Here is another essay about the difficulties of downsizing an urban neighborhood. Perhaps, it is a good thing that Mayor Duggan did not endorse downsizing Detroit neighborhoods. John Carlisle essay in last Sunday's Freep about Marathon Oil and their efforts to downsize Oakwood Heights was very informative. Even with substantial offers of money, a few home owners turned down the Marathon offers for their homes. However, the long term demographic trends of middle class folks leaving Detroit for the suburbs seems very firmly established. It seems quite likely that the population in many Detroit neighborhoods will continue to decline.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/23/us...a.html?hp&_r=0