EQ2 Rustbelt Region and Detroit

Question 1

Define urban decline

Answer 1

deterioration of the inner city , often cause by lack of investment and maintenance

Question 2

Explain the reason for Detroit’s urban decline in the context of a spiral of decline

Answer 2

• catalyst for change - decline in manufacturing and engineering as ‘motor city’ = economic restructuring
• linked industries closed and quaternary jobs were replaced with tertiary jobs = undesirable economic conditions for any further investment.
• unemployment = brain drain by younger people
• house prices in decline = in migration of poorer immigrants
• socio-economic problems - regen. needed

Question 3

How did the global shift in manufacturing affect detroit?

Answer 3

1950’s - industry was booming and resilient
1980’s- failure to diversify economy - as shift in manufacturing to other car companies that created new models that suited American TNC’s desire for profit from cheap and efficient use of automation to create models for consumers - Japan.
- over reliance on one single industry = vulnerability in decline.

Question 4

Impacts of Detroit’s industrial boom in 19th century on environment?

Answer 4

11,000 ducks killed due to oil spill in detroit river in 1946

Question 5

population impacts of Urban decline in detroit?

Answer 5

• racial tensions = ‘ white flight’ in the 1970’s
• decline in pop. by over 1/2 since it’s peak population of 1.8 mln in the 1950’s.
• nearly 40% of population lived below the poverty level in 2010

Question 6

employment impacts of urban decline ?

Answer 6

• Detroit had the highest unemployment rates out of all 50 US’ largest cities.
• unemployment rates at 23%

Question 7

Impacts of urban decline in detroit on econmy?

Answer 7

houses prev worth $160,000 = $500 0r less in 2013
Decline in economic value of Detroit is evident .
- Big 3 companies like General Motors, Ford Motor Company, and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles US all moved out taking high income jobs with them leaving behind tertiary sector jobs

Question 8

Conditions of Detroit today?

Answer 8

no large scale attempts have been made for regeneration - large parts of detroit remain in an abandoned state to this day
- crime rates are some of the highest in the US.