Do you consider Detroit as a World Class City?

Answer 1

Man this is a really tough question for me to answer since I live in Michigan and have often spent time in Detroit for both business and pleasure. It is hard not to consider any city as "World Class" that has such a large population, cultural diversity, history, hosts teams of all 4 major sports (3 in the city itself), has an international border, large-scale cultural events, festivals, attractions all year long, headquarters to many businesses and corporations including the Big Three automakers, etc., etc. On the other hand, there are many reasons why many would definitely "not" define Detroit as "World Class." Decades of "white flight" from the city has left Detroit and its' suburbs as probably the most racially segregated area in the nation. In addition, the economic fate of the city has been, almost exclusively, tied to the health of our domestic auto industry and, as foreign automakers continue to take away market-share, the city (and actually the entire state of Michigan) continually faces an ever increasing financial struggle. Likewise, unemployment in Michigan and Detroit in particular have seemingly spiraled out of control (I'm one of the currently unemployed myself). Although there are, in fact, many liveable working-class neighborhoods and pockets of quite wealthy communities, much of the city has deteriorated seriously due to these financial pressures. Many areas within the city are infested with gangs and crimes of all sort ranging from drugs to prostitution to armed robbery; although I don't believe it is true any longer, Detroit also cannot shake its' violent image as "the Murder Capital of the World." In addition, city services have continued to suffer from lack of funding; sometimes trash doesn't seem to be picked up in parts of the city for months (or even years or ever). Just like most places, any good news from the city doesn't make the national news and only the troublesome stories are broadcast around the nation, or internationally- which is why so many people have such a distorted, negative image of Detroit; there are many people living in the Detroit suburbs who dread coming to the city and thousands of people living in outstate Michigan have never been to Detroit out of fear inspired by the media coverage. They are missing out on all that the city does have to offer and, more importantly, Detroit is missing out on a chance to lure people (and their dollars) back as tourists,employers and employees or, possibly, even as residents. All this being said, I think most people around the Detroit area, including myself, question whether the city can be defined as world class and I guess as further proof it isn't is the lack of tourism to Detroit. I can see why some people in Detroit and the surrounding suburbs can think of the city of Detroit as a major, metropolitian city; I can understand why so many of us that regularly visit Detroit wrestle with the very question you are asking; and, I can also understand why the vast majority of people who have never visited the city and are only exposed to the continual negative media would laugh at your question.

Answer 2

Porthuronbil Makes some very valid and thoughtful points.
I grew up in Suburban Detroit, did a tour of duty in the South in large cities and small villages, and now live in NYC. On the face there is still a lot that puts Metro-Detroit in a world class status - 4 Sports - Great Museums - Diverse Culture - World Class Medical centers, etc etc etc. From that perspective then yes Metro-Detroit is world class. However, if you look at Detroit proper, then the answer is a less persuasive. It has dropped below San Jose in terms of population. It is only the 11th largest city in America now. I remember the days when we were just behind Chicago or was it Philly, but we were number 4 or 5. Saddens me to say, but to anyone but a died in the wool Midwesterner, I am afraid that to most of the "world" Detroit is no longer world class.

Answer 3

Detroit once was. Detroit is just like any Empire. They all will fall. I have lived all my life in Wyandotte just south of Detroit and I have seen Detroit start to fall along time ago. It was once the "Motor City". It did always try to bring in more instead of trying to Re-Build itself! It only re-builds the center of the downtown area and not the rest of the city. Now more people are starting to move out of Detroit instead of into it. It does need a good city government that knows you must make a city look good for the people to want to live in it. Tear down all old things and put new ones up!!! The City let itself down, the People did not!!!!

Answer 4

more like World Class City Dump.
with Kwayme behind the wheel its just on its way further in the poor house with more money in his crooked pockets. Clean up the city Kwayme!!!! Clean up the streets the buildings and the people.

everyday i check local 4 news and every problem that occurs. ex. robbing, shootouts, looting etc. is either on the east or west side of detroit.

Detroit has great potential to be the next big city like LA and New York City. But its crooked polititians not doing their job correctly to clean it up and make it into a better town. Some of the residents of Detroit. (i said some not all..) are making detroit slummy. Wake up detroit. get your act together and clean this up!

Answer 5

I've lived near this city for nearly 40 years, and have been in third world countries with more than this city will ever have.
There's little here to celebrate.
Sad really, it's got potential..but with the US auto industry falling into decline (as it's development facilities are based here)..it's only going to get worse folks.

Answer 6

More like a No-Class City. You MUST be thinking of some place else.

Answer 7

well considering the WORLD and their class... most of it is third world and run down...

JUST LIKE DETROIT

gangs, violence, murder, kidnapping, drugs, prostitution, more drugs, anger, larceny, theft, but there is also people. people who know detroit, people who want to fix detroit.

progress has begun to make detroit and CLASS A CITY.

in short...

not yet

Answer 8

I like Detroit. Do you have a problem with it?

Answer 9

There are no world class cities other than Vegas :-)

Answer 10

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