But if unemployment is less obvious and inflation is not yet an issue, there is one aspect of the Great Recession that has nevertheless caught the photographer�s eye: foreclosures. And while it remains to be seen if it achieves the social and artistic impact of the Depression-era work, foreclosure photography has already helped define an era that will mark American society for decades to come.

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Ok, that was in 2010, and several such articles appeared in their series about the way we live. Interested? I missed this one, but am reading it now.

....The series itself had an intro statement which explains its appropriateness for this forum:
LIVING ROOMS
A house is more than just a shelter from the storm. How we shape our homes, and how we behave within them, speak volumes about our history, our values and our way of life. Living Rooms explores the past, present and future of domestic life, with contributions from artists, journalists, design experts and historians. .......

Worth reading, don't you think?

I had earlier heard about the Dequindre Cut on the radio. It is a recessed former rail line (cut down so it is lower than street level so the railroads did not interfere with car traffic) that is now a park-like walk that goes from the riverside to the Eastern Market. Eastern Market is a wholesale fruit and veggie market on weekdays and a farmer's market + on weekends. It also has brick-and-mortar stores like meat markets and imported food and cheese shops. I went to college with someone whose father was part owner of the cheese shop. Detroit has these great things, but also miles and miles of neighborhoods where there might be two or three house on a block that are inhabited. They have more wildlife IN the city now than in the suburbs - pheasants, fox, coyotes, deer. It is certainly a time of transition. Urban farming is becoming a big thing there, I read. I never knew the east and central areas of the city, I lived on the far west side in my late teens, and the north central area as a small child.

In a way, the city is exploring how to have multiple functions, just like the dual purpose rooms thread on the other side. The difference is that Detroit has too much space, not too little, like our small homes.