On the Ground in the Effort to Save Detroit's Neighborhoods

As Detroit's efforts to stabilize its neighborhoods progress, valuable lessons and trends are emerging. One particularly bright spot was recently revealed: fewer homes are in need of demolition than originally thought.

2 minute read

May 26, 2015, 8:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Anna Clark provides a report from two neighborhoods in Detroit struggling to get a foothold in recovery, despite the ravages of decades of decline and the vacant properties that have followed. East English Village and MorningSide are the subjects of Clark's exploration—two neighborhoods on the East Side of Detroit at distinct stages of recovery relative to decline.

Specifically, Clark focuses on the efforts of the Detroit Land Bank Authority to stabilize and even improve the neighborhoods. For instance:

"Among the tactics: “judicious demolition.” Carrie Lewand-Monroe, senior adviser at the land bank, broke the news that the organization is reducing its estimate for the number of recommended demolitions in the city from the 80,000 cited in the 2014 Detroit Blight Removal Task Force Report to 40,000. More homes are rehabitable than previously thought."

Clark also details some of the programs in place to reactivate the lots created when vacant homes must still be demolished. Such programs include a new lot leasing program that will launch this summer, "where lots can be leased for $25 per year for up to three years. The only requirement is that the person with the lease has the approval of a block club for what they want to do with the lot."

The article includes more details about the work of the Detroit Land Bank Authority and the residents of East English Village and MorningSide in this massive recovery effort.

Wednesday, May 20, 2015 in Next Ciy

portrait of professional woman

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

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Bend, Oregon

Bend, Oregon Zoning Reforms Prioritize Small-Scale Housing

The city altered its zoning code to allow multi-family housing and eliminated parking mandates citywide.

3 hours ago - Strong Towns

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

4 hours ago - Smart Cities Dive

Green Skid Row mural satirizing city limit sign in downtown Los Angeles, California.

LA Denies Basic Services to Unhoused Residents

The city has repeatedly failed to respond to requests for trash pickup at encampment sites, and eliminated a program that provided mobile showers and toilets.

5 hours ago - Los Angeles Public Press