Driving Detroit

George Galster is Clarence Hilberry Professor of Urban Affairs in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning at Wayne State University in Detroit.

• PrefacePrologue. Two Daughters of Detroit1. Riding on the Freeway: A Riff on the Place Called Motown2. Sculpting Detroit: Polity and Economy Trump Geology3. From Fort to Ford to . . . ?4. From Old World to Old South and Old Testament5. Who Will Feast on the Fruits of Labor?6. Turf Wars7. Wrestling for Pieces of the Proletarian Pie8. Feasting on Fear9. The Dynamics of Decay, Abandonment, and Bankruptcy10. What Drives Detroiters?11. From Motown to MortropolisEpilogue. Two Daughters of Detroit RevisitedSelected ReferencesIndexAc knowledgments

"An insightful history of Detroit from its accidental birth to its tortured present." (Planning) "An immensely readable and personal book. Underlying [Galster's] fine analysis of how the city went from arsenal of democracy and engine of America's manufacturing might to its current state of terrible decay is a deep knowledge of its streets, its music, its history, and its people." (Urban Affairs) "Driving Detroit is replete with interesting insights on the social history of one of America's most troubled cities. George Galster has done a remarkable job of revealing how powerful elements in the Detroit metropolitan area created over time intense race and class polarization and a pronounced city-suburban dichotomy. There are lessons to be learned from this compelling study of a dysfunctional metropolitan region. Indeed, Galster's illuminating analysis is a must-read." (William Julius Wilson, Harvard University) "George Galster cares deeply about Detroit-as should we all. In this clever and highly readable book, he draws upon history, social science, music, poetry and art to build a compelling case that bitter, unresolved conflicts have trapped the region in a zero-sum game, undermining the well-being of its people and communities-past, present, and future. Although Detroit is unique in many respects, the conflicts that bedevil it are not. There's a lot to learn here for anyone who cares about 21st-century urban America." (Margery Austin Turner, The Urban Institute) "Like a good documentary, Driving Detroit expertly guides us through a fascinating yet grim and sad urban reality while exposing the deeper historical impact of economic restructuring, enduring racism, and selfish politics. And yet the insights connected to this extreme case are not confined only to Detroit. This book should be compulsory reading for urbanists in the U.S. and beyond who are searching for adequate responses to the challenges of their own cities." (Sako Musterd, University of Amsterdam)