The assembly line revolutionized manufacturing. By 1950, Detroit's population was almost 2 million. Forty-five years later, however, Detroit's population is again hovering around the 1 million mark. This suburban flight has brought along with it a new set of urban problems, far different from those Detroit faced at the dawn of the Automobile Age. In 1920, with waves of migrants seeking jobs in the new automobile industry, the city lacked adequate shelter for more than 30,000 families.
Current statistics are a stark contrast.
In the past two decades, Detroit has lost 32 percent of its population. The suburban exodus of jobs and workers has trapped Detroit in a downward economic spiral, leaving the local government without sufficient funds to manage the city. Detroit also faces its share of urban environmental problems. Neighborhoods are lined by abandoned buildings and garbage. While the presence of brownfields does not translate into human exposure to toxics or land contamination per se, it does detract from the economic value of the land.