Throughout the course of the book, Peter Kageyama mentions the city of Detroit to point out crucial keys in why loving cities like Detroit can bring stability to its economic development. He conveys that economic developers, mayors and city planners have been seeking to create amenity rich destinations to attract innovative human capital for its city. Therefore, he poses the question of "Is your city meaning-rich"? (Kageyama 2011) A meaning-rich city is one that is a creative and innovative space for every community. New Orleans is a perfect example of a meaning-rich community. After Hurricane Katrina, many residents had to literally rebuild a city that they once knew which means that every project and renovation had meaning. He also talks about how Detroit has become a meaning-rich community. He introduces a twenty-five-year-old woman from Detroit …show more content…
She explains that many people in Detroit have a necessity for small successes and positive news. Kageyama believes that every community has the opportunity to create meaning. Intelligent communities should be able to recognize that beyond the mayor, city planners and city officials- there are citizens who make valuable and meaning attempts at being a resource for community change. Some are civically engaged and others need to be encouraged to push towards their emotional connections to the city they live in.
Finally, Kayegama mentions the two tough cities, Detroit and New Orleans and the importance of co-creators in a city. In 2008, he visited Detroit and realized that the media portrayal of the city was not a true reflection of what he was exposed to. He was exposed to pockets of dynamic activity, urban redevelopment, regeneration and entrepreneurship. He was lead on to believe