Mapping Detroit: Land, Community and Shaping a City

Abstract

Mapping Detroit is not merely a book which depicts the physical transformation of a post-industrial city through various maps illustrating the causes of social and economical decline. With the significant contribution of the editors, urban designer Beckering, planner and community life observer Thomas and their colleagues, it makes a profound contribution to the subject of how spatial evolution of a city is brought about. Detroit, as it is discussed throughout the book, is an interesting case/model, not only among American cities but also in the different continents of the world. The introduction compares Detroit with other cities throughout the world, such as Berlin, Moscow and Birmingham among others, in terms of its spatial organization and population loss.