By Bill Smith
If you haven’t been focused on what’s happening in Detroit, you’re missing one of America’s best stories. Businesses are returning to the downtown, restaurants and clubs have emerged, manufacturing is vibrant again, and Detroit is well on its way to becoming one of the hottest tourist destinations in the U.S.
Just as Detroit’s original rise came out of the automobile boom of the early 1900s, this resurgence grew out of the resurrection of the U.S. auto industry. Just a few years ago, General Motors and Chrysler were fighting for their lives and closing plants. Now both companies are opening new plants and reopening shuttered facilities.
Another business is playing a big role in Detroit’s renaissance: Parking. And nobody knows that better than Keith Hutchings, director of the city’s municipal parking department. Embracing technology, watching trends, and viewing parking as part of the city’s transportation ecosystem, Hutchings and his team have revolutionized the way people use their cars–and they’re just getting started. Read our fascinating profile of Hutchings and how parking is leading the way in Detroit in the November issue of Parking & Mobility magazine.
Bill Smith is contributing editor to Parking & Mobility.