People also are interesting in the potential of Detroit. Detroit was founded where it was because it is on a river and the Great Lakes. It has good farmland (I'm guessing on that point). It is amidst other major cities. It has history.
So if Detroit recovers, there is a natural support structure around it that will make it an interesting city.
People like stories of rise, fall and rise again. A city that is merely "better than Detroit" is not particularly interesting.
The anchoring bias is certainly at play here. I imagine others contribute as well.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anchoring
People also are interesting in the potential of Detroit. Detroit was founded where it was because it is on a river and the Great Lakes. It has good farmland (I'm guessing on that point). It is amidst other major cities. It has history.
So if Detroit recovers, there is a natural support structure around it that will make it an interesting city.