The essays in this collection reflect different perspectives on Nicole Trujillo-Pagán’s book Detroit Never Left: Black Space, White Borders, Latino Crossings. The book uses Detroit as a case study because it was an object of international study and discussion and widely considered a laboratory for urban revitalization in the years leading up to and following the largest municipal bankruptcy in US history. Detroit Never Left underscores how legacy residents of the nation’s largest Black city felt the discussion relegated them to a passive background and conflated them with the city’s past.
Collaborators in this book review forum prepared a draft of their submission before they met via Zoom on March 6th, 2026. We organized their papers in order: from the most structural to the most experiential commentary. The forum begins with a contribution from Jamie Peck, University Killam Professor in the Department of Geography at the University of British Columbia. Next is Danielle Purifoy, who is an Assistant Professor of Geography at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, and faculty project lead for its Environmental Justice Action Research Clinic. Following is Joshua Inwood, a Professor of Geography and African American Studies at Pennsylvania State University, and a Senior Scientist in the Rock Ethics Institute. And finally, before closing with a response from the author, we have Natasha Howard, an Assistant Professor of Geography and Environmental Studies and Africana Studies at the University of New Mexico.
During our meeting, collaborators considered, among other topics, the relation between race, property, and borders, the future of urban governance, public–private partnerships, and policy recommendations. On the last question, collaborators emphasized the importance of local, grassroots-initiated action over standardized development models that are reproduced in many cities without meaningful and representative engagement with the urban communities they affect. The discussion underscored the narrow scope of what much research takes for granted as feedback and community engagement. Collaborators noted that the implications of Detroit Never Left’s analysis span not only beyond Detroit, but also the United States. They also noted that the book makes a strong case for why we need countermapping and unmapping projects; it is well suited for courses in race and geography.
Review 1 — Jamie Peck (University of British Columbia)
Review 2 — Danielle Purifoy (University of North Carolina Chapel Hill)
Review 3 — Joshua Inwood (Pennsylvania State University)
Review 4 — Natasha Howard (University of New Mexico)
Author’s Response — Nicole Trujillo-Pagán (Wayne State University)