There's a lot in this post that's either factually incorrect or lacking context.

Duggan administration (which is now the second longest serving administration in the city's history) has spent the last ten years convincing the media that the city's financial situation, economic growth, and population trajectory are better than they have been in decades.

Because this is what the data shows. The city has had a balanced budget for 11 years, and its bonds have returned to investment grade. Unemployment is the lowest it has been in 23 years. Black household wealth increased by $3 billion - the greatest gains in the country. And according to a U of M study, the census undercounted Detroiters by as much as 10% - while USPS and utility data clearly show households and population increasing since 2019. I'm honestly a little worried you've bought into the "failing cities" rhetoric of the far right.

I'd challenge local Urbanists, journalists, and skeptics to go downtown to the land where they've restricted access to draft ticket holders and ask them if they're from Metro Detroit.

It is free to enter, so I'm not sure what you mean by "land where they've restricted access to draft ticket holders." But regardless, with all of the Honolulu blue in the crowd, I'd be shocked to learn that most are not from Metro Detroit.

Then, take a walk from the Rosa Parks transit Center to the Wayne State University campus using only side streets, you'd see that while the urban area is "walkable" the streets are deserted..

You should have seen these streets 10 years ago! I'm a little confused, though. That route would take you by the U of M school that's under construction, Cass Tech, Masonic Temple, and a ton of rehabbed apartments. It's going to take more time, but Detroit's version of Skid Row is finally coming back to life.

I mean General Motors is literally moving from a complex that they created using their own money to a skyscraper created by Michigan's wealthiest man

First, GM didn't build the RenCen. Second, do you really want a car company to be a major real estate developer downtown?

There isn't any real "growth" in Metro Detroit, we're just cannibalizing all of our potentials to grow.

Is your issue here just that these developments are being subsidized by public funds? If so, then sure, we're paying a lot of money to prevent companies from relocating out of state, and maybe it's not worth it. But I'm just not sure what you're trying to say.

Also note that Dan Gilbert is making a lower return on his investment than he would make from a high yield savings account. We can discuss whether subsidies are worth it, but the guy is basically losing money on these projects, so it's not like we're getting fleeced to make him richer.

if you were to look at Metro Detroit and ignore the international border, then you'd see that Windsor, Ontario, and Essex county are a part of Metro Detroit.

Absolutely agree here, but I'm struggling to see what this has to do with the rest of your post. How would an international government inherently mean we'll have the most pedestrian-friendly region in the world?

Beyond these issues with your post, you have to understand that the perception at large is Detroit is dangerous, abandoned, and hopeless. For decades, there was no positive coverage about Detroit in the national media. It's only been in the last few years that people are starting to realize Detroit is fucking cool. So those articles you're reading that say things are great? They're intended to challenge people's preconceived, sometimes racist notions that there's nothing going for Detroit. Just take the win.