A lawsuit, allowed to proceed by a Wayne County judge, reveals some of the difficulties of blight removal.
Jennifer Dixon reports on a lawsuit in Detroit that illustrates the difficulties of determining boundaries and thresholds to regulate blight removal. Daniel Murray is suing the Detroit Land Bank after he said his home was seized in an "ambush-style" eviction.
There are two sides of the story here. According to Dixon, the Detroit Land Bank says, "the building was blighted, utilities were shut off, Murray wasn't living in the house and he never owned the property."
According to Daniel Murray, the land bank hauled away "his photos, mother's antiques and the family china cabinet" in a dumpster and demolished the home two months later.
The demolition was funded with money from the U.S. Treasury's Hardest Hit Fund. Dixon provides more background on that program as well as Detroit's blight reduction efforts. "Detroit has spent roughly $120 million in hardest-hit money for demolition, and expects to spend an additional $132 million," explains Dixon.
Read the full story: Detroiter sues, says his lifelong home demolished in ambush-style eviction
Detroit Residents Find it Hard to Access Land Bank Properties
Longtime residents say the city is not fulfilling its goal of keeping vacant parcels in the hands of locals as property values rise steeply.
Mayor Duggan Lays Out Eight Principles for Detroit's Redevelopment
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan made a splash this week by pronouncing a vision to create a Detroit that is 'one city for all of us.'
The Dangers of Demolition for Its Own Sake
Jason Hackworth argues that demolition has come to be seen as a good, in and of itself, in rust belt cities like Detroit; giving rise to policies that are wrong-headed and dangerous.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Chicago breaks ground on $3 billion megadevelopment
The new neighborhood, titled Foundry Park, will one day host 3,700 residences.
California High-Speed Rail Authority CEO resigns after $600,000 scandal
Under Ian Choudri, the authority used taxpayer dollars to fund first class flights and trips to nightclubs.
Want to study the Missouri River? Soon, you may need unanimous approval from 10 states
Legislation would require 10 governors’ permission to study or build projects moving water outside the basin.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority