Dann, of God, Gals, Guns, Grub pointed me to this incredible visual artifact of how Detroit used to look in 1965. The film was done as a pitch for Detroit's (failed) attempt to land the Olympic Games:
The irony in listening to the words of the film today is palpable, not to mention seeing the new buildings they tout in the film. Those buildings and institutions are now just hanging on, in fear of a new round of budget cuts as the city verges towards an emergency Financial manager of bankruptcy, or already decayed or crumbling under a lack of maintenance and care over the years.
Some of the finest irony in the film:
"The inner city is becoming an exciting place to live..with the most modern of schools"
"Detroit has earned an outstanding reputation in community relations, a reputation which is nationally recognized"
"Detroit's progress in good ethnic relations...."
It is amazing how bright the future looked and how much hope there was for Detroit's future in 1965. Also, the City looked so much better in 1965 than it does today. It's quite sad and maddening how Detroit's bright future has been wasted, corrupted and frittered away.
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