That abandoned factory tour that flipped my view on urban renewal

Last spring I visited the Packard Plant in Detroit on a guided tour. I expected a depressing ruin but instead saw artists, small workshops, and even a pop-up gallery inside those crumbling walls. About 200 people showed up for the open studio event that day. I used to think we should just tear down old industrial sites and start fresh. But seeing how that space gave local creators cheap rent and a sense of history really got me. Have any of you visited a decaying building that surprised you with its energy?

3 comments

3 Comments

nancyj111mo ago

That Pittsburgh flea market sounds like a perfect second chance for that old mill.

charles_mitchell1mo ago

Did you read that piece in The Atlantic about old factories becoming community hubs?

jakejones1mo ago

Yeah, my uncle worked in a textile mill outside Pittsburgh that shut down in the 80s. Now it's a giant indoor flea market with a brewery in the old shipping dock area. Weird to see people drinking IPAs where they used to make denim.