Southfield is a city located in Oakland County, Michigan. It is an inner-ring suburb of Detroit and is approximately 15 miles (24.1 km) northwest of downtown Detroit. According to the 2020 census, the city had a population of 76,618.

Southfield includes several business areas, such as the Southfield City Centre, which is an edge city and home to the tallest building in Detroit's suburbs. Another key area is near the former Northland Center shopping mall. The city also houses Lawrence Technological University. Before becoming an independent city in 1958, Southfield was part of Southfield Township. Within Southfield lies Lathrup Village, an independent city that is entirely enclosed by Southfield.

History

Southfield was surveyed in 1817 based on a plan created by Michigan territorial governor Lewis Cass. The first people to settle the area came from nearby cities such as Birmingham and Royal Oak in Michigan, as well as from New York and Vermont. John Daniels settled in the area that later became Southfield in 1823. Some of the early settlers included families named Heth, Stephens, Harmon, McClelland, and Thompson.

The area known as Town 1 north, 10 east was first organized as Ossewa Township on July 12, 1830. The name was changed to Southfield Township 17 days later. The township was named after its location in the "south fields" of Bloomfield Township. A United States post office was established in 1833, and the first town hall was built in 1873.

The Southfield Fire Department was created on April 6, 1942, and the Southfield Police Department was formed in 1953. In the 1950s, several cities and villages within the township became separate communities, including Lathrup Village in 1950 and Beverly Hills in 1957. Most of the remaining area of the township was officially made into a city on April 28, 1958. This was done to prevent it from being taken over by nearby cities, especially Detroit. Many white residents who moved to the suburbs wanted to avoid being connected to Detroit’s growing Black community.

City Hall was built in 1964 as part of the new Civic Center complex, which also housed the police headquarters. The Civic Center was expanded in 1971 to include a sports arena with a swimming pool. Evergreen Hills Golf Course was added in 1972. In 1978, a new public safety building called the Southfield Pavilion and a new court building were added. In 2003, an expanded and redesigned Southfield Public Library opened on the Civic Center grounds, offering modern facilities. Outside the Civic Center, the city has parks and recreation centers, mostly built in the 1970s, such as Beech Woods Recreation Center and John Grace Community Center.

Duns Scotus College is now the home of Word of Faith Christian Center. In 2016, the site became the focus of local debate over a proposed oil drilling project. Because of ongoing opposition and environmental concerns, the plan was canceled.

Geography

The United States Census Bureau reports that the city covers an area of 26.28 square miles (68.06 km), with 26.27 square miles (68.04 km) being land and 0.01 square miles (0.03 km) (0.04%) being water.

The main part of the River Rouge flows through Southfield. Southfield is bordered by Eight Mile Road to the south, Inkster Road to the west, and Greenfield Road to the east. The city’s northern border does not follow a single road but is near Thirteen Mile Road. To the south of Southfield are the cities of Detroit and Redford Township. To the west is Farmington Hills, and to the north are Franklin, Bingham Farms, and Beverly Hills. To the east are Royal Oak, Berkley, and Oak Park. The city of Lathrup Village is an enclave in the eastern part of Southfield, completely surrounded by it.

Demographics

As of the 2020 census, Southfield had a population of 76,618. The median age was 44.0 years. 17.3% of residents were under the age of 18, and 22.4% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 80.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.7 males age 18 and over.

100% of residents lived in urban areas, and 0% lived in rural areas.

There were 34,911 households in Southfield. 21.6% of these households had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 29.0% were married-couple households, 21.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 44.3% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 40.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 37,650 housing units, of which 7.3% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4%, and the rental vacancy rate was 8.5%.

As of the 2010 census, there were 71,739 people, 31,778 households, and 18,178 families in the city. The population density was 2,730.8 people per square mile (1,054.4 per square kilometer). There were 35,986 housing units at an average density of 1,369.9 units per square mile (528.9 per square kilometer). The racial makeup of the city was 70.3% African American, 24.9% White, 0.2% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 2.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.3% of the population.

There were 31,778 households, of which 26.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.5% were married couples living together, 19.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.8% were non-families. 37.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22, and the average family size was 2.96.

The median age in the city was 42. 20.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.7% were from 25 to 44; 29.2% were from 45 to 64; and 16.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 44.7% male and 55.3% female.

As of the 2000 census, there were 78,296 people, 33,987 households, and 19,780 families in the city. The population density was 2,984.6 people per square mile (1,152.4 per square kilometer). There were 35,698 housing units at an average density of 1,360.8 units per square mile (525.4 per square kilometer). The racial makeup of the city was 54.22% African American, 38.83% White, 3.09% Asian, 0.20% Native American, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.64% from other races, and 2.99% from two or more races. 1.19% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the city's 33,987 households, 25.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.2% were married couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.8% were non-families. 36.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27, and the average family size was 3.01.

The age distribution in the city's population was spread out, with 21.6% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 2

Economy

Southfield is an important place for businesses and commerce in the Detroit area. It has 27,000,000 square feet (2,508,400 square meters) of office space, which is the second-largest in the Detroit metro area after Detroit’s central business district, which has 33,251,000 square feet (3,089,100 square meters). Many well-known companies have major offices or headquarters in Southfield, including Veoneer, Huf Hülsbeck and Fürst, Denso, Peterson Spring, Federal-Mogul, Lear, R.L. Polk & Co., International Automotive Components, Stefanini, Inc., and Guardian Alarm. More than 100 Fortune 500 companies also have offices in Southfield.

A notable area in Southfield is Southfield City Centre, which includes a business center, a private university, and residential neighborhoods. It is located near the intersection of Interstate 696 (I-696, Walter P. Reuther Freeway) and the M-10 (Lodge Freeway). Southfield City Centre was created in 1992 as a special area to improve walking areas and help the economy grow.

On October 28, 2014, Fifth Third Bank announced plans to move its Michigan regional headquarters from Southfield to downtown Detroit, where it will be called the Fifth Third Bank Building at One Woodward. The office had 150 employees.

Northland Center, one of the nation’s first shopping malls, opened in Southfield in 1954 and closed in 2015. As of 2022, the property is being redeveloped into a mixed-use residential and commercial complex. Southfield has over 780 acres (3.2 square kilometers) of parkland and a well-known public school district.

The Consulate of Macedonia in Detroit, the Consulate of Lebanon in Detroit, and the Consulate of Iraq in Detroit are all located in Southfield.

Arts and culture

Southfield has many buildings designed in the Mid-century modern style. These include Percival Goodman's Congregation Shaarey Zedek, which is known for its strong, simple shapes, and early buildings created by Minoru Yamasaki, such as the Reynolds Aluminum building.

Penguicon has taken place in Southfield every year since 2014.

Parks and recreation

The Southfield Parks and Recreation Department manages 775 acres of parks, nature preserves, open spaces, and historic places across 33 locations in the city. These areas include many ball fields, tennis and handball courts, picnic areas, shelters, soccer fields, play areas, and sand volleyball courts spread throughout the city.

• Bauervic Woods Park
• Bedford Woods Park
• Beech Woods Park
• Brace Park
• Burgh Historical Park
• Carpenter Lake Nature Preserve
• Civic Center Park
• Freeway Park
• Inglenook Park
• John Grace Park & Community Center
• John R. Miller Park
• Lahser Woods Park
• Lincoln Woods
• Mary Thompson House & Farm
• Pebble Creek Park
• Simms Park
• Stratford Woods Commons
• Valley Woods Nature Preserve

Government

Southfield uses the council-manager form of government. This means the city is led by a City Council made up of seven council members. The City Council chooses a City Administrator, who handles everyday tasks for the city. The mayor is chosen by voters and does not vote on council decisions. The mayor can block council decisions and appoint the city's planner, assessor, attorney, and members of different commissions. The city's clerk and treasurer are also chosen by voters. All of these officials work in positions that are not part of any political party.

Education

Southfield Public Schools runs public schools in the area. Southfield Senior High School for the Arts and Technology, often called Southfield A&T, is the only high school in the district. There were two high schools in the district, Southfield and Southfield-Lathrup, but they were combined after the 2015–16 school year. Students who live in parts of Northern Southfield go to schools in the Birmingham City School District. Students who live in the southeast corner of Southfield go to schools in the Oak Park School District. Southfield A&T also participates in the Oakland Activities Association's Red Division for high school sports and is a member of the MHSAA.

AGBU Alex and Marie Manoogian School is an Armenian charter school located in Southfield. Farber Hebrew Day School – Yeshivat Akiva and Southfield Christian School are private schools in Southfield.

Southfield Public Library manages public libraries in the city. Providence Medical Center provides residency training in different areas of medicine.

Southfield is home to Lawrence Technological University and Oakland Community College. The Specs Howard School of Media Arts is also located in Southfield.

Media

Southfield is the main place for TV and radio in the Detroit area, with studios and equipment for several television stations, including WXYZ-TV, WJBK, WKBD-TV, WMYD-TV, WWJ-TV, and City Cable 15. Bally Sports Detroit, a sports network for the Metro Detroit area, is located in Southfield on 11 Mile and Evergreen roads. WDIV-TV has equipment in Southfield; it is the only TV station located in downtown Detroit.

The city is home to Audacy’s Detroit studios. Southfield is also served by WSHJ 88.3 FM, a radio station run by students and supported by Southfield Public Schools.

In 1970, radio pioneer and entertainer Specs Howard started the Specs Howard School of Media Arts in Southfield.

In addition to The Detroit News and Free Press, Detroit’s two daily newspapers, Southfield is served by the Southfield Eccentric, a local newspaper that reports on community events. It is published twice a week, on Sunday and Thursday. The headquarters of The Detroit Jewish News is in Southfield. The Chaldean News is also based in Southfield.

Transportation

The Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) provides local and regional bus services. Important roads in the city include the John C. Lodge Freeway (M-10), one of the first highways built to connect cities and suburbs in the United States. Other major roads are I-696, the Southfield Freeway (M-39), and US 24 (Telegraph Road). The city has several places where local roads connect to the freeways. A key example is the "Lodge" freeway, which links downtown Detroit to "The Mixing Bowl," a large interchange where I-696, US 24, M-10, Lahser Road, and Franklin Road meet in Southfield.

Most major streets run in north-south or east-west directions, forming a grid pattern with major streets about one mile (1.6 km) apart. Major east-west streets include 8 Mile Road (the city's southern boundary), 9 Mile Road (divided by the Southfield Freeway), 10 Mile Road, 11 Mile Road (divided by the Lodge), and 12 Mile Road. Major north-south streets are Telegraph Road, Lahser Road, Evergreen Road, Southfield Road (the northern extension of the Southfield Freeway), and Greenfield Road (the city's eastern boundary).