ABSTRACT
Since 1788, Campus Martius has served as a public space for the citizens of Detroit. Though it and its surroundings have undergone significant changes through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, it has remained a symbolic center of the city, which should continue to be a spark for the city’s redevelopment into the twenty-first century. Detroit, like other industrial cities such as Gary, Indiana and Toledo, Ohio, has suffered greatly since the mid-1950s with increased suburban flight; this led to the inner city’s abandonment as the city lost nearly 40 percent of its population in as many years. Since the mid-1980s, much of the original manufacturing base has greatly diminished or departed. Likewise, neglect or ill-advised revitalization destroyed much of Detroit’s parks and avenues. Fortunately, like other cities, Detroit has experienced a rejuvenation as cities, in general, have once again become popular places to live and work.
