Snapshots of Flint- Vehicle City, originally uploaded by chicagokristi

I’ve written previously about the Rust Belts continual urban issues, specifically Detroit’s Artist Repopulation and Cleveland’s Foreclosure Crisis. Now comes word via the New York Times of a new plan to Save Flint, Michigan by Shrinking It:

Dozens of proposals have been floated over the years to slow this city’s endless decline. Now another idea is gaining support: speed it up.
Instead of waiting for houses to become abandoned and then pulling them down, local leaders are talking about demolishing entire blocks and even whole neighborhoods.

Frankly I like the idea of creating a surrounding forest and parkland where empty suburbs once existed. The trick is to not only plan for the way down but also encourage growth in the core by creating walkable urbanism which according to Christopher Leinberger, the minimum FAR to support walkable urbanity is 0.8. Some residents will have to move into denser neighborhoods in order to save the city.
It seems to me like this is a completely logical idea which will encounter political resistance unless those being moved will see tangible results. Reshape the city, and urban designer’s dream, except instead of designing for growth, this is designing for contraction.