A recent fact-finding mission to Detroit's twin city, Turin, Italy (known to natives as Torino) showed Dave Bing there's a lot about redevelopment we can learn from that European auto town. Like Detroit, the Italian Motor City has lived through its share of crises. Almost destroyed in WWII, the city was rebuilt during the post-war boom. And like Detroit, Turin suffered during the automotive recession of the 1970s and 1980s, losing nearly 30 percent of its population in three decades.
Mayor Bing filed daily reports from Turin, which is currently experiencing a turnaround both in population and international stature. He says he's most impressed by the density of the central city.
Excerpt:
In spite of having nearly the same number of people, Turin has a land mass that is only one-third of Detroit's. This
creates a feeling of activity, provides access to resources, services
and amenities. And, most important, according to one Turin official, it
creates a feeling of safety. This is because there are more people in
the available space.
Read more here.
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