“Few cities have experienced a sharper economic change of fortune than Detroit. It was one of the fastest-growing cities in the nation between 1900 and 1950. In the nearly 75 years since then, it has lost over 60% of its population, becoming the defining example of a postindustrial city in decline. Chronic population loss creates a significant mismatch in the housing market. An ongoing reduction in the demand for housing leads to an oversupply of vacant properties. Vacant properties can quickly deteriorate due to neglect, arson, vandalism and crime.”
Knocking down abandoned buildings has a lot of benefits for Detroit − but it’s costly for cities