Make Things Better
What does one do for the beautiful but desolate cities in the midwest? All my family is from the Ohio/Michigan area, so I spent a fair amount of time in my youth walking through the strange arcades in downtown Cleveland (where did all the people go?). Only recently (this past November) did I see Detroit. In some ways, there is nothing more surprising that seeing a city where there was clearly once so much activity, movement, and community — you can almost feel it in the air around you, or in thinking that someone might be strolling along behind you as you walk down the street — and now sits nearly vacant (except for small and spotty nooks of neighborhoods).
But something can grab your attention quite easily: maybe by its newness, or a statement, or a point of interest or aesthetic purpose (I am thinking of the art windows in the slew of for lease buildings in downtown crossing). I was told about a group called the Secret Pizza Party during my grand tour of Detroit, and only recently sat down to look them up. I love how this project brings a sense of “someone is here and paying attention” to these buildings, and (in a general way) inspires people to engage.
Read an interview with the Secret Pizza Party (from the Metro Times, 4/19/2006)