Interesting article in the NY Times about Flint: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/22/business/22flint.html?ref=todayspaper.

I know that some Detroit leaders have talked about doing the same thing in Detroit. Could this kind of thing work in Detroit?

Although they have shared a common economic decline, there are numerous differences between Detroit and Flint [[e.g., size, suburban animosity, regional governance, comparative strength and success of Wayne and Genesee county landbanks) that would complicate any type of undertaking on that scale in Detroit. Mayor Cockrel's endorsement of the Hantz Group proposal is one step in this direction but it doesn't go as far as actually displacing residents from "lost cause" areas to areas that are more vibrant.