Is Detroit's Comeback Sustainable?

Jack Lessenberry Politics & Prejudices

We all know that Detroit has made a big comeback in recent years – at least we have been told it has. And it’s true that anyone walking around downtown or the midtown area will see streets that look better than they have in decades. But how deep does the comeback go? And what needs to happen next? Joining me to talk about all of this: Karen Dumas is a communications and media professional who has been well-known and respected in Detroit for many years; she has hosted a number of radio shows, served on many committees and boards and served as chief of communications and internal affairs for former Detroit Mayor Dave Bing. John Gallagher has covered architecture, urban development and about everything else connected with this city for the Detroit Free Press for more than 30 years; he is the author of several notable and award-winning books, including Reimagining Detroit and Revolution Detroit. John Mogk has been a law professor at Wayne State University for more than half a century, but he is at least as much an urban affairs expert as he is a legal one. He has served on more panels and boards than I think even he can count, and even ran for mayor twice, and has a very interesting view of what the city needs to do about eminent domain.