Blight Removal

Detroit Vacant

Proposed $250 Million Blight Removal Bond Fails in Detroit

The Detroit City Council dealt a blow to Mayor Mike Duggan by rejecting the mayor's signature blight reduction proposal.

November 20, 2019 - Detroit Free Press

4 abandoned homes in St. Louis's Greater Ville neighborhood

The Dark Side of the Rust Belt Revival

Cities in flyover country are facing new redevelopment challenges as companies relocate from costly coastal cities. In St. Louis, downtown revitalization has also brought plans to tackle blight, and the consequences for residents could be immense.

August 21, 2019 - CityLab

Garbage

Accused of 'Ambush-Style Eviction,' Detroit Land Bank Faces Lawsuit

A lawsuit, allowed to proceed by a Wayne County judge, reveals some of the difficulties of blight removal.

June 20, 2017 - Detroit Free Press

Joe Louis Memorial

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.'

June 1, 2017 - Detroit Free Press

Baltimore Demolition

When the Dust Settles: Removing Blight, But Spreading Toxins

Data regarding ongoing demolitions of blighted properties in cities across the U.S. has turned up some unexpected consequences: the spread of lead toxins into the surrounding community.

February 25, 2017 - The Nation

Blight Demolition

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.

October 15, 2016 - London School of Economics and Political Science - American Politics and Policy Blog

Demolition

Tear It Down and They Will Come?

There's a rationale for the demolition of vacant properties in cities like Chicago, but does that mean the city should be celebrating these programs? The planning of shrinking cities, it turns out, is still very much a work in progress.

June 2, 2016 - WBEZ

$700 Million in Demolitions and Redevelopment Announced for Baltimore

The state of Maryland and the city of Baltimore are partnering on a massive redevelopment effort.

January 8, 2016 - The Baltimore Sun

Gum Wall

Seattle's Famous Gum Wall Spiffed Up for the First Time in 20 Years

A unique landmark has been eradicated, at least temporarily. The Gum Wall located in Post Alley of the Seattle Pike Place Market, has been stripped of its sticky essence.

November 17, 2015 - King 5 News

Flint, Michigan, Declares ‘War on Blight’

Flint Mayor Dayne Walling used the occasion of his recent State of the City speech to call for a $70 million “war on blight” that would include the demolition of 6,000 buildings.

March 5, 2014 - Mlive.com

Lessons for Detroit—from New Orleans

Detroit recently replaced New Orleans as the American city with the highest rate of blight. As Detroit undertakes its plans to shrink, which includes a massive blight removal campaign, what lessons from New Orleans bear repeating?

February 27, 2014 - New York Times

Questioning ‘If You Demolish It, They Will Come’

Removing Detroit’s blight is highly emotional, and made more difficult by the lack of models for emulation. A recent editorial rejects the assumption that removing blight from over 100,000 vacant lots is sufficient to stimulate economic development.

January 28, 2014 - Detroit Free Press

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.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

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