“Detroit is big enough to matter in the world and small enough for you to matter in it. ”
-Jeanette Pierce
This month, I offer no answers. Only questions and a simple reflection on the state of Detroit for people like myself—young, educated, and mobile.
The trend is clear—young, educated adults are flocking to United States urban centers like never before. I myself, along with the majority of my Challenge Detroit peers, personify this trend right here in Detroit.
It often fascinates me to hear the way that native Detroiters discuss the growing young adult population in the city. The most recent perspective, and the impetus for this blog post, was George Moroz, the Specialist Assistant to the President at The Henry Ford.
After spending some time with the fellows, he mentioned the hope he felt, knowing that young adults are attracted to Detroit and willing to give back. Like other Detroiters we have encountered, he seemed especially pleased that many of us did not grow up in the city. Instead, we chose to come to the city from a variety of other cities and states, realizing that there is no other city with the grit and history of Detroit.
Mr. Moroz’s hope was then followed by the assertion that few of us will stay in the city, once we beginning settling down and considering families of our own. The sentiment of his statement was something along the lines of, “we are happy that Detroit is able to draw young people in and we understand why you will not stay”. It was not a judgment statement by any means. It never is. Instead, it was a simple acknowledgement that young urbanites often leave the city once there is discussion of a family.
This fact surprises no one and this trend certainly exists in other cities. Still, it feels more prevalent in Detroit. As a lover of the city, I can’t help but wonder how this trend can be reversed and the city can retain young professionals beyond their years of soul searching in the city (or whatever you choose to call those years of city living for young people in their late 20s and early 30s).
Surely the topics of crime, schools, and car insurance would arise in this conversation. No one can truly fault young couples and individuals that choose to settle in the suburbs, where crime is low and the schools are highly-rated. Still, these repeated experiences beg the questions:
What would it take for us to stay?
How can we remind ourselves that mobility is not to be taken for granted? By this, I mean that the ability to choose the city and state where you will reside is a luxury that many do not have.