These numbers below from Detroit are at least one year old. But the basic organization of urban space remains essentially unchanged.The challenge of transforming the Motor City to compete in a world that rewards metro centers where walking, biking, and public transit are at least as convenient as driving apparently rivals that of putting a man on the moon. Here's the data to prove it.
Sixty percent of the space in Detroit - more than 21 million square feet - is dedicated to the automobile via streets, highways, and parking lots.
Thirty-six percent of the city's space - nearly 13 million square feet - is dedicated to buildings where people actually live and work and the pedestrian realm.
Four percent - approximately 1.6 million sq. ft. - is dedicated to parks and other so-called non-motorized uses.
