I'm not native to Detroit or Michigan, but shortly after moving to the area I was overwhelmed by the volume of cities in such an incredibly small radius. During the days of prosperity for the region and the abundance of cash, division, segregation and independence are easy decisions, but given the recent, what appears to be never ending financial challenges I believe many of these small perimeter McTowns are going to be faced with the harsh reality that they have to merge, cooperate and compromise to survive. Although its difficult to witness the harshness of these budget shortfalls and what it means to individual families, ultimately its best for the entire area.

see the recent developments on Hamtramck
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/1..._n_797236.html