Op-Ed: Maryland Should Support Baltimore with Money, Not Bulldozers

Columnist Dan Rodricks has a prescription for the city of Baltimore that departs from conventional thinking about demolishing vacant and blighted properties.

First Rodricks summarizes the arguments that support demolition campaigns:

• "People who call for bulldozing whole blocks seem to think that a developer will suddenly find the flattened area wildly attractive and build new, well-appointed "townhomes" for Baltimore's growing professional class."
• "Some people believe the demolition of old, decrepit Baltimore will create grand opportunities for more green space — vast city parks and sprawling urban gardens."
• "Some believe that, at the very least, more demolition will give areas of the city a psychological lift and a break from crime." 

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan himself supports these arguments, as he states in a September 18 op-ed for The Baltimore Sun. In that op-ed, Governor Hogan promises to "advance a plan to knock down blocks of derelict buildings that tarnish communities across Baltimore, replacing them with parks and other open spaces."

Rodricks, however, thinks the governor would better support the city by sending money, rather than bulldozers. In his estimation, revitalization will require a complex policy agenda:

"Resolving Baltimore's vacant house problem involves vigorous housing code enforcement; going to court to seize properties; respecting the rights of homeowners who live in or near blighted properties and, if necessary, relocating them (at significant expense to taxpayers); getting developers to invest; giving financial incentives to homebuyers willing to rehabilitate houses; dealing with neighbors and raw emotions that can sink even small projects with great merit."