an Urban ATL

[kek]

OK, usually we ATLers deal with massive, world spanning things, so let's shrink down our perspective a little. How do we change the status of an OTL city that is in decline into one of world prominence. For example, we all know NYC and LA to be mega cities, rich, influential, etc. But other cities, like Cincinnati, Detroit, or De Moines are usually not considered one of the world's great cities. So how do we change this? Let's take Detroit as an excample. In fact, I can't think of anyone saying nice things about Detroit (with all apologies to Detroiters here). How can we fiddle with its history so that is now, in 2004, one of teh world's great metropolises with a bright future?

[Steffen]

1979: a civil war breaks out in brasilia, maoist groups take over. As miami, florida is reserved for spanish-speaking refugees, the huge number of brazilian refugees are transferred to detroit, which now becomes famous as the rio of the north. :-)

[Grey Wolf]

Originally Posted by kek

OK, usually we ATLers deal with massive, world spanning things, so let's shrink down our perspective a little. How do we change the status of an OTL city that is in decline into one of world prominence. For example, we all know NYC and LA to be mega cities, rich, influential, etc. But other cities, like Cincinnati, Detroit, or De Moines are usually not considered one of the world's great cities. So how do we change this? Let's take Detroit as an excample. In fact, I can't think of anyone saying nice things about Detroit (with all apologies to Detroiters here). How can we fiddle with its history so that is now, in 2004, one of teh world's great metropolises with a bright future?

Well it was known as Motor City, the home of Motown, I certainly think you can play with that.

Grey Wolf

[NapoleonXIV]

Jane Jacobs great classic The Death and Life of Great American Cities proposes that, far from being the boon most think, it is a death knell for a city to become an industry center. She uses Detroit as one prime example of a 'company town' a city overspecialized to serve its main industry, in this case, automobile manufacture. It is just one tiny aspect of it's 'explosive growth' phase, the design of engines for ships and boats to ply the Great Lakes, that becomes its hope and then its bane as the car industry suddenly takes off and takes over.

WI Toyota is born 50 years sooner and American. He brings 'just in time' management to the American car industry in 1915. It rapidly becomes cheaper and more practical to buy parts to build the cars from those areas that already have developed shops for other purposes, rather than concentrate all the suppliers close by to keep inventory and stocks high enough to insure the plants are never waiting idle. Detroit continues to spin off and innovate industry in unpredictable but extremely rapid fashion, becoming a rival to Chicago by the 1950's.

Phaugh, that's terribly weak. I always liked JJ's opinions on how cities grow but was never able to properly apply her ideas. Does anyone understand her better and could maybe devise a better example?

[Adam Parsons]

Well, in the United States, the development of the railroads helped to spurn growth of cities in the Midwest in the 19th century. If certain corporate interests get their way, it could have been that Omaha, Nebraska becomes a small town, while the capital of Texas is Jefferson.