Since "Zombie" neighborhoods are sprouting up all over the US the debate on whether to revitalize or shrink has been on the table and discussed by all of the experts. While shrinking a city simply means targeting abandoned buildings for demolition, revitalization is more of a concerted effort by the inhabitants and local, state, and federal governments.
One could argue that Detroit and Buffalo are perfect candidates for shrinking with all of their abandoned buildings, some so bad that they have been taken up for residence by wild dogs left behind by their masters when fleeing the city. Richard Florida, editor for The Atlantic, argues that "revival lies in the assets it has already." In other words, regeneration comes from old buildings with new ideas.
I wonder, however, if any of the experts ever received advice from those out in the field; i.e., realtors. I would assume that shrinking would put us all out of business. There would be nothing left to sell. Developers would swoop in and buy up everything in sight and bargain prices and then come back with a higher priced, newer version of what was. Revitalization, however, requires realtors to contribute by actively marketing and selling each property in the area, thus making them an active part of the community and aiding in the recovery. South Florida does not have this problem, but I have been to several cities where I have seen both the good and the ugly. Are there any cities out there that all of you have been to or even live and work in that you think would be a candidate for either?
Comments(0)