‘Shrink to survive’
By Jennifer J. Foster
Could the economic downturn lead to the destruction of entire sections of American cities?
Yes.
From The (U.K.) Telegraph:
The government looking at expanding a pioneering scheme in Flint, one of the poorest US cities, which involves razing entire districts and returning the land to nature.
Local politicians believe the city must contract by as much as 40 per cent, concentrating the dwindling population and local services into a more viable area.
The radical experiment is the brainchild of Dan Kildee, treasurer of Genesee County, which includes Flint.
Having outlined his strategy to Barack Obama during the election campaign, Mr Kildee has now been approached by the US government and a group of charities who want him to apply what he has learnt to the rest of the country.
Mr Kildee said he will concentrate on 50 cities, identified in a recent study by the Brookings Institution, an influential Washington think-tank, as potentially needing to shrink substantially to cope with their declining fortunes.
Most are former industrial cities in the “rust belt” of America’s Mid-West and North East. They include Detroit, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Memphis.
Behold: The incredible, shrinking American city.
This isn’t exactly eminent domain, so how would property owners in the to-be-razed areas be compensated?
Could the government actually force you out of your home and off of your property to return it to its natural state?
Better check with your congressmen on this one. I wonder what, if anything, they’ve heard about it.
Maybe they aren’t too interested. But you should tell them, this is one of those things that could have unintended consequences. Think about it: If the government was to start concentrating people in smaller areas within major population hubs, political representation would change—and the change would be dramatic.
Could it leave them with fewer constituents?
See? Your congressmen should be interested in your call.
