Melinda Brown Duncan Speaks The Truth About Bingo and Snydely (Detroit: 2013, neighborhoods)

[jonnynonos]

OK, give me your top 5 nice neighborhoods in Detroit with minimal exposure to blight.

[313Weather]

Originally Posted by jonnynonos

OK, give me your top 5 nice neighborhoods in Detroit with minimal exposure to blight.

Define "blight."

[jonnynonos]

Ok just your top 5 neighborhoods.

[313Weather]

Originally Posted by jonnynonos

Ok just your top 5 neighborhoods.

Yeah, in Detroit (a city that has suffered from catastrophic disinvestment and has lost 2/3 of its peak population), there's an entirely different standard for blight.

[jonnynonos]

As far as I can tell my answer would be Palmer Woods and that whole area west of Woodward (Sherwood Forest, Green Acres), Rosedale Park, Midtown and downtown, and a few blocks adjacent to GPP, and as far as I can tell that is about it. Obviously there are streets here and there and a few developments like River Town but it seems to me the neighborhoods one could describe as even "ok" these days are nearly inifintisimle.

And let's be real, Palmer Wods might be ok but you step across Woodward and it looks like a war took place.

My point is the lady in the video has a point.

[Retroit]

Originally Posted by MarvinStrong313

So let's make sure we're clear. You're saying more than 90% of ALL blocks in Detroit city limits have severe blight? But we still manage to have 5,000 to 6,000 ppsm in the average neighborhood in Detroit . Hmmm ok suuurre

It's kind of subjective. A person who is used to very nice neighborhoods could easily see 90% or more of Detroit as severely blighted. I'd be interested in knowing what you think the percentages are. For me, although I don't live in the city, I have driven through most areas in the past few years. From my middle-income, working-class perspective (I've live my whole life in Eastpointe), I would say Detroit is:

• 5% no blight
• 15% minor blight
• 20% moderate blight
• 50% severe blight
• 10% beyond blight categorization - urban prairie

[313Weather]

Originally Posted by Retroit

It's kind of subjective. A person who is used to very nice neighborhoods could easily see 90% or more of Detroit as severely blighted. I'd be interested in knowing what you think the percentages are. For me, although I don't live in the city, I have driven through most areas in the past few years. From my middle-income, working-class perspective (I've live my whole life in Eastpointe), I would say Detroit is:

• 5% no blight
• 15% minor blight
• 20% moderate blight
• 50% severe blight
• 10% beyond blight categorization - urban prairie

That sounds about right, but I'd put it more like...

30% severe blight
30% beyond blight categorization - urban prairie (much of the lower east side, areas NW of the old Tiger Stadium, area NE of Eastern Market, area in 48205).

[313Weather]

Originally Posted by jonnynonos

As far as I can tell my answer would be Palmer Woods and that whole area west of Woodward (Sherwood Forest, Green Acres), Rosedale Park, Midtown and downtown, and a few blocks adjacent to GPP, and as far as I can tell that is about it. Obviously there are streets here and there and a few developments like River Town but it seems to me the neighborhoods one could describe as even "ok" these days are nearly inifintisimle.

And let's be real, Palmer Wods might be ok but you step across Woodward and it looks like a war took place.

My point is the lady in the video has a point.

Well even those neighborhoods have a lot of foreclosed/vacant properties that aren't even maintained up to par (not to mention even crumbling infrastructure).

Meanwhile, downtown/midtown still has vacant properties/desolate areas too.

[MS313]

I think I read somewhere that 1/3 of Detroit's land is vacant. There is also 5,000 - 6,000 ppsm in Detroit currently. Going by these 2 facts, personal experience, and bing/google maps street view. Here's what I come up with.

Urban Prairie- nearly NOTHING. NO more than 5 occupied homes in one city block: 15%.
Severe blight- less than 50% of the block is occupied: 20%.
Moderate blight (This is what I would call the average block in Detroit)- Between 50%-80% of the block is occupied: Hmmm ill say 50%.
Minor Blight- Between 75% and 99% occupied: 10%
No blight- 100% occupied: 5%

If I had more time I could match up the areas of each category.

[jonnynonos]

The city has lost significantly more than half it's peak population so aside from what's been razed roughly half of the living quarters are likely empty.

That doesn't count for the occupied buildings that are falling apart. Or the abandoned commercial buildings.

Some neighborhoods are clearly worse than others but any way you cut it its not a pretty picture.

I know it is an imperfect measurement as there likely were far more people living in apartment buildings back in the day, but it can't be too far off.