Urban sprawl is one of the biggest threats to our environment, and the problem only seems to be getting worse. Yet when cities begin to decline, we try desperately to save them. This can be seen in many small towns across America. It can also be seen in large cities. Like Detroit.
Driving through Detroit feels like a post-apocalyptic experience. The city that was once had the highest median income and the highest rate of home ownership in America is now a neighborhood experiencing the worst stages of decline. The collapse of Detroit’s manufacturing base struck a death blow to the city. The city that once held 2 million people today holds less than half that. The retreating population left behind an estimated 33,500 abandoned homes and 91,000 vacant lots in 138 square miles. In some areas entire blocks have been bulldozed and cleared of housing. Many neighborhoods have vanished, taking with them all traces of human existence.
Detroit is turning into an urban prairie, with grass overtaking sidewalks, sapling trees towering over fences, and utility lines competing with tree branches. Old alleys resemble hiking trails and empty lots are thick with wildflowers. In the summer many houses are hidden behind plant growth. Abandoned skyscrapers are full of pigeon roosts, feral cats that keep the rat population in check, and full size trees that grow on roofs. Wild pack dogs roam empty neighborhoods while hunting for the pheasants, turkeys, opossums, roosters and raccoons that now call the city home. The formerly popular Tree of Heaven, also known as the “ghetto palm” grows wild throughout the city. These trees were frequently planted by homeowners decades ago in landscaped yards. They will eventually crush the remaining homes, the plaster walls fading into dust.
Detroit is desperately trying to save itself, however it may be too lake. The remaining residents have put their faith in a former NBA All-Star/Steel Magnate Dave Bing who was elected to take over for the corrupt Kwame Kilpatrick. Only time will tell Detroit’s future.
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