The tragedy of Detroit

Last updated on: December 20, 2013 at 4:57 pm by Acton Institute

The tragedy of Detroit 2013-12-20T16:57:40-05:00 Acton Institute

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By Joseph Sunde

“Detroit developed best when it was bottom-up,” says Harry Veryser, economist and professor at University of Detroit Mercy. “When small communities, small parishes, small schools were formed… that’s when Detroit prospered.”

In a recent discussion on what makes cities flourish, Chris Horst and I argued that cities need a unique blend of local community action, good governance, and strong business to thrive. Cities like Detroit have monstrous and complex problems, and the solutions will not come from additional top-down tweaking and tinkering. Rather, any such solutions will stem from complex networks of strong families, life-giving churches, healthy businesses, and intersecting institutions, all of which is furthered when governments rightly relate to their citizens.

Veryser’s overview is quite helpful in tying these pieces together, as his history of Detroit’s problems includes at least some discussion of each. The path to flourishing in Detroit has long been disrupted by the increasing momentum of planners and rent seekers. To save the city, it will require reorientation from top back to bottom, from centralization to spontaneous, and throughout the process, the church bears a heavy responsibility to offer prophetic voice and appropriate discipleship.

“The community has to develop itself; it’s organic,” says Veryser. “It’s not going to come back with government planning; it’s going to come back when government gets out of the way and decisions get made at the local level again.”

Adapted from Acton Institute PowerBlog. Image courtesy Acton Institute.

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