July 3, 2009 Futurist Syd Mead

It is not often that I get the opportunity to exchange thoughts and/or learn from creative minds like Syd Mead but here is an email he sent to me which I find superb and very exciting.

From: Syd Mead
Subject: Re: SYD MEAD Request Form
To: gonzalo.camacho@yahoo.com
Date: Thursday, July 2, 2009, 7:44 PM
Re: SYD MEAD Request Form

My dear GONSALO. I lived in Detroit from 1959 until I moved out here to Southern California in 1975. I had a mansion in the Indian Village enclave and had lots of fun. I truly enjoyed my days in Detroit until... By the time I moved, Crowley’s department store was closed and torn down, The Sheraton Cadillac hotel closed, the other major hotel closed down, the Lafayette hotel... The ‘people mover’ was a great idea about twenty years too late. ...bright spot left ‘hanging on’ is/are the Detroit Institute of Art, the Detroit Athletic club (if that’s still going), the Whitney restaurant on Woodward (if that is still going?) and the Center for Creative Studies college which is your local competitor for Art Center, and very good, by the way. I’ve made several presentations there in the past years. I moved, really, because my business started to be in Europe, the west coast, New York City, Chicago and the far east. There was no longer any reason to shovel show, shave ice off the roof and pay lots and lots of money for heating bills. The future of Detroit? ... The future could be brilliant, given Detroit’s position as a water-edge city with a rich, impressive history. It was the single most boisterous, successful invention center of the country ‘back when.’ I have great admiration for your enthusiasm and for your optimistic view. I wish you success and, I suppose, infinite faith in the possibilities.

The transportation possibilities of the Detroit area are well positioned to be a major transfer point from Canada given the freeway network. It’s a tragedy that train service no longer services the metropolitan area at all. The old train station is a derelict in a derelict, ruined area of the city. Grand Boulevard is a shambles and well, it is just sad.

SYD MEAD

Following are some related links:
Portfolio of Mead's work on flickr
Joel Johnson interviews Syd Mead Part 2
Daily Briefs posts some of Syd's paintings
Picture of "Tron Mickey" at mouseplanet.com
Syd Mead 2006 Christmas card
Interview with Syd Mead by bunchofmonkeys.ed
Space illustrations by Syd Mead
Discussion on Syd Mead at boingboing.net
Interview with Syd Mead by CGSociety.org
Sevensixfive blog connecting Syd Mead and Neil Denari
Syd Mead's interpretation of futuristic Doha, Qatar

May 22, 2009 Detroit: GMAC to receive $7.5bn state aid

Article published by the BBC.

GMAC to receive $7.5bn state aid

The US Treasury is to give finance group GMAC $7.5bn (£4.7bn) in further state aid, to help it offer loans to potential Chrysler and GM car buyers. GMAC, which is part-owned by General Motors, failed to meet the government's "stress test" and the Treasury ordered it to raise $11.5bn in extra capital. But the firm failed to raise money privately as bad debt has risen, leading to quarterly losses of $675m.

This is the second time the government has intervened to help GMAC. In December, the government stepped in with a $6bn bail-out of the firm. While GM is trying to stave off bankruptcy protection, Chrysler has already filed for bankruptcy. Analysts argue that the move would provide both car firms with a lead over competitors, by offering more attractive loan terms to would-be buyers.

Bank firm

The group is one of the 19 lenders that were subject to US government "stress tests" to assess the company's health. But GMAC Financial Services has seen its losses increase, as the economic downturn has dented consumer spending. The loss in the first quarter was 15% greater than in the same period a year earlier, when it reached $589m.

The Detroit-based lender also became a bank holding company, called Ally Bank, in order to receive the emergency government funds. The Federal Reserve has now waived rules, permitting GMAC's bank more scope to provide loans.

GMAC will be able to keep lending to GM dealers and customers, which would usually not be allowed, since GMAC is a bank holding firm part owned by GM.

Detroit 1807 city map

Souce of picture Wikipedia and text.
Washington Boulevard Historic District is a multi-block area of downtown Detroit, Michigan. It is bounded by Washington Boulevard between State and Clifford streets. In 1982, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It includes the Book-Cadillac Hotel, the Book Tower, the Industrial-Stevens Apartments, and Washington Square (Trolley Plaza) among other architecturally significant buildings. The Detroit Statler Hotel was located on the boulevard until it was demolished in 2005. Washington Boulevard was one of the large boulevards in Augustus Woodward's plan of 1807.

The street was broadened and ornamented in the early part of the twentieth century. The development was inspired by the City Beautiful movement and financed by J. Burgess Book Jr. and designed by Louis Kamper. It was to resemble New York's Fifth Avenue and European boulevards. A sculpture lined park between two one-way streets decorated a shopping district and upscale residential neighborhood. Edward H. Bennett, a well known master planner, turned Washington Boulevard into a Beaux-Arts streetscape. More buildings were planned, but not built because of the Great Depression.

From the Detroit News archives come the following picture and text:

The crown jewel in Detroit's skyline

The Book Cadillac Hotel, at right, constructed during the Detroit building boom, helped transform Washington Boulevard into a fashionable rival to New York's Fifth Ave.

And two random postcards found in the web.

Detroit 1936

Detroit skyline view at night

Source: Wikipedia