On Tue, 11 Jun 2002, glyph1001 wrote: > I kinda agree with what the article says about Detroit. Especially > where it notes that Detroit is basically a city that shuns on forward > thinking or creative ideas (Techno and The Heidlburg Projects are > perfect examples). I mean sheesh, it took THIS long to have a DEMF in > Detroit where this music has been around for almost 20 years!
I read the article and was of two minds. On the one hand I think the author's central conclusion is correct...the "let's build a stadium" mentality simply won't deal with the fundamental fact that cities are something other than vessels for corporate development. On the other though, let's take a look at his "get right or go the way of detroit" comment. Just in the last three years we've had the country's first hiphop mayor elected (this is purely a generational comment), and the world's largest free electronic music festival. These events are anecdotal, but along with movements such as Adamah and Detroit Summer and the Heidelberg project, I'd argue they could only have happened in Detroit. And this isn't simply because Detroit is supposedly "empty" but rather because there is already a vibrant creative class. So on the other hand, Detroit is an example (not a shining city on a hill mind you, but an example nonetheless) of what cities SHOULD be doing...not an example of what happens if you don't get it right. > And quote > > "They created a lifestyle mentality, where Pittsburgh and Detroit were > still trapped in that Protestant-ethic/bohemian-ethic split, where > people were saying, "You can't have fun!" or "What do you mean play in a > rock band? Cut your hair and go to work, son. That's what's important. " > > This is so true because I've heard this from Detroiters I know who are > "creative" whose parents would tell them basically that..."get a blue > collar job instead of doing music or art or whatever"...but until they > see that you're successful in it (and they'll only understand it when > you're sucessful in it), their attitudes don't change because all they > understand is a job with a little security, a small house, a wife or a > husband, kids...the normal life. But from what I was told it takes > people in Detroit a long time to see potential in creativity and new > ideas. That's just the way it is. If we say that X=the time it takes to see potential diversity...then I'd argue that Detroit's "X" is smaller than the X of other cities. This is where the author is wrong. He's arguing that the causal variable in making Detroit resource poor is the way it treats its creative class, when the causal variable has more to do with the intersection between race and a whole set of political factors. peace lks --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
