The spirit of Detroit isn't just an iconic sculpture -- it's a feeling of bounce-back confidence measured by a new survey of city voters.
"Optimism that things in the city will get better over the next year, shows the survey commissioned by Business Leaders for Michigan and the Center for Michigan," says coverage in Bridge Magazine, published by the center.
More than 60 percent of those polled said they thought things in Detroit would improve, while 7.2 percent believed things would get worse and 22.2 percent said they would stay the same.
The survey of 600 likely mayoral election voters was conducted Sept. 12-14 by the Glengariff Group Inc.
“People are ready to move forward and feel things will be better in the future,” said Doug Rothwell, Business Leaders president and CEO. “I’m so encouraged by the fact that residents are feeling the same energy that we in the business community are toward the city’s rebirth.”
The polling firm, based in Chicago and Lansing, also asked about mayoral candidates Mike Duggan and Benny Napoleon, Bridge contributor Amy Lane reports.
Asked who they would vote for if the election were held today, 48.5 percent of voters in the Glengariff Group survey favored Duggan, while 24.1 percent favored Napoleon.
Some 21.5 percent said they didn’t know who they would vote for. . . .
Some 60.3 percent of those polled had a favorable opinion of Duggan and 12.5 percent had an unfavorable opinion, while 46.5 percent had a favorable opinion of Napoleon, and 27 percent unfavorable.
"The election [Nov. 5] is a chance to elect leaders who understand and talk about this new Detroit that is taking shape," says Doug Rothwell. (Flickr photo by Michigan Municipal League)
In an accompanying interview, Doug Rothwell -- president and CEO of Business Leaders for Michigan -- comments on Detroit's national image:
There’s been a balanced narrative about the city in the national news and much of the coverage has focused on the revival going on downtown and in some of the neighborhoods. It accelerated getting that side of the story out.
There’s no doubt some (companies) will hesitate investing until the bankruptcy is resolved. But I think more are considering investing and want to be part of the solution. . . .
Some say the city hit bottom with the bankruptcy filing. City government may have hit bottom then, but the city itself was already on the rise based on several years of rapid redevelopment. The election [Nov. 5] is a chance to elect leaders who understand and talk about this new Detroit that is taking shape.
