Susan Ager’s story, “Taking Back Detroit,” in National Geographic this month inspires us at RSG to dig in a bit more in Santa Ana and our other lesser but still challenged client communities. Ager’s portrayal of Detroit – “the Motor City and birthplace of Motown” which “finds itself suddenly cool again” – makes us think about why we do what we do.
Stories like Detroit’s, still unfolding and uncertain, offer numerous ideas to adapt to the communities we serve, many opportunities to learn from other cities and “plenty of empty space to fuel any imagination.” If Detroit – America’s poorest big city – rebuilt and rejuvenated against all odds, there is hope for cities with greater potential and less damage to their images.
Reading about the turnaround in Detroit makes me proud to do what I get to do for a living, while understanding that we own a responsibility to deliver on the promise of “Better Communities, Bolder Futures.”
Written by Jim Simon, President of RSG.