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Detroit

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Desolate Angel
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« Reply #15 on: March 25, 2009, 10:44:09 pm »

The "Arsenal of Democracy"
The entry of the United States into World War II brought tremendous changes to the city. From 1942 to 1945, production of commercial automobiles in the city ceased entirely, as its factories were used instead to construct M5 tanks, jeeps, and B-24 bombers for the Allies[1]. The Guardian Building was converted into a control center for wartime production [2]. The city's major contribution to the Allied war effort earned it the nickname "The Arsenal of Democracy."

The B-24 Liberator, still the most produced allied bomber in history, helped to shift the balance of power in the war. Prior to the war the aviation industry could produce, optimally, one such plane a day at an aircraft plant. By 1943, Ford's plants managed to produce one B-24 an hour at a peak of 600 per month in 24 hour shifts. Many pilots slept on cots waiting for takeoff as the B-24 rolled off the assembly line at Ford's Willow Run facility.[10]
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Desolate Angel
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« Reply #16 on: March 25, 2009, 10:44:55 pm »

Urban strife
Detroit endured painful struggles in the 1960s and 1970s, and was often held up as a symbol of urban blight. After peaking in 1950, at 1.85 million residents, the city's population began a shifting to its suburbs. The construction of the Interstate Highway system in the 1950s helped to popularize a trend of suburban living, as it shortened driving times from suburban areas to the city. By 1960, Detroit's population had dropped to about 1.7 million residents.

Detroit experienced white flight, at least partially attributed to the Twelfth Street riot in 1967 and the effects of court-ordered busing. In the Twelfth Street riot, 43 residents were killed, 467 were wounded and over 2,000 buildings were destroyed.

The riot, coupled with court-ordered busing, caused the city's reputation to deteriorate among whites. By the 1970s, African Americans formed nearly half the city's population, and the first black mayor, Coleman Young, was elected in 1973. Though popular among black residents, Young's style during his record four terms in office was not well received by many white Detroiters, who continued to move to the suburbs in large numbers.[11]

Urban flight from the city contributed to a dramatic population shift since the 1950s. Meanwhile, structures remained for years in need of redevelopment. Recent urban development in Detroit has led to some demolition and renovation. With the large number of homes razed, sizeable tracts have reverted back to nature to become a form urban prairie.[12] A 1989 Detroit News story reported that the abandonment had created a new industry: scavengers taking bricks from vacant buildings and selling them to builders. A thousand bricks, one scavenger reported, brought $200.[13]

Though the 1960s saw the rise of drug use, it leveled off in ensuing decades. The Detroit 1970s gang Young Boys Inc. were influential in the drug trade, leading to collateral property crimes and violence.

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Desolate Angel
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« Reply #17 on: March 25, 2009, 10:48:18 pm »

Recent developments
"Renaissance" has been a common phrase among city leaders since the construction of the Renaissance Center in 1977, but it was not until the 1990s that Detroit enjoyed a bona fide revival, much of it centered downtown. In 1996, a state referendum paved the way for three Detroit casinos — MGM Grand Detroit, Motor City Casino and Greektown Casino — with the goal of increasing tourism and stemming the flow of gambling dollars to nearby Windsor, Ontario.

In 2000, Comerica Park replaced historic Tiger Stadium as the home of the Detroit Tigers, a move that brought some controversy, [14] and in 2002 Ford Field brought football's Detroit Lions back into Detroit from suburban Pontiac.[15] The 2004 opening of the Compuware Center gave downtown Detroit its first significant new office building in a decade. The soon to be constructed Cadillac Centre will positively affect the city. Significant landmarks such as the Fox Theatre, Detroit Opera House, and the Gem Theater have been restored and host concerts, musicals, and plays. Many downtown centers such as Greektown, Cobo Center and Campus Martius Park, as well as the Michigan State Fairgrounds on the northern border, draw patrons and host activities.

The city requested an investigation in 2000 by the United States Justice Department into the Detroit Police Department which was concluded in 2003 over allegations regarding its use of force and civil rights violations.[16] The city proceeded with a major reorganization of the Detroit Police Department.

In the early twenty-first century, the city hosted a number of major events, including the 2005 Baseball All-Star Game and 2006 Super Bowl XL. In preparation for these events, the city faced the challenge of cleaning up and improving its image for an international audience.

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Desolate Angel
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« Reply #18 on: March 25, 2009, 10:51:39 pm »



Detroit in the 1880s.
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« Reply #19 on: March 25, 2009, 10:52:56 pm »



Photograph ca. 1910 of the Cadillac main assembly plant at 450 Amsterdam Street and Cass Avenue in Detroit, Michigan, United States. The plant today lies within the New Amsterdam Historic District
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Desolate Angel
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« Reply #20 on: March 25, 2009, 10:55:17 pm »



Michigan Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument of the Civil War with the old Detroit City Hall.
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Desolate Angel
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« Reply #21 on: March 25, 2009, 10:57:13 pm »



Detroit skyline along the Detroit River
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« Reply #22 on: March 25, 2009, 11:00:13 pm »



The James Scott Memorial Fountain in Belle Isle Park, Detroit, Michigan, United States, drained dry.
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