Consolidating Detroit

As Detroit shrinks, a team of consultants and city officials are faced with the daunting task of reforming a city that is largely full of holes.

1 minute read

April 6, 2011, 9:00 AM PDT

By Anonymous (not verified)

Among the difficulties officials are facing, how to consolidate city services and residents,

"How to reconfigure roads, bus lines, police districts? How to encourage people - there is no power of eminent domain to force them - to move out of the worst neighborhoods and into better ones?"

In the meantime, Deputy Director of Planning, Marja M. Winters along with her cohorts have been assessing surrounding neiborhoods and meeting with community groups to hear their concerns.

"And so, a contingent of private consultants and city officials like Ms. Winters have taken part in one of the deepest mile-by-mile analyses of Detroit in memory, tracking population densities, foreclosed homes, disease, parks, roads, water lines, sewer lines, bus routes, publicly owned lands, and on and on.

Among the dismal findings: more than 100,000 parcels, private and public, are vacant; and only 38 percent of Detroiters work in the city."

Thanks to Jason Van Patten

FULL STORY: The Odd Challenge for Detroit Planners

Tuesday, April 5, 2011 in The New York Times

Community / Economic Development Michigan Shrinking Cities Detroit New York Times

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Start Learning

Advertise with us

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.