Caravan Magazine

A journal of politics and culture

Governance

Meet America’s Most Effective Mayor: Detroit’s Mike Duggan

Mayor Mike Duggan drives himself in a “good Detroit-made Jeep.

Once known as the derelict “Motor City,” Detroit has become one of the most inspiring urban comeback stories in the United States. Leading this remarkable transformation is Mike Duggan, a mayor whose timing and leadership have turned the tide for the city, putting it back on the map as a hub of revitalization.

Doyle Johnson’s Entrepreneurial Spirit

Doyle Johnson, a Detroit native, calls himself a professional opportunist. In his role as a business scout, he’s gearing up for his 20th trip to China, where he searches for goods to sell in his retail store or distribute to other merchants across Detroit. “I’m a capitalist,” he says with confidence. “If I can buy low and sell high, that’s the name of the game.”

But there’s one place Johnson never imagined applying his business savvy: his own hometown.

Johnson moved to Detroit as a child in 1953, and he still lives in the same neighborhood. His house, one of only two remaining on a block ravaged by arson, squatters, and drug dens, is a testament to his resilience. Despite the odds, Johnson is seeing a silver lining. As Detroit begins to recover, he has invested in the city’s potential, purchasing two vacant lots next to his property and planning to buy more across the street. His plan? To build tiny homes for Airbnb rentals, capitalizing on the city’s revival and the influx of visitors during the games of Detroit’s four professional sports teams.

Detroit’s Booming Real Estate Market

Real estate in Detroit has proven to be one of the city’s best investments. Over the past decade, property values have soared faster than in other rapidly growing cities like Tampa, Dallas, and Phoenix. For the first time since the 1950s, the population of Detroit is growing rather than shrinking, and it’s fueling a real estate boom.

Mayor Mike Duggan is quick to point out the city’s undeniable resurgence. “The property values in this city have tripled over the last 10 years,” he proudly states. “And that’s happening in every neighborhood.”

Under Duggan’s leadership, Detroit is experiencing a revitalization that few could have predicted, turning the once-struggling city into a hotbed of investment and opportunity. What was once seen as a lost cause is now a thriving urban center—proof that with the right leadership, any city can rise from the ashes.

Ford Motor’s $950 million renovation of Michigan Central Station symbolizes Detroit’s ability to recapture some of its past glory.

When Mike Duggan took office as Detroit’s mayor in 2014, the city was losing around a thousand residents each month. Today, while Detroit’s population still hovers at only about a third of its peak, the fact that the city is growing at all is considered nothing short of a miracle.

A decade ago, Detroit was the poster child for urban decay. Abandoned factories—remnants of the once-thriving auto industry—littered the city. Downtown was a ghost town, and the streets were plagued by around 12,000 fires each year. The Great Recession had taken its toll, and despite federal bailouts for automakers, Detroit’s financial crisis deepened. By the time Duggan was campaigning for mayor in 2013, the city had entered into the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history. “I was born here, I grew up here, and for most of my life, everything has been taken from us,” Duggan says, reflecting on the loss of auto plants and jobs.

The city’s turnaround since then is one of the most inspiring comebacks in recent memory. While Detroit is far from perfect—about a third of its residents still live in poverty, and the number is closer to half among children—under Duggan’s leadership, the city has made remarkable strides. When Duggan took office, Detroit was burdened with $18 billion in debt. Today, the city has $600 million in reserve funds. Once at junk bond status, Detroit’s credit ratings have soared over the past decade.

The improvements are evident across the city: violent crime has dropped, with the fewest homicides since 1965, and unemployment has plunged from a staggering 20 percent to below 5 percent. Duggan has overseen the demolition of 45,000 abandoned homes, clearing space for new development and investment. This revitalization has created opportunities not just for Detroit residents like Doyle Johnson, but for investors around the globe.

Where once it was nearly impossible to give away property, even in the downtown area, Detroit now attracts billions in fresh investment. “We’re witnessing a historic renaissance in this city,” says Jared Fleisher, vice president of government affairs at Rocket Companies, a major mortgage lender. Rocket’s owner, Dan Gilbert, has played a pivotal role in the city’s revival, relocating workers to downtown and purchasing properties to revitalize the area. “What really changed,” Fleisher notes, “is that we had a mayor who inspired confidence in those looking to invest in Detroit.”

Under Duggan’s leadership, Detroit has proven that with the right vision, leadership, and a commitment to change, a city once on the brink of collapse can rise again.

Bankruptcy restructured the city’s balance sheet, Duggan says, but it didn’t fix the city’s broken systems.

Mike Duggan’s office at Detroit City Hall is modest, almost stark in its simplicity. A space heater sits in the corner because, on weekends, the building’s heating system is off. The decor is minimal, with a few handprints from his children propped up near the windows. Duggan doesn’t have an “ego wall” showcasing photos of him with prominent politicians; instead, he keeps things humble, focused on the work at hand.

Despite his down-to-earth style, Duggan has built strong relationships with powerful figures, including President Joe Biden. The two hit it off when Biden visited Detroit as vice president for the auto show. “Apparently, he knows the best Italian restaurant in every city,” Duggan jokes. As president, Biden recognized Duggan’s expertise in urban renewal, particularly blight removal, and sought his advice on how to allocate funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Detroit’s share of ARPA funds—$827 million—made it the fifth-largest recipient among U.S. cities, a testament to Duggan’s influence.

Meanwhile, during his campaign visit to Detroit last fall, Donald Trump painted the city’s past struggles as a cautionary tale for the nation, claiming the whole country would end up like Detroit if Kamala Harris were elected. However, Trump’s administration also temporarily delayed tariffs at the request of Detroit’s Big Three automakers, showing a more nuanced relationship with the city. As the pandemic’s economic effects linger, city leaders, like Council Member Durhal, note that Detroit’s financial surpluses are starting to shrink, and revenue growth is expected to level off. The days of extra federal funding for cities appear to be behind them.

While Detroiters take pride in the city’s remarkable recovery, there is growing concern about what will happen once Duggan steps down. Although Duggan could easily win a fourth term if he chose to run again, he is instead setting his sights on Michigan’s governorship in 2026. His decision to run as an independent makes the race even more challenging, but it also leaves a significant question hanging over Detroit’s future.

Retired Judge Gerald Rosen, who played a key role in overseeing Detroit’s bankruptcy, expresses the unease many feel. “It would be a tragedy if Detroit went back to its old ways of denial, overpromising, and reckless spending,” he says. Duggan’s leadership has been a driving force behind the city’s turnaround, and as he prepares to leave, the city faces the daunting challenge of ensuring that the progress he’s made continues.

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