Ideas for City – Planned Shrinkage

Cities suffering from deindustrialization and urban decay should consider planned abandonment. Abandoned buildings and blight negatively impact the economic health of our cities. Businesses are unlikely to offer services in these areas, resulting in high unemployment rates. Additionally, banks are unlikely to invest, which only aids the downward economic spiral. By condensing the population into a smaller geographic area, cities can decrease the “per unit” cost of providing services such as fire, law enforcement, sanitation, and education while at the same time increasing population density, which will
attract increased investment.

I work for a prisoner reentry organization in which a high percentage of staff, including executive staff, as well as the members of the Board of Directors are ex-prisoners themselves.  This works phenomenally within the organization as these people are inspirations for the Clients we serve.   

Ideas for City – Planned Shrinkage

Cities suffering from deindustrialization and urban decay should consider planned abandonment. Abandoned buildings and blight negatively impact the economic health of our cities. Businesses are unlikely to offer services in these areas, resulting in high unemployment rates. Additionally, banks are unlikely to invest, which only aids the downward economic spiral. By condensing the population into a smaller geographic area, cities can decrease the “per unit” cost of providing services such as fire, law enforcement, sanitation, and education while at the same time increasing population density, which will
attract increased investment.

I work for a prisoner reentry organization in which a high percentage of staff, including executive staff, as well as the members of the Board of Directors are ex-prisoners themselves.  This works phenomenally within the organization as these people are inspirations for the Clients we serve.