Mapping Detroit: Clearing up where the name ‘Detroit’ is used the most

This is part of a series from the unofficial cartographer of Detroit, Alex B. Hill, a self-described “data nerd and anthropologist” who combines mapping, data, and analytics with storytelling and human experience. He is the founder of DETROITography and author of “Detroit in 50 Maps." 
 

“Detroit” means a lot of different things to a wide range of people. When DETROITography mapped out the top “100 Maps of Detroit”, Southfield was often included because many national corporations locate their “Detroit office” in the Southfield Civic Center. The other common example is the use of “Detroit” by Shinola to sell its image by using the Detroit name as a marker of interest that caught the attention of former Presidents and CEOs alike. The “Made in Detroit” brand is another use of the Detroit name to sell a product rather than benefit the city or its residents. 

DETROITography gets asked the question all the time, “How many places using the Detroit name are actually in the city?” Sometimes it is a vulgarity thrown at suburban businesses using “Detroit” in their name to profit off of the city’s revitalizing image, other times it’s just a general interest in knowing how widespread the use of Detroit might be. The data show that truly the majority of places and businesses using “Detroit” in their name are located within the city limits. The primary concentration is Downtown with widespread use in Northwest Detroit.

Data from the Safegraph Places API shows that Southfield is the number one suburb using the “Detroit” name. Warren comes in second place with usual suspects like Ferndale and Royal Oak showing up along with Troy. These other places where “Detroit” is often used in place names are miniscule compared to the “Detroit” name used within the city limits.