Detroit City Wire

The San Francisco Standard

August 12, 2024

Adam Lashinsky

Detroit has long served as a cautionary tale for cities heavily reliant on a single industry. The fear of becoming the next Detroit has loomed over San Francisco, given its dependence on the tech sector and its resultant economic vulnerabilities. This comparison gains traction when considering the recent challenges faced by San Francisco's downtown areas.

However, while geographical advantages set San Francisco apart from Detroit, the latter’s recent progress under Mayor Mike Duggan offers potential lessons. During a visit to The Standard’s offices, Duggan shared insights from his tenure as Detroit’s mayor, which began nearly 11 years ago when the city was in bankruptcy and under state control.

Duggan described his leadership style as pragmatic and business-friendly, focusing on practical solutions rather than ideological battles. “The people in the city wanted no part in divisive us-versus-them politics,” he said. His approach included tackling vacant homes—demolishing over 25,000 and renovating another 15,000—and building more parks based on residents' requests.

Touring San Francisco with his wife during their vacation in wine country, Duggan observed both affluent neighborhoods and areas criticized in national media. “I got to see the issues that are generating the complaints,” he noted but added that most U.S. cities would envy San Francisco’s architecture, wealth, climate, water resources, and tech industry appeal.

In contrast to San Francisco's struggles with remote work-induced economic shifts post-Covid-19, Detroit has been addressing similar issues for years due to an earlier economic downturn. Duggan highlighted efforts to revitalize Detroit’s central business district by converting abandoned office buildings into residential towers and attracting nightlife crowds downtown.

Notably absent in Detroit is an "overpaid executive tax," which contrasts with San Francisco's two-year-old measure aimed at high earners. Duggan emphasized collaboration over conflict with City Council members: “I just relentlessly refused to engage in us-versus-them,” he said. He also mentioned that Detroit does not have homeless encampments due to proactive outreach programs and strict regulations against tent setups.

Looking ahead, Duggan is undecided about running for a fourth term as mayor but hinted at broader political ambitions by stating he is “too young to retire.” As San Francisco grapples with its own urban challenges, local officials might benefit from examining Detroit’s strategies under Duggan’s leadership.