Pontiac: How People Respond to Busing

When entering Pontiac, Michigan, one is immediately struck by the number and size of its industrial plants. These industrial giants —Pontiac Motors, GMC Truck and Coach, and Fisher Body—make the rest of the city seem insignificant, and the person working within these industrial behemoths may well develop feelings of powerlessness.

Even the “heart” of Pontiac—its downtown area—is overshadowed by the plants. Few people are around during the day, and at night the streets are nearly deserted. Wide Track Drive, which encircles the downtown area, enables people to go across town without touching downtown and makes a large shopping center on Pontiac’s outskirts accessible to residents of all parts of the city. Y...