Nainjot K.

Mann
Professor DeNicolo
HON 1000 (Section 525)
11 November 2016
Campus Martius Park
Although Detroit is a beautiful city with a history of prosperity and remarkable
architecture, it is one of the most negatively stereotyped cities in the United States. i Despite all of
the negative stereotypes labeling Detroit, the individuals living in and around Detroit are
working together to further develop the city and improve the lives of people living there ii. The
site my group chose to best represent who we are and where we are going is Campus Martius
Park. Campus Martius accurately reflects where Detroit is heading towards as a city through the
impact of its urban form and democratic social space.
The site was selected democratically. First, a volunteer presented their research and
argument for their site, and then the remainder of the group presented their own research
argument, rotating clockwise throughout the group. After completing the presentations, a vote
was held by a raise of hands. Campus Martius and The Fisher Building received the greatest
amount of votes. To finalize the decision, the group researched both sites once again and chose
the site that best reflects most of the views in the group by another raise of hands. While
choosing the site that best represents where Detroit is going, there was little deliberation within
the group: This lack of deliberation was due to many members failing to provide their peers with
research on their site and an argument supporting their chosen site, which was frustrating.
During a visit to Campus Martius Park, photos of the site were taken and interviews of
nearby pedestrians were conducted, asking them their views on Campus Martius as a
representation of Detroits future. Additionally, each group member found articles, using the Pro-

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quest research database and the America: History and Life database, on their own time and sent
them to the remainder of the group via email.
Prior to the construction of Campus Martius, Detroits downtown area was greatly
damaged by a fire in 1805. Instead of overlooking this area, Augustus Woodward mapped out a
new city, placing a park named Campus Martius at its heart. iii Woodwards initiation of this
parks construction alone is an accurate illustration of both who we are and where we are going
as a city. Instead of overlooking the damaged area, Woodward used the area as an opportunity to
build something better. This relates to Detroit overall and how individuals are building upon the
damaged pieces of Detroit to improve the city: For instance, artists are decorating abandoned
walls with vibrant colors to portray Detroits hopeful future. Campus Martius includes a variety
of leisure activities for its visitors and residents of Detroit, such as concert space, the Au Bon
Pain Caf, and a skating rink.iv Sites such as this inspire happiness and comfort, rather than the
aforementioned fear.
The citys urban form was heavily based upon the idea of city beautiful. Previously,
Detroits architects emphasized the importance of using beautiful marble pieces and rich paint to
decorate the buildings interior. Now, however, urban form is based upon the idea of city
profitable rather than city beautifulv, which is evident in Campus Martius. For example, the park
was designed in a way to include many seating options available for visitors: not only does the
park have many chairs and benches available, but the architectural designer Whyte designed the
curbs, walls, steps, planters, and the surrounding fountains to be comfortable for seating. He
found that people use parks if the seating is abundant, supporting that Campus Martiuss design
is a representation of city profitable due to its efficiency.vi Furthermore, this simplistic type of
urban form evident in the park accurately illustrates who we are. vii In modernity, Detroits

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residents and visitors focus primarily on the social environment within and surrounding Detroit
rather than the forms design and complexity.
Campus Martius is an accurate representation of who we are and where Detroit is going
socially: in the mid-twentieth century, Detroit was heavily segregated, with white and black
Detroiters living in separate neighborhoods. Additionally, whites were not open to blacks moving
into their living space, or neighborhood. The city did not abide with the first tenant of democratic
social space: openness.viii Campus Martius, however, has a very welcoming atmosphere and is a
place where people from different socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds can come together to
relax and socialize. Additionally, because blacks and whites were rarely included in each others
social interactions, the presence of an observer position was created in the city. ix Campus
Martius, however, successfully eliminated this observer position, by integrating black and white
residents in a single community. Additionally, the abundant amount of leisure activities x within
the park allowed for people of different ethnic backgrounds to socialize with each other.
Although there are still individual white and black folks who choose not to socialize with each
other due to racial tensions and indifferences, Campus Martius Park is still an accurate
representation of where Detroit is heading, as it provides whites and blacks with leisure activities
within close proximity of each other.
Although Detroit is negatively stereotyped within the United States, Campus Martius
Park is a very welcoming site located in the heart of Detroit, inspiring both happiness and
comfort. This park teaches us that all cities can be rebuilt, regardless of how damaged they are.
Additionally, this park teaches us that it is important for all cities to have a designated area for
leisure activities to facilitate integration between different individuals living in the city. Overall
Campus Martius Park accurately reflects who we are and where Detroit is heading towards as a

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city through the impact of its urban form and democratic social space. Instead of reminiscing
about Detroit downfall in the mid to late-twentieth century, Detroits architects, residents,
workers, and visitors are working together to further develop and improve the city, as
exemplified by Campus Martius Park.
Campus Martius Park Photographyxi

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i Detroit: The History and Future of the Motor City. Detroit: The History and Future of the Motor City, 26 Jan.
2014, www.detroit1701.org/. Accessed 6 November, 2016.
ii Gallagher, John. New Park Will Enliven Downtown Detroit with Skating, Concerts. Knight Ridder/Tribune
Business News, 13 Nov. 2004, www.highbeam.com/doc/1g1-124595842.html?refid=easy_hf.; Gallagher, John.
Downtown Park Opens Door into Detroit's Future. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News, 30 May 2003,
www.highbeam.com/doc/1g1-124595842.html?refid=easy_hf.
iii Gallagher, John. New Park Will Enliven Downtown Detroit with Skating, Concerts. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business
News, 13 Nov. 2004, www.highbeam.com/doc/1g1-124595842.html?refid=easy_hf; Psarra, Sophia et al. Paradigm Lost:
Industrial and Post-Industrial Detroit An Analysis of the Street Network and Its Social and Economic Dimensions from
1796 to the Present. 3ADAD, file:///c:/users/nkman_000/downloads/1444442673_1.pdf.

iv Gallagher, John. New Park Will Enliven Downtown Detroit with Skating, Concerts. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business
News, 13 Nov. 2004, www.highbeam.com/doc/1g1-124595842.html?refid=easy_hf.; Gallagher, John. Downtown Park
Opens Door into Detroit's Future. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News, 30 May 2003, www.highbeam.com/doc/1g1124595842.html?refid=easy_hf.

v Herron, Jerry. Lecture 4: Why Gatsby? 3 Oct. 2016, Detroit, Wayne State University, City Beautiful vs. City Profitable .
vi Gallagher, John. Downtown Park Opens Door into Detroit's Future. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News, 30 May
2003, www.highbeam.com/doc/1g1-124595842.html?refid=easy_hf.

vii Herron, Jerry. Lecture 4: Why Gatsby? 3 Oct. 2016, Detroit, Wayne State University, City Beautiful vs.
City Profitable .
viii Herron, Jerry. The Ossian Sweet Case. 24 Oct. 2016, Detroit, Wayne State University.
ix Herron, Jerry. The Ossian Sweet Case. 24 Oct. 2016, Detroit, Wayne State University.
x Gallagher, John. New Park Will Enliven Downtown Detroit with Skating, Concerts. Knight Ridder/Tribune
Business News, 13 Nov. 2004, www.highbeam.com/doc/1g1-124595842.html?refid=easy_hf.
xi Photography from personal collection

Works Cited
Detroit: The History and Future of the Motor City. Detroit: The History and Future of the
Motor City, 26 Jan. 2014, www.detroit1701.org/.

Gallagher, John. Downtown Park Opens Door into Detroit's Future. Knight Ridder/Tribune
Business News, 30 May 2003, www.highbeam.com/doc/1g1-124595842.html?refid=easy_hf.

Gallagher, John. New Park Will Enliven Downtown Detroit with Skating, Concerts. Knight
Ridder/Tribune Business News, 13 Nov. 2004, www.highbeam.com/doc/1g1-124595842.html?
refid=easy_hf.

Herron, Jerry. Lecture 4: Why Gatsby? 3 Oct. 2016, Detroit, Wayne State University, City
Beautiful vs. City Profitable.

Herron, Jerry. The Ossian Sweet Case. 24 Oct. 2016, Detroit, Wayne State University.

Photography from Personal Collection

Psarra, Sophia et al. Paradigm Lost: Industrial and Post-Industrial Detroit An Analysis of the

Street Network and Its Social and Economic Dimensions from 1796 to the Present. 3ADAD,
file:///c:/users/nkman_000/downloads/1444442673_1.pdf.