The Geography of Detroits Decline

The Geography of Detroit's Decline During the mid-20th century, Detroit was the fourth largest city in the United States with a population of over 1.85 million people. It was a thriving metropolis that embodied the American Dream - a land of opportunity and growth. Today, Detroit has become a symbol of urban decay. Detroits infrastructure is crumbling and the city is operating at $300 million dollars short of municipal sustainability. It is now the crime capital of America, with 7 out of 10 crimes unsolved. More than a million people have left the city since its prominent fifties. There is a multitude of reasons as to why Detroit fell apart, but all the fundamental causes are rooted in geography. Demographic Shift The rapid shift in Detroits demographics led to racial hostility. Social tensions were further perpetuated when many desegregation policies were signed into law in the 1950s, forcing residents to integrate. For years, violent racial riots engulfed the city, but the most destructive one occurred on Sunday, July 23, 1967. A police confrontation with patrons at a local unlicensed bar sparked a five-day riot that left 43 dead, 467 injured, 7,200 arrests and more than 2,000 buildings destroyed. The violence and destruction only ended when the National Guard and Army were ordered to intervene. Shortly after this 12th street riot, many residents started to flee the city, particularly the whites. They moved out by the thousands into neighboring suburbs such as Royal Oak, Ferndale, and Auburn Hills. By 2010, whites only made up 10.6% of Detroits population. The Size Detroit is particularly difficult to maintain because its residents are so spread out. There is too much infrastructure relative to the level of demand. This means large sections of the city are left unused and unrepaired. A scattered population also means law, fire, and emergency medical personnel have to travel greater distances on average to provide care. Moreover, since Detroit has experienced consistent capital exodus for the past forty years, the city is unable to afford an adequate public service workforce. This has caused crime to skyrocket, which further encouraged rapid out-migration. Industry Many of Americas older cities faced a de-industrialization crisis starting in the 1970s, but most of them were able to establish an urban resurgence. The success of cities like Minneapolis and Boston is reflected on their high number of college graduates (over 43%) and their entrepreneurial spirit. In many ways, the success of the Big Three inadvertently restricted entrepreneurship in Detroit. With the high wages earned on the assembly lines, workers had little reason to pursue higher education. This, in conjunction with the city having to reduce the number of teachers and after-school programs due to declining tax revenues, has caused Detroit to fall behind in academics. Today, only 18% of Detroit adults have a college degree (versus a national average of 27%), and the city is also struggling to control the brain drain. Ford Motor Company no longer has a factory in Detroit, but General Motors and Chrysler still do, and the city remains dependent on them. However, for a large portion of the 1990s and early 2000s, the Big Three did not react well to changing market demands. Consumers started to shift from power-driven automotive muscle to more stylish and fuel-efficient vehicles. The American automakers struggled against their foreign counterparts both domestically and internationally. All three companies were on the verge of bankruptcy and their financial distress was reflected on Detroit. Public Transportation Infrastructure Unlike their neighbors Chicago and Toronto, Detroit never developed a subway, trolley, or intricate bus system. The only light rail the city has is its People Mover, which only encircles 2.9-miles of the downtown area. It has a single set of track and only runs in one direction. Although designed to move up to 15 million riders a year, it only serves 2 million. The People Mover is considered an ineffective rail, costing taxpayers $12 million annually to operate. The biggest problem with not having a sophisticated public infrastructure is that it promotes sprawl. Since so many people in the Motor City owned a car, they all moved away, opting to live in the suburbs and just commuting to downtown for work. Additionally, as people moved out, businesses eventually followed, leading to even fewer opportunities in this once great city. References Okrent, Daniel (2009). Detroit: The Death- and Possible Life- of a Great City. Retrieved from: time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1926017-1,00.htmlGlaeser, Edward (2011). Detroits Decline and the Folly of Light Rail. Retrieved from: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704050204576218884253373312.html

American Views essays

American Views essays America is a place of freedom and independence. Our country is considered by most to be the best country in the world. America has not always been what it is now. Explorers, settlers, and Indians all affected the American continent and made it into what it is today. America was not discovered or explored until the late fifteenth century. The explorers were amazed by the mysterious new world; the settlers were ignorant of the land and its people (the Native American Indians); and the Indians were respectful of their home and learned to live with nature. Many people explored the new world in search of great things. People such as Coronado searched for gold and riches, while others like Columbus simply stumbled upon the land. Christopher Columbus, the discoverer of America, liked the new world and found it fascinating. He never really developed a hate for the land, this may be because he never spent a lot of time actually on the land near the Indians. His purpose was not to explore the continent, it was merely a misshapen he discovered the large mass of land anyway. Columbus thought that America was a great place with a great climate and much to offer. Another explorer, Cabeza de Vaca and his men lived with the Indians in their harsh environment for eight months. The weather was miserable, the food was scarce, and the terrain was rough. These explorers had no idea what to expect from the new world, but they soon found out. They soon came to respect the land, working hard to survive. Their views differed from Columbus ! because they experienced the New World first hand for a long period of time. The explorers opinion of America varied according to why they were on the land. Some were in search of riches, others in seek of land, and others had no purpose-just luck. The first settlers held similar views as the explorers, but the settlers chose to settle on the land for longer periods o ...

International Strategy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

International Strategy - Research Paper Example Literature review This is a vital section of this project but while conducting the literature review, care should be taken so that only the relevant information is discussed. This will keep the literature review section specific and to the point. While starting the literature review section, a well defined definition of international strategy will be discussed. For example, with time how the concept of international strategy got modified (Root & Visudtibhan, 1992, p.44). The research conducted by different scholars on multinational companies regarding international strategies used by them will be discussed (Frankenberger, 2006, p.2). In the literature review section, some vital international strategies used by the firms will be explored (Mcfarlin & Sweeney, 2008, p.266). Some of the common mode used by companies to enter in international market will also be discussed (Hitt, Ireland & Hoskisson, 2009, p.225). The information strategy regarding related as well as unrelated diversificat ion will be discussed with help of some vital case studies (Johnson, Scholes & Whittington, p.285-295). Research methodology Being a descriptive research, in this project secondary research will be conducted. Data will be collected from different authenticated sources. As for example, the company website, books from renowned authors, journals and online data base will be used. The research will be a mixed one where quantitative as well as qualitative data will be collected. The aim of this research is to collect information that explains the international strategy used by the fast food industry. As for example how the company decided to avoid beef and pork products in India as these products raised religious issues. Again,... This essay streeses that Being a descriptive research, in this project secondary research will be conducted. Data will be collected from different authenticated sources. As for example, the company website, books from renowned authors, journals and online data base will be used. The research will be a mixed one where quantitative as well as qualitative data will be collected. The aim of this research is to collect information that explains the international strategy used by the fast food industry. As for example how the company decided to avoid beef and pork products in India as these products raised religious issues. Again, considering the preference of rice products over wheat product in Japan, McDonald introduced rice burgers. These are some of the unique international strategies followed by McDonald to cater unique requirement of its highly diversified customer base. The business strategy used by McDonald will be compared against other commonly used international entry model. The advantages as well as disadvantages associated with McDonald’s international business model will be discussed. This report makes a conclusion this will be closing part of the research; hence almost whole of the project will be briefed in this section. The vital finding will also be discussed once again. Finally, considering the analysis and finding of the research, some recommendation will be suggested.