Urban Vignettes Week 7: Signs

Signs of Another Reality

When I look at the signs that I pass on a regular basis, it initiates a train of thought about the dynamics of politics, social structures, and economics in Detroit. 

Let's start with the following signs:

The first on the top left is between two thriving neighborhoods: Mexican Town and Corktown. The idea of a car that cost $10,000+ at some point being sold at 1% of its value or less is strange - the disposable nature of such a core part of our economy in the US, and especially Michigan, is ironic. Is our economy also disposable?

The large picture is of a construction sign that appears temporary, but has been present for nearly half of my life. The Detroit International Bridge Company has been "working" on a project with the Michigan Department of Transportation to alleviate bridge traffic and decrease truck traffic in the neighborhoods, but they did not live up to their end of the bargain. This led to the two executives of the company to be jailed for a night, and at least part of the project was completed quickly thereafter. The Ambassador Bridge is the property of Manuel J. Moroun, a Detroit suburban billionaire who owns a trucking empire, It is one of only two privately owned bridges along the United States’ entire northern border and by far the most economically significant privately owned bridge in the nation. It makes me question who really controls the economic culture of the largest city in Michigan.

The middle left reflects the growing culture in Detroit of growing our own food to combat the issues of being a "food desert" - fresh fruit and vegetables are hard to come by. Urban agriculture has been a way of taking ownership of health and food in a city once listed as the fattest in the United States. Growing our own food has been a way to reclaim land, and our health.

Lowest on the left: this type of sign is seen all over Detroit. I think of it as larger than just the building: Detroit is for sale and can be built to suit the needs of a family, business, or community. In Detroit, the only real limits for the future are your imagination.

Another set of signs I want to address are those of social and community trends:

Working clockwise from the top left: Gang Signs spray painted on a disused mechanic garage. 1/2 signs of the Southwest neighborhoods - one was ripped down. The highway signs that mark our Motor City and direct our primary product (cars) through the city. The signs of homeless men and women are all over the city - they are a sign and reminder that our economic plan does not include everyone as a general rule. These are signs that are present in many cities throughout the nation and world, but the backdrop changes.

The signs of Detroit show our character; our strengths and weaknesses. Our direction is defined by how we interpret the instructions found on each one.

Sincerely,

Kaity Nicastri, 
Detroit Lover

If you want to see the post in its edited form, go to Urban Vignettes.

Urban Vignettes Week 6: Hope

A City of Hope

Detroit is a city that was built on hope, and continues to survive on hope. People move(d) here to find jobs in the auto industry, raise their families, and buy a home. They want(ed) better lives and to live "The American Dream". Despite setbacks, despite budgetary failure, despite economic collapse, hope has driven Detroiters to continue fighting and working to make their city into a better place. 

Mural featuring Joe Louis.

One of the symbols of the city is a large black fist, located at the head of Woodward, across from Hart Plaza. This fist represents Joe Louis, and his significance for the city and the African American community. Joe Louis grew up in Detroit, and was known as the most honest fighter in a time when corruption in the sport was rampant. He also fought for racial integration in golf, and was a symbol of equality for many. 

Bagley Pedestrian Bridge Sculpture

 The Bagley Pedestrian Bridge is a symbol on a much more local level, and represents the struggle of a city to unite. Bagley Street is a core street to the Southwest community near Mexican Town, and it was ripped in half by the construction of Interstate 75 in the 1970s. In 2010, the construction of a pedestrian bridge that connects the two sides of Bagley was completed. The piece was a symbolic win for the people of the neighborhood that felt their community was finally reunited in a physical way, with art pieces that spoke of the human struggle and the power of the area.

Detroit Renaissance Center & Skyline

The Renaissance Center crowns the Detroit skyline, and I always view it as a symbol of hope. The "RenCen" has been the tallest building in Michigan since 1977. I remember visiting it when I was a child, and marveling at the view over the river front, and it's circular floor plans. It means more to other people, and General Motors is not always the best symbol of hope, but their building is remarkable. It means that someone was willing to invest in Detroit and create a lasting monument to industry and the city's global impact.

Elementary School Children Playing Violins

Detroit has a new direction and hope: that creative industries will lead us into the future. Not only are creative industrial giants moving in, including Twitter, but we are teaching our youth art and creative thinking. This picture is of a small concert I attended where youth played their violins for an audience of primarily refugees. This struck me as the balance of many hopes: of hopeful refugees and asylees waiting to receive their legal status to begin new lives free of violence and oppression, of children's hope to be creative and successful in life, and the hope of parents that learning music will aid their children in the future, and the hope of a city that everyone can have an opportunity to pursue their dreams.

I hope that Detroit (i.e. Detroiters) never loses its hope and the ambition and courage to pursue its dreams.

Sincerely,

Kaity Nicastri,

Detroit Lover

If you want to see this post in its edited form, go to Urban Vignettes.