...Case Study of Detroit, MI Michael Harker BIO 201-2 Public Health and the Environment Although the city of Detroit, Michigan has been hit by hard times over the last 50 years or so, people and businesses are coming together in order to change the city and its residents. “Detroit has a long and storied 300-year history, but the heart and soul of Detroit is its residents” (City of Detroit, 2013, para.1). In the early to mid-1900’s Detroit used to be known as the auto industry of the world however, because of cheaper labor overseas and in the southern part of the United States thousands of Detroit residents ended up losing their jobs. These auto industry workers were the main income earners for their families but due to the loss of thousands upon thousands of auto industry jobs, entire neighborhoods in Detroit now sit vacant and abandoned. According to Jackson and Sinclair the authors of Designing Healthy Communities, the city of Detroit once had a population of two million people but has been declining over the last 50 years. In 1950 Detroit was the fourth largest city in the United States, however by 1990 the population was down to 1 million people and by 2006 there were only 871,000 residents. (Jackson & Sinclair, 2012). This continued downward spiral of the city’s population has seen many younger and highly skilled people looking to leave Detroit, leaving behind an older generation of city residents who are left to fend for themselves and who require more city services...
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...The Detroit Rebellion began on July 22, 1967. When police arrived to raid a private drinking club in Detroit, expecting a much smaller crowd, they instead encountered over 80 black patrons, and began arresting the entire crowd. After arrests were made, and a few hours had passed, an angry crowd of 3,000 had begun to loot and vandalize. Fires were set, and police and firefighters were the target of violence from the rioters. The National Guard was soon called in, and a curfew was put into place. The Governor requested federal intervention, and President Johnson sent assistance. The riots continued until July 27. Although the initial cause for the rebellion was white police presence in a predominantly black neighborhood, there were also several underlying causes for the rioting. Police brutality, cycle of poverty, and lack of political representation for blacks all contributed to the uprising, as well as similar ones happening in other cities. In Detroit in 1967, police harassment and brutality was commonplace. Lack of affordable housing and housing discrimination was an ongoing problem Job discrimination led to poverty and economic inequality for blacks in Detroit. All these factors combined to present the circumstances under which the Detroit Rebellion took place. The state of affairs for blacks in Detroit during this time created a deep rooted feeling of despair and anger. The frustration with the slow pace of progress in the struggle for equality was a main contributing...
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...homelessness due to rising poverty and unemployment and a severe shortage of affordable housing caused by the recent economic recession” (Vestal). This is critical information because, if the rate of poverty decrease then the rate of homelessness would decrease correspondingly. African Americans suffering from poverty are less likely to avoid homelessness because; they cannot afford suitable housing. The National Coalition for the homeless agrees, “ A growing shortage of affordable housing and a simultaneous increase in poverty as being the main drivers of homelessness” (National Coalition for the Homeless). This is significant because with affordable housing becoming scarce the rate of homelessness continues to increase along with...
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...Urban farming in Detroit Turning the Motor City into Farm City Urban farming in Detroit Turning the Motor City into Farm City Subject: Intercultural Communication Studies 2nd Term Date of release: 16.02.2011 Table of Contents 1 2 3 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 3 Characteristics ..................................................................................................................... 4 Urban farming in Detroit .................................................................................................... 5 3.1 3.2 SWOT analysis ............................................................................................................ 5 Urban farming projects in Detroit ............................................................................... 8 4 5 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 11 Bibliography ..................................................................................................................... 12 2 1 Introduction The term urban farming or agriculture recently pops up in the media. It is mainly applied regarding city development in third world countries, but as well it becomes more often a phenomena taking place in cities of industrial countries. After examining the general characteristics of urban farming...
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... T H E SAFETY NET in Detroit, Michigan Urgent Matters The George Washington University Medical Center School of Public Health and Health Services Department of Health Policy Acknowledgments The Urgent Matters safety net assessment team would like to thank our community partner, the Voices of Detroit Initiative (VODI), for its help in identifying key safety net issues in Detroit and connecting us with stakeholders in the community. At VODI, Lucille Smith was instrumental in coordinating our site visits, interviews and focus groups and an essential resource through the course of the project. We would also like to thank Amani Younis for her help in facilitating two of our focus groups. The Voices of Detroit Initiative is a partnership between the leading health system providers in Detroit, federally qualified health centers and the Detroit Health Department. VODI focuses on bringing all segments of the community together to address the issues of access to cost-effective health care for the uninsured. We would also like to acknowledge William Schramm at the Henry Ford Health System for providing us with important information and resources regarding the emergency department at Henry Ford Hospital. The Urgent Matters team would also like to recognize the many individuals in the Detroit health care community who gave generously of their time and provided important and useful insights into the local safety net system. The Detroit, Michigan, Safety Net Assessment...
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...Ahmad Baiyasi Honors 1000 Dr. Buccellato 24 September 2014 Who Are We? Campus Martius Campus Martius Park is an important gathering area for downtown Detroit. The re-established commercial center is undergoing constant renovation, with added public attractions such as new street level cafes and public sculptures to help attract Detroiters to one of the most vibrant parts of the city. Zlati Meyer states that Campus Martius helps to essentially revitalize downtown Detroit both economically and socially by getting people outside to enjoy their city (Meyer). Known as the “Point of Origin", the park is one of Detroit’s premiere areas. The historical decay and eventful rise of Campus Martius demonstrate Detroit’s own struggle for restoration. From its historical significance, physical, and behavioral aspects Campus Martius illustrates the city of Detroit and its citizens, a hopeful and persistent group of people. Campus Martius, translated as “military ground” in Latin, was named after a 180-foot stockade in Marietta, Ohio. It served as a militia training area in the late 18th century (Campus Martius). The fire of 1805 severely damaged the city of Detroit, prompting Judge Augustus Woodward to remake the entire city on a grid plan similar to Washington, D.C (Martelle). He organized the street and park layouts, and elicited help from some of the most recognized Canadian surveyors. They established the “Point of Origin” located in present day Campus Martius. This point is now...
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...Tania Moshirian A10023469 USP 100 September 3rd, 2014 Website Final Draft The Collapse Detroit, Michigan: a city where more than 1.1 million people have vanished in the past 60 years. The city has dropped 25% in population just in the last 10 years. The city crumbled apart, which forced people to abandon their houses and businesses, leaving them with nothing. Even hospitals and religious structures were abandoned--and are still abandoned--with no demand to fill them. Ultimately, the auto industry was hit the hardest. With a systematic city, there was nowhere for the people to find jobs, since the auto industry was also hurting. More than 200,000 people worked in the auto industry in the mid-20th century. Since the slow migration out of Detroit, the number fell to 100,000 people in the early 21st century. People have compared the migration out of Detroit to the whole city of San Francisco being deserted. More than 1.1 million people have left the city over the past decades. With economic downward spiral, Detroit hit its lowest point. With less than 750,000 people living in the city, it has been hard for local government to get money for the federal government for urban aid--leaving people still living in the city to suffer more. Detroit was named the poorest city in the nation, with one out of three people living below federal poverty. (1) With so many people suffering, it led to many fires. Buildings and houses were burning rapidly. There were two...
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...Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA), as “the most far-reaching, far-sighted program for the benefit of workers ever adopted in this or any other country.” A law drafted by Senator Hugo Black of Alabama and signed into law in June 1938, the FLSA was designed to “put a ceiling over hours and a floor under wages” by establishing an eventual maximum 40 weekly work hours. Henderson, David R. "Raising the Minimum Wage Will Not Reduce Poverty." Poverty. Ed. Viqi Wagner. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2007. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "The Negative Effects of the Minimum...
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...After starting as a small trading post in the eighteenth century, Detroit went on to become an industrial power house. However, as beautiful as it may seem, the modern Detroit is not the same city it was prior to 1960. In the last half-century, the city has been struck by crime and violence. That is when an "All-American City" became an eyesore, a blighted spot on the map. Attempts to reverse this downward trend have been made throughout the years; major construction projects appeared, and continue to appear, everywhere in Detroit. One of the most significant projects was the remodeling of Campus Martius. It was completed over a decade ago. This plaza still remains as the main gathering place for Detroiters and a great advertisement for the City of Detroit. With all the completed and yet to be completed projects, it may seem that Detroit is far past its decay; however, when one takes a closer look at any of the Detroit landmarks, one will see that Detroit appears to be beautiful only on the outside. The city and its elected officials have created a fake impression of perfection. Unfortunately, just one block away from these "pockets of improvement" is the true Detroit. Campus Martius was established in the eighteenth century as a military training ground. It is important to note that prior to 1805 Detroit was designed in a grid system. In 1805, a fire engulfed Detroit and destroyed Campus Martius and all wooden structures, leaving only a stone fort untouched (Beckett). Although...
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...Executive Summary Campaign Definition * “Bridgepointe to Success” campaign is aimed to build partnerships with local higher education institutions, to offer students life skills training and college preparation advice. Research * Research into life skills training and college preparatory institutions revealed that Bridgepointe is unique in its mission to bridge cultural gaps through education. Kick-off Event * The campaign kick-off will take place at the Open House event on February 1, 2013. Event Participants * Four universities and colleges will be present at the event to introduce Bridgepointe students to their programs. Program Details * Participating programs will cover architecture design, arts, business, engineering, and nursing fields. * Personnel from the admissions offices of the respective colleges will be involved in this initiative and offer advice and information packets at the event. Program Enrollment * The life skills training program will be offered to a limited number of students at first. * After the evaluation of the success of this training program, the life skills classes can be offered to all interested children participating in Bridgepointe programs. Vision for the Future * Our vision for the future is that Bridgepointe will build additional partnerships with other local universities and colleges to expand this program further. Table of Contents MARKETING PUBLIC RELATIONS PLAN...
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...juxtaposed with makeshift homes made of tents and a couple of personal belongings, this promise seems nothing but shallow. There are many homeless individuals, and now a growing number of families, living on our streets, and their future is bleak. This is a terrible reflection of a country that has so great to offer so something must be done to try to solve this issue. In Detroit, through services like transition homes and shelters, Detroit Rescue Missions Ministries, though not perfect, is doing an efficient job dealing with homelessness. To understand the impact Detroit Rescue Missions Ministries (DRMM) has had, it is important to understand homelessness and its causes. There are “643,067 people experiencing homelessness on any given night” in this country and 37% are families (End Homelessness). Homelessness is caused by poverty and the inability to afford housing. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) “calculates that a family with one full-time, minimum-wage worker can't afford a two-bedroom apartment anywhere in the country” (Katel). Poverty is another issue, especially in Detroit. Due to the foreclosure crisis and high unemployment rate “first-time homeless citizens are flocking…to near-capacity shelters” (Oosting). CEO of DRMM, Chad Audi, says there has been a wave of people who would never have thought they would be jobless let alone homeless, coming to the shelter. "What we are seeing now is more and more of...
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...Early Detroit Experiences of Blacks Blacks were brought into the Detroit area initially as slaves during the 1700’s, a fact that has been rarely discussed and mostly documented in scholarly articles and books (Boyd 17-22; Farley and Danziger 15; Katzman 5; Martelle 35-36; McGraw qtd. in Stone 13-22). As blacks began to migrate into the city from being the overwhelming dominant inhabitants of the south, racists attitudes were persistent, and reminiscent of the bigotry they experienced from their original homelands. Segregation, which was the law in the south, was openly and tacitly enforced in northern cities, including Detroit. Civil disturbances in the 1800’s are examples of the climate of racial distress in Detroit in its early days of existence...
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...The Motor City has finally stalled. After years of socioeconomic decline since its auto industry collapsed in the 2000s, Detroit declared bankruptcy last week, becoming the largest American city ever to do so. Could an ambitious, environmentally friendly scheme to repurpose Detroit's crumbling infrastructure be the city's salvation? In the past decade, Detroit has become an emblem of urban decay. More than a third of its buildings are abandoned, nearly 40 per cent of the population lives in poverty and the infrastructure is in tatters: reportedly, 40 per cent of its street lights don't work. This is where a long-term plan called the Detroit Future City (DFC) framework, announced by a study group in January, could help. Its aim is to regenerate the city over the next two decades by downsizing Detroit's infrastructure – tailored to its 2 million residents in the 1950s – to fit its current population of 700,000. To this end, the DFC proposes that the city take some unusual steps. It proposes converting the city's 5200 hectares of abandoned space into ecological sanctuaries and urban farms. Hundreds of small farming and gardening initiatives have already sprung up in recent years, bolstered by private investment and grants. Other initiatives include building "blue infrastructure," which would convert unused streets into conduits to collect rainwater for irrigation and relieve the pressure on Detroit's sewer system, and new regulations to increase energy efficiency across the city...
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...In 2014, the city of Flint, Michigan, located nearly 70 miles north of Detroit, decided to switch water sources from Lake Huron to Flint River in order to reduce the water fund shortfall. Since the 1970s, the water located in the Flint River was severely neglected and contaminated due to, “toxic substances, fecal coliform bacteria, low dissolved oxygen oils, and plant nutrients,” according to the State of Michigan’s DNR. The Department of Environmental Quality in Michigan was not treating the water with an anti-corrosive agent, and since the water wasn’t treated as needed, lead from aging service lines began leaching into the Flint water supply. This lead health effects of lead exposure to become prominent in the community, such as hearing...
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...Detroit, Michigan is known for its people, music, places, trends and events. It is more widely and famously known as the automobile capital of the world and a city with a prosperous diverse cultural social class which includes: Polish, English, Italian, English, Mexican, Irish, African, Middle Eastern, and Greek descent (City of Detroit, n.d.). Due to the diverse population, many factors contribute to crime. Changes of events such as land use, property values, transportation, and retail has been linked to how people’s views of criminal behavior has increased. Throughout the last several decades there have been many changes to the overall functionality of government, unemployment, communities and crime rates of Detroit. Society has a set way of how people should behave and how they should act among each other. Society envisions of what living the American dream should be like. People assume that they should be able live lavish life styles, but living that lifestyle can come with some consequences. Detroit has gone through many changes over the last several decades many schools, communities and other areas of society have had to adjust to social norms. Like every other city, there are going through financial hardships trying to maintain the characterization of what the city once was. Originally this city played a key role for industrialization for America. Society once viewed Detroit as a place of opportunity. It was a place where people were able to succeed, however now society...
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