Regional Responses to Deindustrialization: Political and Business Mobilizations in Downriver Detroit. Indergaard, M. 1990.
abstract   bibtex   
A framework of urban political economy is used to examine the mobilization of suburban elites in response to industrial decline, considering the importance of political entrepreneurs, monopoly sector firms, \& locally dependent firms. Research issues include: (1) whether political or business leaders initiate redevelopment; (2) which business segments participate; \& (3) how various elites are coordinated. The evidence comes from a case study of the Detroit (Mich) Downriver region, a collection of 17 suburbs subjected to plant closings in the early 1980s, involving analysis of data from documentary sources (including state \& local government records, newspapers, \& organizational archives) \& from 100+ open ended interviews conducted in 1986 1988 with strategic informants from business \& from state, regional, \& municipal governments. The research found two distinct but related mobilizations. The first was the undertaking of administrators of the Downriver Community Conference (seen as political entrepreneurs), who marshalled local support for an employment program \& moved into regional promotion, creating programs to assist small business \& recruit industrial investment. Business interests joined the political entrepreneurs in a new coalition the Downriver Metroplex Alliance. Most of the participating businesses were locally dependent, relying on local facilities. This coalition has focused on redevelopment that will draw office complexes \& more affluent residents, seeing commercial growth to be linked to revitalized manufacturing. (Copyright 1990, Sociological Abstracts, Inc., all rights reserved.)
@article{ indergaard_regional_1990,
  title = {Regional {Responses} to {Deindustrialization}: {Political} and {Business} {Mobilizations} in {Downriver} {Detroit}},
  abstract = {A framework of urban political economy is used to examine the mobilization of suburban elites in response to industrial decline, considering the importance of political entrepreneurs, monopoly sector firms, \& locally dependent firms. Research issues include: (1) whether political or business leaders initiate redevelopment; (2) which business segments participate; \& (3) how various elites are coordinated. The evidence comes from a case study of the Detroit (Mich) Downriver region, a collection of 17 suburbs subjected to plant closings in the early 1980s, involving analysis of data from documentary sources (including state \& local government records, newspapers, \& organizational archives) \& from 100+ open ended interviews conducted in 1986 1988 with strategic informants from business \& from state, regional, \& municipal governments. The research found two distinct but related mobilizations. The first was the undertaking of administrators of the Downriver Community Conference (seen as political entrepreneurs), who marshalled local support for an employment program \& moved into regional promotion, creating programs to assist small business \& recruit industrial investment. Business interests joined the political entrepreneurs in a new coalition the Downriver Metroplex Alliance. Most of the participating businesses were locally dependent, relying on local facilities. This coalition has focused on redevelopment that will draw office complexes \& more affluent residents, seeing commercial growth to be linked to revitalized manufacturing. (Copyright 1990, Sociological Abstracts, Inc., all rights reserved.)},
  author = {Indergaard, Michael},
  year = {1990}
}

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