CorporateNature No 141
Cities come in different shapes and sizes. If global cities were groups of plants, they could be divided into three categories: old oak forests, colonies of quaking aspens, and fast-growing bamboo groves.
Detroit as an old oak forest
Detroit is a prime example of a city in decline. It boomed a century ago when Henry Ford founded his Ford Motor Company there in 1903. After Ford, a range of companies set up shop in the city: Dodge, Chrysler and Packard, making Detroit the fourth largest city in the US. But the automotive industry has fallen on hard times in recent decades and the fortunes of the city sank with car-making. In 2013 Detroit filed for bankruptcy.
Downtown Detroit, 1905 (image source: Wikipedia)
