Abstract

Transition is a challenging process cities have to face from time to time. A successful transition requires innovation in economics, politics, and culture. Adaptation to changing frame conditions requires innovative perspectives as well as new ways of acting. The basis of former wealth, such as the regional economy and experience, may interfere with thinking about new solutions. Comparing a city like Detroit to a city with a different cultural and economic background could provide ideas for a new perspective, even if the comparison does not seem very obvious at first glance. This paper will add a new perspective to the discussion on transition by comparing Detroit and Zurich on the basis of their similarities in the transition process. Detroit is an industrial U.S. city that represents the American way of life, especially when it comes to (auto-)mobility. Zurich is a European city that has experienced economic transformation over the last decades and may face another in the near future. The paper focuses on the links between influencing factors (e.g., national economics and changing political and market conditions) and regional development in the transformation process. The key question is: Are there any general principles to be applied to other cases?