Quote Originally Posted by nickbii View Post
My problem with your plan is it's too ambitious. Many countries have tried to make government services more efficient by concentrating the population, but very few have been so successful at it that the population stays concentrated. Typically what happens is some brilliant politician convinces everyone to try it, and six months later a hiccup appears and everyone decides to move back to grandpa's old house.

I'm not even sure how you'd do it. Condemn 30 square miles of the City, and build a couple of big apartment buildings with public money? With the Poletown decision overturned, can you do that? How do you pay for apartments to house hundreds or thousands when you're having trouble keeping the lights on?

As for my plan, you pretty much saw it.

Detroit is losing people largely because of crime. The City simply does not have the cash to keep a lid on crime. Greater Detroit would, which would make Detroit Proper a much more attractive place to live. Assuming insurance companies aren't racist, it would also result in a reduction of the ridiculous rates Detroiters pay. Both would mean moving out of Detroit would no longer be a no-brainer.

Moreover it would help the region's economy. Right no European companies have no idea whether Oakland County is a good place to do business because they don't know Oakland County exists. The thing they know about [[Detroit City) has the worst numbers imaginable in pretty much every category. The tri-county area has better numbers then pretty much any other city in the country, and if it was called Detroit it would be the local unit of government those Europeans paid attention to, which would result in Royal Oak geting more business.

It's not as elegant as your idea, but it is a lot more practical.
Condemning 30 sq. miles is impossible?....uummm Manhattan is a great example, even Brooklyn.