Reimagining Detroit by John Gallagher Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Reimagining Detroit by John Gallagher - Essay Example The purpose of this paper is to summarize Gallagher’s arguments about what has gone wrong with Detroit, what made it go wrong, and the corrective actions that need to be taken to rectify the situation. A comparison of Detroit’s situation will be made with Dubai city. An analysis of the solutions given by the author to the problems facing Detroit will be also e evaluated. The solutions will be assessed to see if they are applicable to the current problems facing Dubai. One thing that is wrong with Detroit according to Gallagher is that the city is shrinking and losing its former glory. The city is getting depopulated, thus creating a lot of empty spaces (2). Gallagher notes that, at its peak, Detroit was ranked fourth largest city in the U.S. It had numerous factories which were doing so well and its many streets were lined with people and shopping malls. During this time, Detroit was densely populated, segregated, and enjoyed a lot of prosperity. However, all these disa ppeared as many shops and factories have closed down with many people moving to places with conducive environments for investment and job opportunities. Gallagher attributes this mass migration to many factors such as insecurity, poor governance, and lack of good infrastructural facilities among others. In order to overcome these wrongs and bring back Detroit to its former glory, Gallagher proposes adjusting expectations. In this case, he argues that Detroit residents should stop looking back and accept the situation and work with the city as it is now. To inspire Detroit, Gallagher uses a host of other cities in the U.S. and other countries that have made use of empty space and rebuilt their infrastructures. For instance, he notes that in Seoul, London, and Zurich, streams that were once covered in the sewer system have been harnessed and brought back to the surface, thus improving the environment as well as establishing new parts and developments alongside the water. In San Franci sco and Portland, highways that were not needed were removed from the city center, creating room for the neighborhood to reconnect with the waterfront. He also notes that, in Havana, a good network of urban farms initially developed during extreme food shortages, but is now acting as the food basket for Havana, supplying a variety of vegetables and fruits (Neill 648). Gallagher suggests simple interventions for Detroit at the local level. For instance, he notes that one of the wrongs that have scared people and investors away from the city is the fact that the city is dirty and stinky. This is because the city is full of weeds and has poor sewerage system. Therefore, to beautify the city, Gallagher recommends the removal of the weed-choked vacant lots that make the city untidy (28). He recommends the use of Philadelphia Green model: reseed the lots with ground cover or grass, install picket fences and plant trees. His suggestions also include building a good sewerage system to remov e the wastes as this will help keep the city clean and attractive to both the people and the investors. Gallagher sees a problem with the roads within the city of Detroit. He notes that the roads are dilapidated and pathetic. Some of the roads in good condition no longer carry the traffic that they used to carry due to the mass exodus of people from the town. He cites the eight-to-ten-lane that longer serves the purpose for