Seeing Detroit through outsiders’ eyes is instructive, especially when the visitors are urban improvement crusaders.

Hundreds of city-makeover visionaries are spending four days downtown and touring the region during the Congress for the New Urbanism, a yearly national event. We’re not there, but monitor a stream of live tweets and other social media posts from participants.

It’s almost like eavesdropping on house guests or partygoers talking among themselves, though most people don't whisper indiscreetly on public timelines. Still, three days of active posting convey these impressions of the urban cheerleaders and how they see our city:

1.) Seeing is surprising: These aren’t rubes who feared downtown might evoke the South Bronx in the 1970s. But first-time visitors and those who hadn’t come since last decade or last century have an astonished tone of who knew? "Detroit is much more robust than expected," tweets urban designer Howard Blackson of San Diego. Other examples:

Quirky.

Vibrant.

Friendly.

Optimistic.

Entrepreneurial.

Even whimsical.#Detroit



Not what I expected, by a long shot.#CNU24 — Rik Adamski (@RikAdamski) June 10, 2016

2.) Assets to envy: Awe isn’t too strong for how some visitors – even from New York, Seattle and other A-List cities -- react to the Guardian Building, Belle Isle, the “beach” at Campus Martius, basketbal and volleyball courts at Cadillac Square, and the stylish upgrading of early 20th century gems for offices, residences, restaurants and the Aloft hotel. In fact, "stunning" is among words posted.

“Our Main Street needs a sandbox.” -- Simon Husted of Cleveland State University.

of Cleveland State University. “Detroit is kicking Buffalo’s behind.” -- City planner Chris Hawley of that city

Blown away by the beauty of downtown #Detroit. The Guardian Building, great streets and public spaces. #CNU24 pic.twitter.com/gu9H56vDFt — Mitchell Silver (@mitchell_silver) June 9, 2016

3.) Street art matters: “I love the amount, and scale, of murals in downtown Detroit,” says an Instagram post by Canadian attendee Tyson McShane, senior city planner for Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Every blank wall is a canvass in Detroit. #CNU24 pic.twitter.com/FjML1Lt5ml — CNU Central Texas (@CNU_CTX) June 8, 2016

4.) Downtown stadiums work: They enliven the central core, support hospitality businesses and encourage residential development. Quote?

5.) A language that entertains: Every trade slings shop talk, and policy wonks elevate jargon to a major league of their own. For instance, food vendors and artists’ booths were in a “tactically activated" parking lot, as the program image below illustrates.

Other exmples:

Complete streets (safe access for walking, cycling, driving and transit users of all ages and abilities)

Infill development (projects on vacant or under-used urban parcels)

Transit-Oriented Development, or TOD (a benefit of the QLine)

Traditional Neighborhood Development, or TND (varied housing types, mixed land uses, an active center, walkable)

Transect planning (Highest densities at community center and progressively less dense toward the edge)