Save the few surprise warm days in February, the city is finally getting [consistently] warmer, and the improving mood of residents, visitors, and tourists is palpable. Casual strolls through the downtown parks and it’s easy to see that the city truly comes alive when the thermometer exceeds 65 degrees.
In the grand scheme of seasons, spring->summer transition is almost certainly the best changing of the seasons, and Detroit provides a fantastic backdrop to experience the weather, but the question/pondering I have in response to this, if how does Detroit maintain, or at least attempt to maintain this lively hustle and bustle we get to enjoy in the summer? How do we recreate the experience of a beautiful downtown winter that is enjoyed in the Philadelphia, Chicago, and New Yorks of the world?
That is not to say that I believe, or think, Detroit can/will/should be like any other city, but it definitely has the potential to bring together people at the center of the city all year round, helping residents/visitors feel more connected to the city itself and helping businesses survive and thrive in the process.
As with all change, it will be something that comes along with downtown investment of both time and money by business, governments, and non-profit organizations, but lends the question of how long and what can we do in order to get us to that level sooner?
These are the questions that I ask myself, friends, strangers, longtime residents etc. and we always seem to circle back to time being the answer, but there is a lot of work/people that go in to time being the element of change.