George Washington University Center for Real Estate and Urban Analysis recently released a report: Ranking Walkable Urbanism in America’s Largest Metros. While Detroit ranks 22nd out of 30 for metro areas, there is hope. Detroit ranked 8th out of 30 for cities that are developing urban walkable places. The authors see a permanent shift developing from the importance of drivebility in suburbs of metropolitan cities towards walkabliity in the city itself. If you drive in from the outskirts, walk in the city. A lightrail line will make that easier, connecting downtown, midtown and New Center.
Dan Gilbert, owner of Quicken Loans, owns nine million square feet of real estate in Detroit. He believes in Detroit and others are starting too also. Business are popping up, after years of Detroiters shopping in the suburbs, there is opportunity to keep those dollars in Detroit. Investors and entrepreneurs are rebuilding the city. Go to town, take a walk by the river, go buy something, a meal, a hat, a building, a house… 
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