Neal Peirce: Detroit's Massive Urban Renewal

"A stupendously large urban renewal area -- at 1,200 acres possibly the largest in U.S. history -- is being planned in this long-troubled city, the epitome of American urban abandonment. But Detroit's "Far Eastside Plan," as it's called, is the mirror opposite of 20th-century government-ordered slum clearance in which bulldozers swept in to destroy decrepit buildings.

In the 20th century, renewal plans typically gave one mega-developer, or a handful, rights to recreate city sections. But in this 21st-century approach, many small builders and developers -- even 'mom and pop' operations -- are being asked to bring small projects to the table."

Thanks to Abhijeet Chavan