Robin Boyle, an urban studies professor in the College of Urban, Labor and Metropolitan Affairs, says industrial cities around the world have reclaimed their riverfronts and improved their images. Commenting about a commitment by leaders of the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy to raise $110 million to create 5 miles of green space along the Detroit River, Boyle adds that the new uses for the river also signal a shift from the industrial production to a more information economy. \"There is no banging metal on the river anymore, but it is home to the headquarters of the largest automaker in the world,\" Boyle said. \"It\'s a very strong example of how the city has changed.\"