“Detroit bashing” has become something of an established phrase in the national and international lexicon over the past two decades, yet Detroit stands tall with remarkable treasures, a rich history, and vast potential to regain a premier place on the world stage. As researcher Lou Glazer has said, “A prosperous Michigan is impossible to imagine without a prosperous Detroit.” Michigan needs its signature cities as it rebounds in the 21st century, and Detroit is foremost among them.

First established as a trading center by the French, most notably Antoine de le Mothe Cadillac, then later controlled by the British, the area known today as Detroit was passed to the United States under the Jay Treaty in 1796 following the earlier defeat of the British-backed Native Alliance by General Anthony Wayne at the Battle of the Fallen Timbers. From 1805 to 1847, Detroit was the capital of Michigan. During this period, Detroit fell to the British in the War of 1812, was recaptured by the United States in 1813, and incorporated in 1815. Prior to and during the American Civil War, Detroit’s access to the Canadian border made it an important stop along the Underground Railroad.

The 1800s also saw the construction of many of Detroit’s historic Gilded Age buildings, whose architecture earned the city the title of “Paris of the West.” Because of its location, with ready access to the Great Lakes, Detroit became one of the nation’s major transportation hubs. Throughout the mid to late 1800s, the shipping, shipbuilding, manufacturing, and carriage industries flourished, as did Detroit. It was the booming carriage industry that inspired Henry Ford to build his first automobile in 1896 in a rented workshop on Mack Avenue. In 1904 the Ford Motor Company was founded, followed shortly by automotive pioneers William C. Durant, the Dodge brothers, and Walter Chrysler, earning Detroit a reputation as Automotive Capital of the World. The auto industry inspired incredible growth for Detroit during the first half of the 20th century and drew job seekers from all over the country.

Labor problems ensued during the 1930s when the United Auto Workers became involved in bitter disputes with Detroit’s automakers, bringing to the national spotlight the likes of Jimmy Hoffa, Walter Reuther, and other union leaders. During World War II Detroit became known as the Arsenal of Democracy when its automotive factories were converted into colossal war machines, building tanks, airplanes, and other weapons. In 1950, Detroit was the fourth-largest city in the United States, with a population of over 1.8 million. By 2007, however, the population was less than 1 million. Why the decline?

By the 1960s and ‘70s, Detroit’s inner city endured a painful era featuring mass migration to the suburbs encompassing people of all races who had the money to leave. Accelerating the exodus were poorly applied federal programs, such as the federally funded 1950s highway construction that ripped through black middle-class neighborhoods and business districts, displacing thousands and decimating a culture. Court-ordered busing fueled further flight from the city. Ensuing riots created more. Like all major cities, Detroit’s tax base took a sharp drop as retailers and other businesses left the city limits. By the end of the ‘70s, Detroit’s southeast-side landscape was littered with vacant homes and buildings, and the blight spread throughout the urban core. In large part, those who remained in the city were the poor and elderly. The tax base continued to decline. Crime continued to rise.

Matters worsened in the 1980s, when GM, Ford, and Chrysler began closing aging assembly plants. Soon high-paying manufacturing jobs began to disappear by the thousands. Ironically, in 1980, Detroit hosted the Republican National Convention that nominated Ronald Reagan to a successful bid for the presidency of the United States. Yet while the nation’s economy seemed impervious, Detroit’s economy foundered in disinvestment and rising poverty.

During the 1990s, the city began a renaissance. Comerica Tower rose to become part of the Detroit skyline in 1994. Three casinos opened for business in 1996. Comerica Park became the new home of the Detroit Tigers in 2000, and the Lions football team returned to downtown with the completion of Ford Field in 2002. The construction of new office space brought Compuware World Headquarters, Ernst & Young, and many other corporate icons into the city. Detroit hosted Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game in 2005, Super Bowl XL and the World Series in 2006, and WrestleMania 23 in 2007, all of which prompted many improvements to the downtown area. Recently, the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy began opening major portions of its new RiverWalk to the public. The first Detroit River Days celebration was held in June 2007, bringing over 1 million people downtown. In 2009, Detroit’s 11-time NHL Champion Red Wings became the first hockey team in NHL history to have 10 consecutive 100-victory seasons, continuing Detroit’s legacy as “Hockeytown.”

Other “towns” continue to revitalize Detroit, from Greektown and Corktown to Midtown and Mextown. The signs of Detroit’s energy and renewed spirit are everywhere. For 166 years, Detroit’s famed Eastern market has offered colorful farm fruits and vegetables, meat products (beef, pork, lamb, poultry, geese, ducks, and rabbits), herbs and spices, nuts, candies, and a variety of condiments, all supplied by the retailers and wholesalers spread over a 43-acre area.

These areas demonstrate just part of the way Detroit fulfills its role as a leader in regional growth, including new jobs in the high-tech and science sectors. Since 2003, more than 60 new business and more than 800 lofts and condominiums have opened. In the last three years, the city has issued over a thousand new housing permits. A partnership of major employers and stakeholders has gathered around “the D” as an identity for the city. What’s more, the telltale signs of progress – cranes and scaffolding – can be seen throughout the downtown area. Developers of midtown housing defied naysayers and have been highly successful, transforming the area into a bustling residential, work, and entertainment environment attractive to young workers and retirees alike. As a mayor of Detroit recently put it: “The city is on the cusp of the biggest turnaround in American history.”

The city has a powerful educational and cultural infrastructure to build on, including Wayne State University, the College for Creative Studies, Lewis College of Business, Marygrove College, and Wayne County Community College. The Detroit Institute of the Arts is the leader amongst several art and historical museums, holding many art treasures and hosting major traveling exhibitions. Other major museums include the Detroit Historical Museum, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, and the playful and educational Detroit Science Center. Musically, Detroit has many remarkable venues: the Fox Theatre, Music Hall, the Gem Theatre, Masonic Temple Theatre, the Detroit Opera House, the Fisher Theatre, and Orchestra Hall, which hosts the renowned Detroit Symphony Orchestra. The original home of Motown Records, Detroit was the training ground for many Motown, blues, and rock stars, and locally grown musicians include the MC5, Bob Seger, Ted Nugent, Mitch Ryder, Rare Earth, and many contemporary rock artists like the White Stripes. Detroit also hosts annual musical events in its riverside downtown, including the Detroit International Jazz Festival and Detroit Electronic Music Festival, the latter of which has opened the minds of a young, creative class to how exciting Detroit has become again.