The Ruin and Renewal of Detroit

I have been very fortunate this year. My hard work with Ektoplazm has resonated far and wide. As a result, I have been invited to visit many different communities all across North America, from the far west coast of Canada to the heartland of America. And I am not simply DJing; I take it upon myself to document the events I play at, to pitch in and help out where feasible, and, whenever appropriate, make an effort to host or attend a workshop or two. I like to be involved–it’s better than standing on the sidelines–so I often spend a lot of time shooting photos and compiling information about the places I visit. I aim to share some of the beauty of these intentional community gatherings with the outside world.

This brings me to my latest adventure: a mission of mercy to the once-mighty motor city, Detroit. As with several major American cities–New York, San Francisco, Chicago, New Orleans among them–Detroit looms large in our collective consciousness. It is the mythological birthplace of the American automotive industry, a technological powerhouse nearly unmatched in its pervasive influence on modern living. Detroit is also revered for its cultural importance, having made vital contributions to music history from jazz to techno.

Fast forward to 2009. The world eyes Detroit with considerable disbelief and astonishment, finding the former boomtown in an appalling state of ruin and decay. What happened here? Although the roots of the present situation extend deep into the past, Detroit’s decline has been greatly exacerbated by the recent subprime mortgage crisis and general economic downturn. Skyrocketing unemployment (as high as 30% according to some) and rampant foreclosures have accelerated a demographic shift away from the downtown core and inner city neighbourhoods to the suburban outskirts and beyond. In its wake, homes have been foreclosed or firebombed–to collect a paltry insurance pay-out. This mass exodus has left much of the city empty and abandoned; an urban infrastructure built for millions is now the lost playground for those few souls who remain within Detroit’s sprawling borders.

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