Detroit
底特律

Inclusive Design Revitalizes the Auto City
包容性设计为汽车老城焕新活力

Abstract

Detroit is the largest city in Michigan, USA. Located in the northeastern United States along the Detroit River, it is an important port city, a world center for traditional automobiles, and a music capital. This industrial stronghold, once known globally as 'automotive city', has experienced a century of glory and decline. Today, it is reshaping its urban soul through the rise of the design industry, reinventing itself as a 'creative capital'.

The evolution of Detroit’s design sector reflects the city’s transition from reliance on a single industry to a diverse creative ecosystem. In 1903, the founding of the Ford Motor Company established Detroit as the global hub of the automotive industry. Later, the oil crisis of the 1970s and mounting external competition led to its decline, culminating in a 2013 bankruptcy filing with US$18 billion in debt, making it a typical 'rust belt' city. It is from these ruins that the inclusive and innovative design industry has emerged as a core driver of urban transformation—reconstructing the city’s fabric through a 'creative economy' that turns industrial heritage into innovative resources and injects unprecedented vitality.

In 2010, the Detroit Creative Corridor Center (DC3) was founded to promote the creative economy. The inaugural 'Detroit Design Month' launched in 2011, marking the city’s shift toward a multifaceted creative ecosystem. The bankruptcy in 2013 further spurred attention toward diversified industries, with design seen as key to revival. In 2014, following debt restructuring and the start of economic recovery, Ford Motor Company acquired Michigan Central Station and transformed it into a future automotive design and technology innovation park by 2024, symbolizing the city's rebirth.

Design Month has become a major catalyst for urban change. Since 2011, it has converted abandoned factories and old markets into creative spaces through art exhibitions, fashion shows, and workshops. Community art projects like the Heidelberg Project have also improved the urban landscape. Through tax incentives and low-rent policies, the city attracts investors to repurpose old automotive factories into startup incubators, forming a chain from 'old industrial space' to 'new creative cluster'. Today, Detroit is building a 'post-industrial creative ecosystem' that not only drives economic recovery but also activates spaces, connects communities, and reshapes culture—a model of 'inclusive rebirth' for industrial cities worldwide, as noted by University of Michigan professor Marina Whitman.

摘要

底特律是美国密歇根州最大的城市。位于美国东北部，底特律河沿岸的一座重要的港口城市，世界传统汽车中心和音乐之都。这座曾以“汽车之城”闻名全球的工业重镇，历经辉煌与衰落的百年浮沉，如今正通过设计产业的崛起，以“创意之都”的身份重塑城市灵魂。1903 年福特汽车公司成立，底特律成为全球汽车工业中心，而后，20 世纪 70 年代因石油危机和外部竞争陷入衰退，再到 2013 年因 180 亿美元债务申请破产，沦为“锈带”城市的典型代表。正是在这样的废墟之上，设计产业以其包容性与创造力，成为城市转型的核心驱动力，通过“创意经济”重构城市肌理，将工业遗产转化为创新资源，为底特律注入前所未有的活力。

底特律设计产业的发展本质上是城市从“单一产业依赖”向“多元创意生态”转型的缩影。2010 年，底特律创意走廊中心（DC3）成立，成为推动创意经济的重要组织。2011 年，首届“底特律设计月”启动，标志着城市从“单一产业依赖”向“多元创意生态”转型的开始。2013 年，底特律申请破产保护，进一步加速了社会对多元化产业的关注，设计被视为复兴的关键。2014 年，底特律完成债务重组，经济开始复苏。同年，福特汽车公司购入密歇根中央火车站，并于 2024 年将其改造成未来汽车工业设计和科技创新园区，成为城市复兴的象征。这一项目不仅修复了地标性建筑，还为城市注入了新的活力。

底特律设计月是城市转型的重要推动力。自 2011 年创办以来，设计月通过艺术展览、时尚秀、工作坊等形式，将废弃工厂和老旧市场转化为创意空间。海德堡项目等社区艺术活动也通过创意手段改善了城市环境。这种以设计驱动城市再生的模式，成功将底特律从“破产阴霾”推向“包容性创新”的前沿。市政府通过税收优惠与低租金政策，吸引一众投资者将废弃汽车工厂改造为创业孵化器，形成“旧工业空间—新创意集群”的转化链条。

如今，底特律正以设计为纽带，构建“后工业创意生态系统”。城市的韧性不仅体现在经济复苏上，更在于通过设计产业激活空间、连接社群、重塑文化。正如密歇根大学教授玛丽娜·惠特曼所言，底特律的复兴是以创意为杠杆，撬动“与城市基因共振”的多元经济，为全球工业城市转型提供了“包容性重生”的范本。