Does Detroit Need Another Icon?
For thousands of years, people have built spectacular projects to attract visitors, spur commerce and bring status to their cities and countries. So is it time for Detroit to build a new icon?
Francis X. Arvan's Latest Articles
Creating Creative Culture
Surrounded by the slick and shiny cars at the auto show, the Rustbelt doesn't seem quite so rusty. It's a perfect time to recognize the creative talent that drives our region.
Less Can Be More
Detroit is losing population, but gaining opportunities to re-shape its future. Architect Francis X. Arvan says vision, hope and reality must get on the same page to make it sustainable.
Ride the Train
The train to Comerica Park is a hit. It's just four party trains, but it's representative of what mass transit could be every day. Trains are about community, about being with people.
London’s Calling
London's 2,000 years of city building hold valuable lessons for Detroit. The evolution of a city is slow and messy, and London prospers despite its past invasions, depressions and epidemics.
Touch the Sky
The ’20s roared, and with the unbridled optimism, hubris, cash and new building technologies Detroit was blessed with three of its most compelling skyscrapers — the Penobscot, the Guardian and the Fisher buildings. Those glory days may have faded, but that’s not the end of the story.
