Hi friends, it's Jer.

Reading about William Smith stealing more than $40 million from the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy wasn't just infuriating. It felt like another theft from a city that's had far too much taken already. Detroiters don't just deserve honesty — we deserve a future far bolder than simply managing decline.

I've been one of the most positive voices about Detroit over the years, but there is still tons of work to do. And two things can be true at the same time.

In my neighborhood, homes and apartment buildings are getting fixed up...

...even as I live across the street from a pair of abandoned buildings, including one that's just a shell with a forest growing inside.

In my lifetime, the city has dropped from 1.2 million souls to under 700,000 – people who gave up hope, or did what they felt they needed to do to take care of their families.

I remember an east side full of houses that are now mostly empty lots.

I hold great memories of going to the Harlequin Cafe and Van Dyke Place with my grandmother, of Flaming Embers on Woodward with my mom, of sailing model boats with my dad on Belle Isle.

But I also remember that morning I woke up to a loud crunching noise, followed by a crash, as my front porch fell off.

It's not just the city. That move to the suburbs wasn't growth. Metro Detroit has about the same number of people today as it did in 1970. Yet, we've built seemingly endless miles of new roads, sewer lines, and more without adding anyone new to pay for it.

We've seen improvements, but our region has effectively been in a kind of economic and cultural apartheid for more than half a century.

"Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies," said Nelson Mandela. It's time to break that cycle.

We need a bold vision, one where the city of Detroit is an economic engine for the entire region and state. We need an abundance mentality.

Currently a popular topic among some thanks to a new book by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson, I've believed in abundance for years.

There are enough studies sitting on shelves. People need ideas and goals to visualize and rally behind.

Here are some of the things I see in our future when I drive, bike, and walk our streets:

New Industries

Automotive is a great legacy. Keep it. Build on it. Be proud of it — and do more here.

But we need more industries.

In this future, the old, now-demolished Packard auto factory site becomes a housing factory, using techniques and technologies perhaps not even invented yet. Why haven't we unleashed the power of high-quality mass production on our local and national need for housing?

Metro Detroit is home to two of the biggest mortgage companies in the nation. Can't we figure out a product to tie this all together?

Seeds like Black Tech Saturdays and TechTown are already sprouting, spinning off hundreds of companies and projects, hiring thousands – let's nurture more.

Not to mention the possibilities around drones thanks to projects already underway at places like NewLab and Coleman A. Young International Airport.

New Looks

The future of buildings in Detroit should start looking more like Wakanda than Washington, D.C. I love historic buildings. I remember the demolitions: the Madison-Lenox, the Statler, the Lafayette. Save what we can.

Detroit is one of the blackest cities in America, and it's a beautiful thing. Our metro is far more diverse than some people give it credit for. Let's build structures with green roofs, curves, mixed materials – a unique look that partners with nature and fits with the Michigan ethos, deeply tied to nature.

New Ways to Get Around

In the Detroit of the future, let's make the People Mover great.

I want to see Dan Gilbert and Mat Ishbia fight over who has the best stop at each end of an elevated light rail line running down Woodward from Pontiac to Detroit.

Elevated rail would move far faster while leaving drivers unbothered.

In high-traffic areas, it'd get transit off the road and be the kind of design that sends a visual message: Detroit is building up.

In this future Detroit, General Motors and Ford could partner to build this next generation of mass transit across our neighborhoods, city and suburban. Maybe it's self-driving. Much of America is a transportation desert if you don't have access to a car. Seems like a big opportunity to innovate here and get America moving.

More Money

Through these new industries and training supported by the University of Michigan, Michigan State, and Wayne State — in time, city and metro residents could make the national average, or more.

The gap is stark: Michigan households average around $69,000; in the city, it's just over $38,000. The national average is $77,000+.

Many problems are fueled by poverty. The state, the region, and the city need more money in the hands of our people.

More People

Imagine a denser, more vibrant Detroit. We have plenty of room — it’s just about how we use it. We need people to fuel the economy. The power of a place is in its people. We have many shiny projects, but we need to focus on creating neighborhoods where residents truly thrive — including those who have stuck through it.

Cities are supposed to be hubs; that's their magic and power throughout civilization. Let's reclaim that. The city is only about 15% of the population of Metro Detroit now.

More Fun

In future Detroit, you can spend a day on the beach on Belle Isle, using a ferry that runs from downtown to the island and the east side. Far more people can fit on the island when they don't need to drive. One of my favorite memories is a music festival on Belle Isle; in time, that comes back.

More creatives can stay in Detroit, or come here, because there's enough economic activity for them to thrive. That means more music shows, more galleries, more street art, and more creative voices being seen and heard, because there's economic security and mental space to create the work.

Let’s channel Detroit's resilience into real ambition. It's time to build the bold, vibrant future Detroiters deserve.

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Until next time, remember that you are somebody — and I'll see you around Detroit.

p.s. - Can't leave without a track. This note was written to "Don't Give Up" by Latroit with Charlz.