Misplaced Pages

Detroit–Windsor
Transborder agglomeration
Detroit skyline to the right and Windsor to the left of the Detroit River, with the Ambassador Bridge partially visible in the background
Country	Canada United States
State/Province	Ontario Michigan
Principal cities	Detroit Windsor
Elevation	600 ft (200 m)
Population
• Metro	5,976,595 (16th in the Americas)
Time zone	UTC−5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)

The Detroit–Windsor region is an international transborder agglomeration named for the American city of Detroit, Michigan, the Canadian city of Windsor, Ontario, and the Detroit River, which separates them. The Detroit–Windsor area acts as a critical commercial link straddling the Canada–United States border and has a total population of 5,976,595. It is North America's largest cross-border conurbation.

The Detroit–Windsor area covers the southeastern Michigan counties of St. Clair, Macomb, Lapeer, Genesee, Livingston, Oakland, Washtenaw, Monroe and Wayne; as well as the southern Ontario counties of Essex, Lambton, Chatham-Kent, and the City of Windsor.

Overview

The Detroit–Windsor region is not accounted for as a single metropolitan area by the U.S. or Canadian government. If it were, the region would be the eighth most populous urban region in North America. Nevertheless, the communities have been historically tied by several partnerships and agreements, including the Detroit and Windsor Tunnel Corporation, the firm that is owned equally by the City of Detroit and City of Windsor and operates the tunnel. The cities are historically linked through the rise of the auto industry in both countries due to the U.S.-Canadian Auto Pact in the 1960s, and share geopolitical concerns affecting transportation and shared resources, such as the Detroit River. Many federal, state and provincial bi-national agreements affecting trade and border security also link the region. Today, increasing governmental co-operation is being formalized. On June 15, 2012, the construction of a new bridge between Windsor and Detroit was announced in the two cities by Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Transport Minister Denis Lebel and Michigan Governor Rick Snyder. The bridge announcement was a long-anticipated formalization of a new partnership between Canada and Michigan, with Canada paying the entire Michigan share of the new bridge, including a new interchange with Interstate 75. The joint Royal Canadian Mounted Police and U.S. Coast Guard Shiprider program of marine border security are examples. The increasing interdependence of Detroit–Windsor was recognized by U.S. regional business and government in 2007 when Windsor Mayor Eddie Francis was invited to take part in, and speak at, the annual Mackinac Policy Conference, a committee of regional business and political leaders, developed to address the economic and quality of life concerns that matter most to Southeast Michigan.

Economy

Detroit is home to the Big Three automobile companies. As a result, Windsor is home to the Chrysler Canada Headquarters and car plants for two of the "Big Three". The city of Detroit has experienced severe economic difficulties over the years. Population loss has been occurring continuously since the 1950s, so that the population has declined more than 60% since its peak, poverty and crime have become significant problems, and at least 50,000 of the city's structures are abandoned. The affluent suburbs, however, are magnets for immigrants, wealth, and population growth. Windsor's economy is reliant on the automotive industry, but has diversified. As an example, Caesars Windsor casino, the largest in Canada, attracts visitors from the Metro Detroit region. In fact, Kwame Kilpatrick stated that Detroit is transitioning "from a manufacturing economy to a casino economy" in his re-election campaign.

Moreover, Windsor's economy has continued to diversify with several hundred green-energy jobs having been created as of June 2011. More capital investment in the city is expected, especially in the aerospace and air cargo industry. Windsor Airport is currently undergoing a major expansion, with an aircraft maintenance and repair hangar being constructed, as well as cargo facilities for air to rail/road transport.

Many people commute across the Detroit–Windsor International border daily. Professions identified in the 1988 Free Trade Act are permitted TN Visas for legal work in the United States and Canada. As an example, over 5,000 Windsor residents work, in the healthcare industry, and 16,000 overall in Metro Detroit as such, the industry is one of Windsor's largest indirect employers. One of the largest U.S. law firms, Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone P.L.C., has offices in both Windsor and Detroit.

A 2004 Border Transportation Partnership study showed that 257,000 jobs in Michigan and $13 billion in annual production depend on the Detroit–Windsor international border crossing. With many new businesses in the suburbs, the region is competitive in emerging technologies including biotechnology, nanotechnology, information technology, and hydrogen fuel cell development.

Demographics

Together, the two metropolitan areas have a population of almost 6,000,000 people, with 5.4 million in the Detroit area, 375,000 people in Essex County (Windsor), 125,000 in Lambton County (Sarnia), and 110,000 in Chatham-Kent, Ontario. It is the second largest border region in the world, after Kinshasa-Brazzaville in Central Africa, with some 5,700,000 people living in its metropolitan area. The Detroit side contains over one-half of the population of Michigan, whereas Windsor and Sarnia contain only two percent of Ontario's population. An estimated 46 million people, nearly 16% of the U.S. population, live within a 480 km (300 mi) radius of the area, with other metropolitan areas within this radius, such as Toronto, Ontario; Hamilton, Ontario; Buffalo, New York; Erie, Pennsylvania; Cleveland, Ohio; Akron, Ohio; Toledo, Ohio; Columbus, Ohio; Cincinnati, Ohio; Indianapolis, Indiana; Northern Kentucky; Grand Rapids, Michigan; London, Ontario; Regional Municipality of Waterloo, Ontario; Flint, Michigan; Saginaw, Michigan; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Chicago, Illinois.

While about four-fifths of the population of Metro Detroit lives outside the city itself, Windsor has a balanced population between the city of Windsor itself and the rest of Essex County. The Detroit metro area comprises over 200 cities, villages and townships ranging in population from the hundreds to the hundreds of thousands. Windsor's CMA, however, has only eight official municipalities (with Windsor being a recent separated municipality), consisting of LaSalle (pop. 30,200), Tecumseh (pop. 23,200), Amherstburg (pop. 22,000), Lakeshore (pop. 36,611) Leamington-Kingsville (pop. 49,150) and Windsor itself (pop. 229,660). Within each of these municipalities lie several smaller communities that serve as bedroom communities for Windsor's working force. Windsor has recently been given a boost by immigration. However, Detroit itself has less than half of its peak population.

See also

• Ambassador Bridge
• Detroit–Windsor Tunnel
• Detroit International Riverfront
• Golden Horseshoe
• Gordie Howe International Bridge
• Great Lakes Megalopolis
• Quebec City–Windsor Corridor
• Windsor–Detroit International Freedom Festival
• Detroit Windsor International Film Festival
• Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge

References

1. World Agglomerations Retrieved on May 24, 2009.
2. Francis, Eddie (2006). "A Message from Mayor Eddie Francis" (PDF). Perspective Windsor 2006. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 10, 2008. Retrieved March 22, 2008.
3. Detroit & Windsor Tunnel Corporation. "Home page". Detroit & Windsor Tunnel Corporation. Archived from the original on April 30, 2007. Retrieved April 21, 2007.
4. Environmental Protection Agency. "Detroit River Area of Concern". Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved April 21, 2007.
5. Royal Canadian Mounted Police (September 12, 2005). "Pilot Project Shiprider". Archived from the original on June 14, 2007. Retrieved April 21, 2007.
6. Mackinac Policy Conference (May 30, 2007). "Agenda". Detroit Regional Chamber of Conference. Archived from the original on May 20, 2007. Retrieved April 21, 2007.
7. Lessenberry, Jack (November 29, 2005). "Casino Economy". Jack Lessenberry: Essays and Interviews. Retrieved May 2, 2007.
8. Detroit Regional Chamber (2006). "Detroit/Windsor Border Update: Part I-Detroit River International Crossing Study". Archived from the original on March 21, 2006.
9. "July 1, 2005 Population Estimates for Metropolitan, Micropolitan, and Combined Statistical Areas (Areas defined by the Office of Management and Budget as of December 2005)". Retrieved December 5, 2006.
10. "2001 Community profiles". Retrieved December 5, 2006.
11. "2001 Community profiles". Retrieved December 5, 2006.
12. ISTAT demographics
13. "Cities located close to Detroit". Time and Date world clock distances. Retrieved September 2, 2007.
14. "Population of the 100 Largest Cities and Other Urban Places in the United States: 1790 to 1990". Archived from the original on March 14, 2007. Retrieved May 5, 2007.

External links

• International Metropolis
• World Trade Center Detroit Windsor

v t e City of Detroit
Architecture Culture Detroit River Economy Fire & rescue Freeways Government History timeline Historic places International Riverfront Media Music Neighborhoods Nicknames Parks and beaches People Police and crime Performing arts Skyscrapers Sports Tourism Transportation Water works
Metro Detroit Michigan United States

v t e Metro Detroit
Topics	Architecture Culture Detroit River Economy Freeways History Historic places International Riverfront Lake St. Clair Media Music Parks and beaches People Performing arts Skyscrapers Sports Tourism Transportation
Detroit	Downtown Detroit Midtown Detroit New Center
Municipalities over 80,000	Canton Township Clinton Township Dearborn Farmington Hills Livonia Macomb Township Sterling Heights Troy Warren Westland
Municipalities 40,000 to 80,000	Bloomfield Township Chesterfield Township Commerce Township Dearborn Heights Grosse Pointe Lincoln Park Novi Pontiac Redford Township Rochester Hills Roseville Royal Oak St. Clair Shores Shelby Charter Township Southfield Taylor Waterford Township West Bloomfield Township
Cultural enclaves	Ann Arbor Auburn Hills Birmingham Bloomfield Hills Dearborn Downriver Downtown Detroit Grosse Pointe Midtown Detroit New Center Northville Rochester Royal Oak Southfield Troy Plymouth
Satellite cities	Ann Arbor Brighton Flint Howell Lapeer Monroe Port Huron Toledo Windsor Ypsilanti
Counties in MSA	Lapeer Livingston Macomb Oakland St. Clair Wayne
Counties in CSA	Genesee Lenawee Monroe Washtenaw
Southeast  Michigan  United States

v t e Great Lakes megalopolis as defined by the RPA
Includes all metropolitan areas that have a population of 150,000 or greater according to the most recent national census.
Great Lakes region cities	Brantford Buffalo–Niagara Falls Buffalo Niagara Falls Chicago city Cleveland city Detroit city Duluth–Superior Duluth Superior Erie city Grand Rapids city Guelph Green Bay city Hamilton Holland Kalamazoo city Kenosha Lansing city London Milwaukee city Muskegon Niagara Region St. Catharines Niagara Falls Welland Niles Oshawa Rochester, New York city South Bend city Thunder Bay Toledo city Toronto city Traverse City city Waterloo Region Kitchener Cambridge Waterloo Windsor
Surrounding cities	Akron city Altoona Ann Arbor Barrie Bloomington, Indiana city Bloomington–Normal Bloomington, Illinois Normal Canton city Champaign city Cincinnati city Columbus city Dayton city Eau Claire city Elkhart Evansville city Fargo city Flint Fort Wayne city Fox Cities Appleton Oshkosh Indianapolis city Jackson Janesville–Beloit Kankakee city Kingston La Crosse–Onalaska La Crosse Onalaska Lafayette city Madison city Mahoning Valley Youngstown Minneapolis–Saint Paul Minneapolis Saint Paul Greater Montreal Laval Longueuil Montreal National Capital Region Ottawa Gatineau Pittsburgh city Peoria city Peterborough Rockford city Rochester, Minnesota city Saguenay St. Cloud city Saginaw city Sioux Falls city Springfield city Sudbury urban neighbourhoods Syracuse city Terre Haute city Trois-Rivières Utica–Rome Utica Rome Quad Cities Bettendorf Davenport East Moline Moline Rock Island Greater Quebec city
Cities of states south of region	Elizabethtown city Kansas City city Louisville city St. Louis city Topeka city Wheeling city
Other metro-regions	Quebec City–Windsor Corridor Golden Horseshoe Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area Detroit–Windsor Greater Pittsburgh Metro East
Other megaregions

42°19′21″N 83°02′48″W / 42.3225°N 83.0468°W / 42.3225; -83.0468

• Metropolitan areas of Ontario
• Detroit River
• Populated places on the Detroit River
• Twin cities
• Canada–United States border
• Metro Detroit
• Transborder agglomerations