Detroit – Wheels Turning

Detroit is located in the Midwestern United States, at the southeastern end of the state of Michigan, at the junction of Great Lakes Huron and Erie. It is the eleventh most populous city in the United States, with over 900,000 people. Detroit has a land mass of 139 square miles. Explored and claimed by France in the 1700’s, Detroit later came under British control in 1760. Detroit served as the capital city of Michigan from 1805 to 1847. The city was captured by the British in the War of 1812. The United States regained control in 1813, and Detroit was incorporated as a city in 1815. Its strategic port location made Detroit a valuable asset for trade and transportation, during and after the American Civil War. Detroit became transformed in the early 1900’s on account of the invention and mass production of the automobile. It was during this time that many of the city’s beautiful and historic buildings were constructed. In the latter half of the 1900’s, Detroit was adversely impacted by consolidation in the automobile sector, higher fuel prices, and the loss of U.S. auto market share to overseas competitors. Parts of the city gradually fell into decay, unemployment increased, and real estate prices have fallen. In the past two decades, the city has undergone a revival in numerous city districts, and with a revitalized waterfront, tourism is part of Detroit’s plan to reestablish itself.

The Detroit Economy: Trying to Keep the Engine Humming

Detroit is a major business and commercial center. It is home to the “Big Three” U.S. automakers: Ford, Chrysler, and General Motors. Hence, manufacturing of automobiles and their parts represents a substantial driver of the Detroit economy. The city is home to several firms listed on the Fortune 500 list of largest U.S companies. Other contributors to the Detroit economy include advertising and media, finance, law, chemicals, computer software, tourism, health care, and entertainment, in the form of casinos.

Education in Detroit: Brain Drain

Educational attainment among the Detroit populace is behind that of the U.S. as a whole. As of 2000, roughly 70% of its residents aged 25 and older had completed high school, below the national average, and roughly 11% had completed college, well below the national average. There are several colleges and universities located in Detroit. The University of Michigan, the well-known state institution, has a campus at nearby Dearborn, which is home to more than 8,000 students. Among institutions of higher learning in Detroit are: the College for Creative Studies, Marygrove College, and the University of Detroit Mercy.

The Crime Scene in Detroit: Challenging

Detroit ranks worse than other large cities like New York and Los Angeles for both violent crime and property thefts. While its crime rates have declined from historic highs in the 1970’s, they still remain high for a U.S. city. Some good news for Detroit is that its murder rate declined 2% in 2009 from a year earlier, and property crimes also decreased.

The Detroit Population and Politics: Heavily Democratic

Detroit has a population of approximately 900,000 people. Its population has been declining at a rate of 0.5% per year over the past decade. The city’s population is predominantly African American, at 82%, with a Caucasian population of roughly 12%. Detroit has generally leaned heavily Democratic in its political preferences recently. Among the more than 900,000 votes cast in the 2008 U.S. presidential election, voters in Wayne County, Michigan, seat of Detroit, chose Democratic candidate Barack Obama over Republican candidate John McCain by a ratio of nearly three to one.