Industrial Ghosts - USA

Detroit was once the symbol of America's industrial power; the birthplace of Ford, the assembly line and the home of GM. But now it feels more like a ghost town littered with abandoned buildings. ¶ In 1913 Detroit was booming but when the Great Depression hit, this abruptly ended. Between 2006 and 2008 four of GM's plants in Michigan closed, and more than 15,000 are homeless in the city. "There's no work in Michigan... all you see is vacant houses" explains one homeless resident. As industries move to areas with cheaper labour, former assembly line workers and buildings are left useless.

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Detroit bankruptcy: survival the only goal in city that once epitomised the American dream: Even by the desolate standards of Detroit's inner city wastelands, the maze of potholed streets around the Obedient Missionary Baptist Church are a desperate sight. » | Philip Sherwell, Detroit | Friday, July 19, 2013