One of the more interesting things about Detroit after its long decline is the creative things that are not happening anywhere in America. Houses have been razed creating lots of vacant land, thousands of acres. One entrepreneur has planted a tree farm. Lots of traditional farms and greenhouses have sprouted. Now the city is planting a solar farm and the electricity being generated will power all city buildings.
The area they chose to begin was South of the old city airport now known as the Coleman Young Municipal airport. Coleman Young was Detroit's first black mayor. Its in the infamous 48205 zipcode where most the city's crime is concentrated.
I remember getting invited to a meeting in around 2007 at the airport. Detroit had a really smart idea to play on its strengths in manufacturing and go after the then emerging drone market. They leased out hangers at an attractive rate to startup drone companies and drew them from all over the US. There were a dozen companies aimed at a wide range of potential uses.
Unfortunately China wanted the drone market as well and they underpriced the offerings from Detroit. I was inspired by the meeting but extremely nervous that evening driving through the neighborhood known by cops and the criminals at 4820-Die. This has absolutely nothing to do with the downtown area that is safer than most big cities.
Here is a video of the project under construction:
rmason•2mo ago
The area they chose to begin was South of the old city airport now known as the Coleman Young Municipal airport. Coleman Young was Detroit's first black mayor. Its in the infamous 48205 zipcode where most the city's crime is concentrated.
I remember getting invited to a meeting in around 2007 at the airport. Detroit had a really smart idea to play on its strengths in manufacturing and go after the then emerging drone market. They leased out hangers at an attractive rate to startup drone companies and drew them from all over the US. There were a dozen companies aimed at a wide range of potential uses.
Unfortunately China wanted the drone market as well and they underpriced the offerings from Detroit. I was inspired by the meeting but extremely nervous that evening driving through the neighborhood known by cops and the criminals at 4820-Die. This has absolutely nothing to do with the downtown area that is safer than most big cities.
Here is a video of the project under construction:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yzOJ8UZa4k