While much study has been undertaken and theory put forward in recent years regarding the optimal assembly of neighborhoods and villages, it seems as though there is an improper balance of focus on the finer details, and less interest in the larger scope and purpose. By using the city of Detroit as a case study, this thesis aims to discover what physical elements are essential to the health and success of the metropolis as a whole, and to give clearer definition to the terms "health" and "success" as they apply to a city. Given that the purpose of a city is to be the physical framework within which people live, success is necessarily achieved when it provides its citizens with the support required in order to live their lives well. Part of the purpose of this study will therefore be to define what it means to live well as citizens.