I first read about America’s fading love affair with the car back in 2008, when reporters began to document Detroit’s economic demise. At the time, I was less than sympathetic to the obvious pitfalls that would ensue for America’s infamous car city. My thoughts were more along the lines of: ‘Okay, finally, it’s starting to catch on! If people living in the biggest gas-guzzling city of the world’s biggest gas-guzzling nation are starting to guzzle less gas, then woo-hoo! There’s hope for us all.’

I then read this: ‘Tough love for GM and Chrysler … new car purchases are likely to be put off as a needless luxury in the face of economic uncertainty’ and then this: ‘Detroit homes sell for $1 amid mortgage and car industry crisis’. In fact, almost every week since, I have read article after article speaking about the destruction of the US motor industry and, with it, the death of a city. One article suggested that unemployment in Detroit stood at between 28% and 32%. I’ve seen other statistics saying closer to 35%.

It’s obviously not just a collective American concern for the environment that has led to the demise of Detroit. The combination of the GFC, cheaper and more efficient imports, lower exports and surging fuel prices (as high as $4 a gallon) have all contributed to America’s retreat from the car. But it did leave me thinking – what about Detroit? What happens when sustainable principles affect the sustainability of an entire industry, an entire city and, more importantly, the population working and living in it? What’s the answer then? Tough love?

Chris Raybould is Art Director at WellmarkPerspexa, which means he excels at finding strategic design solutions to the world’s problems.

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