Detroit, adapted :a look at adaptive reuse and the revitalization of Detroit

Adaptive reuse has the potential to be one of the most beneficial undertakings for the future of the once-proclaimed "Future City." In redefining Detroit's urban decay not as a sign of Detroit's failure, but as an opportunity for its rebirth, adaptive reuse has the capability to revitalize not only the economy and infrastructure of the city, but the local communities as well. Despite all of the hardships it has undergone, Detroit has remained enduringly optimistic; rightly so, as there is virtually no end to the reasons for Detroit's citizens to hope for a better future. The people of Detroit have the opportunity to completely rebuild their city, potentially becoming the laboratory for the evolution of post-industrial cities throughout the entire world. Detroit is on the veritable precipice of a new form of urban planning and design, and could very well lead the way for how the rest of the world can recover from the brink of economic disaster. The urban decay that has consumed Detroit has the potential to culminate in a never-before-seen way of thinking, a new ways to design, and new ways to improve and sustain the often disregarded small but vital communities that are the backbone of our cities. This thesis strives to understand the effects of adaptive reuse upon these passionate communities of Detroit by analyzing several case studies and their potential socioeconomic influences. By analyzing these case studies, I hope to learn from their success, utilizing their architectural explorations as the basis for future design.