Name is the game: Detroit brand rules, says Urbanophile

Our friend Aaron M. Renn, an urban analyst and consultant, posts a ton of information about cities on Twitter. He tweets (and re-tweets) about the promise and opportunities at work in Detroit regularly, which makes him a particular favorite of ours. Last week on his blog, he wrote an opinion piece about the power of the Detroit brand.

Excerpt:

Detroit is one of America's most powerful brands. I realize this is not what most people think. Many would say it is one of America's most tarnished brands. That might be true, but that doesn't diminish its power. There are lots of cities that are struggling right now, but how many of them have a stream of international reporters, film makers, artists, etc. coming to see it in person for themselves? How many of them have attracted random bloggers from all over the country to analyze the place and propose remedies? Why is this place thought to hold lessons for America while so many others do not?

Read the entire piece here.