I am a lifelong and 3rd generation Detroit resident, and a writer. I am a City of Detroit executive, Adjunct Professor of Urban Studies at Wayne State University, and active in local causes. I believe that the best things in life are what we do together - and, that urban places bond us to a greater whole.
Janet G Anderson
Times Square, New York, May 9, 2015 after 32 mile day hike (right); Federal Hill, Baltimore, November 26, 2015 evening hike (below)
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9 Reasons I Live in Detroit
1. CONNECTIONS. On a daily basis, I pass places that shaped Grandma and Mom’s lives.
2. HUMANISM. I chafe under the caste system of only interacting with people of the same education, politics, race, etc.
3. ENVIRONMENTALISM. Developing new land and abandoning old is wasteful.
4. LESS TIME DRIVING. The city is still largely the most compact living environment, which gives more time to actually live vs just drive.
5. LIFESTYLE. I don’t need most consumer goods in the suburban malls, I’m more about people.
6. POLITICAL SUSTAINABILITY. This whole pyramid scheme of urban sprawl is unfair and damaging to the nation, and I can’t support it.
7. APPEAL OF HISTORY. It’s rich to contemplate the gifts and lessons of the past, as I do daily in Detroit.
8. APPEAL OF MIXED USE. Seeing a variety of buildings and activities, especially old, struggling ones, stimulates my creativity.
9. BEING WITH ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE. It’s not just the comfort of being with those who share these values, but the value of being around people who may challenge me, or be forgotten and excluded.