ABSTRACT
The case for Detroit's situation rests ultimately on an analysis of its vital governance and economic stewardship functions. Prospects for recovery to the sort of prosperity envisioned by Detroit Future City and other professional optimists are slim. A rich array of Detroit-and Michigan-based foundations has historically supported social service, planning, and economic development projects in the city. Form of privatization taking shape in Detroit is the widespread resort to volunteer citizen-initiated projects that substitute for or supplement public services. Along with the business investments, Dan Gilbert has plans for street improvements, retail strips, and entertainment amenities in the downtown, and he has installed a state-of-the-art street surveillance system to supplement the antiquated Detroit Police Department cameras. Refugee camps, like Detroit, are fertile ground for a few ambitious entrepreneurs and operators, for there is always money to be made even in the most inhospitable circumstances.
