Kevyn Orr, Detroit’s emergency manager, has expressed his belief that the city can clear its backlog of 78,000 blighted buildings within the next 18-36 months.
"Orr told the Free Press on Tuesday that Detroit’s 2-month-old blight task force, co-chaired by Quicken Loans founder and chairman Dan Gilbert, will soon have a plan to deal with all of the estimate 78,000 blighted structures 'in basically a year-and-a-half to three years, to remediate the city of all blight, in some fashion,'” reports Tom Walsh.
As we noted recently, the task force is leading an effort to document the city's crumbling and vacant properties - the first step in tackling the scourge. Walsh notes that the database could be completed early next year.
New Orleans' experience in clearing properties damaged and abandoned following Hurricane Katrina may provide a model for the shrinking city.
FULL STORY: Tom Walsh: Orr dreams of a blight-free Detroit within 3 years
Detroit Blight Fight Begins in Earnest Monday
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Getting to Know Decaying Detroit, Parcel-by-Parcel
An "unprecedented" effort being led by Detroit’s new Blight Task Force will document the city's crumbling and vacant properties. It's part of a multi-pronged effort to combat Detroit's widespread blight.
Detroit Mayor Proposes Vacant Lot Tax
A new tax plan would reform the city’s famously low vacancy tax rates in an effort to stimulate more housing development and limit speculation.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
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Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.
San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives
A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.
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Planning for Universal Design
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City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research