“Detroit developed best when it was bottom-up,” says Harry Veryser, economist and professor at University of Detroit Mercy. “When munities, small parishes, small schools were formed… that’s when Detroit prospered.”

In a recent discussion on what makes cities flourish, Chris Horst and I argued that cities need a unique blend of munity action, good governance, and strong business to thrive. Cities like Detroit have monstrous plex problems, and the solutions will e from additional top-down tweaking and tinkering. Rather, any such solutions will stem plex networks of strong families, life-giving churches, healthy businesses, and intersecting institutions, all of which is furthered when governments rightly relate to their citizens.

Veryser’s overview is quite helpful in tying these pieces together, as his history of Detroit’s problems includes at least some discussion of each. The path to flourishing in Detroit has long been disrupted by the increasing momentum of planners and rent seekers. To save the city, it will require reorientation from top back to bottom, from centralization to spontaneous, and throughout the process, the church bears a heavy responsibility to offer prophetic voice and appropriate discipleship.

(HT: Mark Perry)

[product sku=”1309″]