unused Michigan Central Station, which was opened in 1913 and
vacated in 1988.
Currently, a study is underway to investigate the feasibility of a Detroit-Ann
Arbor commuter line, which would service the nearly 100,000 daily commuters
between the two regional hubs. The proposed system would be funded by a $100
million federal grant that is secured based on the results of the study.