Detroit, the abandoned city, wants to build a train from no place to nowhere - with your tax dollars, of course. To make Detroit "dynamic" or something.
As a design professional, I'll let you in on a little secret about urban design that the current state of Detroit proves well - all of the multi-colored maps, "light rail" lines, zoning, mixed-use developments, targeted investments, long-term master planning, public-private partnerships and community redevelopment block grants in the world will not make a successful community. The success of any community as a viable and desirable place to live can be boiled down to this: Clean, safe streets and a decent school system. That's really all there is to it. If a government can consistently provide those things, the rest of what makes a community - the people, the stores, the offices, the businesses, the factories, the restaurants, the warehouses, the churches, the homes - even the Chinese take-away - will follow; and as long ad government doesn't get too pissy about how they follow, the community will grow and prosper. Taxation isn't really a factor so long as the people who pay the taxes are confident their money is being used wisely and they can see the results.
UPDATE: Many more images of Detroit today at Tour De Hood. Depressing as hell.
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