Filmed on Tuesday, July 4 2023, I drive around the downtown area of Detroit, MI to see what's going on.
The city's name comes from the French word détroit meaning 'strait' as the city was situated on a narrow passage of water linking two lakes.
in 1701, Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit was founded by a group of 100 French settlers, which would become the future city of Detroit.
France offered free land to colonists to attract families to Detroit; when it reached a population of 800 in 1765, this was the largest European settlement between Montreal and New Orleans.
By 1773, after the addition of Anglo-American settlers, the population of Detroit was 1,400.
The region's economy was based on the lucrative fur trade, in which numerous Native American people had important roles as trappers and traders.
During the French and Indian War, British troops gained control of the settlement in 1760 and shortened its name to Detroit.
Following the American Revolutionary War and the establishment of the United States as an independent country, Britain ceded Detroit along with other territories in the area.
Prior to the American Civil War, the city's access to the Canada-US border made it a key stop for refugee slaves gaining freedom in the North along the Underground Railroad.
In 1903, Henry Ford founded the Ford Motor Company. Ford's manufacturing-and those of automotive pioneers William C. Durant, the Dodge Brothers, Packard, and Walter Chrysler-established Detroit's status in the early 20th century as the world's automotive capital.
In 1920, the city's population was fourth largest in the nation.
Business in Detroit boomed along with its growing automobile industry, leading to an increase in downtown's population and wealth. Much of the downtown area's architecture was built during this boom, in the late 19th century and early 20th century, and still attracts the attention of architects.
Jobs expanded so rapidly due to the defense buildup in World War II that 400,000 people migrated to the city from 1941 to 1943.
Detroit hit it's peak population of 1.849 million in the 1950 census, which was about 1/3rd of the entire state's population.
Over the next sixty years, Detroit's population declined to less than 10 percent of the state's population.
During the same time period, the sprawling Detroit metropolitan area, which surrounds and includes the city, grew to contain more than half of Michigan's population.
The 1970s saw a decline of the US auto industry. Buyers chose smaller, more fuel-efficient cars made by foreign car makers as the price of gas rose. Automakers laid off thousands of employees and closed plants in the city.
High unemployment was compounded by middle-class flight to the suburbs. The result for Detroit was a higher proportion of poor in its population, reduced tax base, depressed property values, abandoned buildings, abandoned neighborhoods, and high crime rates.
However, in recent years, the downtown area has seen tremendous growth and redevelopment.
Throughout the late 2010s, a large amount of business and investment have continued to enter the city and transform it. As of 2019, businesses such as Shinola, Google, Moosejaw, and Nike occupy the once-vacant street fronts. Investments such as new bike lanes, the Little Caesars Arena and QLine have been successful in attracting newcomers to the city.
The population of full time residents in downtown Detroit is relatively low. As of the 2020 census, there were 6,151 people living downtown.
Today, downtown Detroit hosts around 80,000 workers which make up about one-fifth of the city's total employment base.
While Detroit has one of the highest violent crime rates in the nation, the downtown area has lower crime than national and state averages.
Because of its unique culture, distinctive architecture, and revitalization and urban renewal efforts in the 21st century, Detroit has enjoyed increased prominence as a tourist destination in recent years. The New York Times listed Detroit as the ninth-best destination in its list of 52 Places to Go.
Time Magazine named Detroit as one of the fifty World's Greatest Places of 2022 to explore.
#driving #drivingtour #travel