Alex S. MacLean, an artist, pilot, aerial photographer and trained architect has a piece in today’s New York Times that takes a look at Detroit from the air.
Even for those of us who have lived in the Detroit area our entire lives, the views from above are quite revealing. The MacLean photo above of the Jefferson/Mack neighborhood — after numerous home demolitions — could easily be mistaken for the outskirts of a small, rural town.
Here’s a bit of what MacLean wrote for the Times to accompany his gallery of photos:
“… Issues like income inequality also reveal themselves quickly from above, and in Detroit and the surrounding area, the stark contrast between the haves and the have-nots couldn’t be more apparent.
“… From the air today, the (inner city) decline appears to be slowing. The spaces once covered in rubble are cleared and mowed. Open green spaces, along with new community gardens and orchards, look almost bucolic against the downtown skyline. From my plane, I sense the potential for resurgence in these areas. I can see how neighborhoods could become more walkable and support mixed-use development, with new shops, public transit and nearby parks and schools. However, this resurgence relies on a city that is stumbling out of bankruptcy. It also depends on an agency with the authority to consolidate abandoned lots for development and open spaces.”
