A mammoth new survey delivers a sharply focused look at Detroit's housing stock and lays the groundwork for a sweeping debate about right-sizing the city.

The survey by the Detroit Data Collaborative gives an unprecedented view of the strengths and weaknesses of the city's residential areas. Results portray a city of marked contrasts.

A little more than 35% of the city's 343,849 residential parcels are either vacant lots or abandoned shells of buildings -- a staggering burden for a city trying to reinvent itself.

But the survey also found surprisingly upbeat results in Detroit's most vital districts. The survey found that more than 90% of the city's occupied residential units are in good or fair condition -- results that could lay the foundation for efforts to strengthen individual neighborhoods.
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