Aspirations of Economic Resilience: An Analysis of the Infuriating Logic of Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena Development

Abstract

The narrative of deindustrialization and urban decline has been well-documented in literature. Local governments in the United States have responded to structural inequities in the use and generation of capital with some degree of success, continued challenges, and/or worsening conditions. Promoting economic development after decades of decline is no easy feat and requires perseverance, compromise, and risk. This paper will define urban economic resilience as promoting a diversity of goods, services, and industries; managing and moderating market cycles; actively preventing stagnation and decline; and protecting vulnerable groups. The qualities of urban economic resilience should be promoted, especially in urban areas that have suffered from increasing political and economic constraints. This paper will examine the unique case study of Detroit, Michigan and the downtown Little Caesars Area development project. This example demonstrates how local governments have used traditional economic development tools in an attempt to achieve positive growth outcomes. However, the use of these tools merits sincere critique in the face of historical economic troubles and existing conditions of inequality and disinvestment. Ultimately, this paper critiques local economic development tools by highlighting the public and social costs of implementing them