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This thesis is an anthology of stories,Ìýmappings, photographs, and thoughts about Detroit. It is an analysis of theÌýpost-metropolis, the most modern city in the world, and the events andÌýconvulsions that have brought it into being. It describes theÌýcity that was,Ìýthat which remains, and the city that may again be. It is also an account of myÌýjourney to find that city, to walk its streets as a brother.ÌýÌý
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Detroit is not simply a collection of roadsÌýand buildings and people, however many or few, but rather it is an ecology ofÌýinterdependent and often competing desires. It's story is the story of theÌýbuilding of the modern world, and its fall is theÌýbeginning of that world'sÌýend.
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In a city defined by erasure and unbuilding,Ìýthe role of architecture is unclear. It can provide the language to describeÌýthe structure of the city and the pieces that remain - it can suggest possibleÌýfutures, but cannot realize them alone. Just one ofÌýthe constellation of forcesÌýthat have conspired to build the city on the straits, architecture and the cityÌýbuilding have become useful tools for those seeking to reconstitute Detroit forÌýtheir own ends, with often uneven results.
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This thesis seeks to reconcile the city, notÌýto remake it. It is not an intervention.
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The examining committee is as follows:
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