The city of Detroit is currently undergoing an urban renaissance to create and expand walkability, amenities, and jobs to attract Millennials. Experts wonder if the economic growth will spread to the nearby suburbs.
Dearborn, a southwest suburb of Detroit, may be in a better position than other suburbs. Says Barry Murray, director of economic and community development for Dearborn, “Everybody’s trying to create places in Southeast Michigan, which didn’t really have places before." CityLab reports that Southfield Mayor Kenson Siver, a resident of the town for over 50 years, believes that the suburbs have always held appeal for buyers, and will continue to do so. The key to thriving alongside Detroit's boom, says Siver, is to emphasize the difference of the suburban experience, expanding the variety of offerings of the Detroit area overall. “You would never hear me bash Detroit—I think we’re all in this together, and I’m glad to see Detroit thriving," he says.
The city is experiencing a sustained real estate boom, poaching employers—even pro sports teams—from surrounding municipalities. Places like Southfield, Pontiac, and Dearborn will have to find ways to keep up ... White flight, overly rosy demographic projections, and car-based planning continued to encourage patchy, rambling growth. And even as Detroit itself became a symbol for everything that was going wrong in America’s inner cities in the late 20th century, the sprawl prospered. Seven Fortune 500 companies now call the Detroit suburbs home, compared to three inside the city.
