Is Detroit living or dying? Depends on who you ask. Lucky for us, a writer for the American Prospect talked to three dozen people to form the view of Detroit presented in The Death and Life of Detroit. In terms of recent articles in this genre, it's reasonably balanced, not too-too-obsessed with Slows BBQ, and aware that Detroit's narrative cannot be contained in a Super Bowl ad. Much of the story is woven around the Detroit Works Project and what that might mean once the 2.0 version takes that leap from theories and community meetings into action plans. Mayor Bing's part at the end of the article is a nearly comical portrait of a man "on message." The article doesn't wrap up too neatly with boosterim or lamentations, and there are some decent plugs for Blight Busters and Detroit SOUP.
· The Death and Life of Detroit [The American Prospect]