Interestingly enough, Google Streetview is active on some of these East Side of Buffalo neighborhoods. The potential, and problems, of these abandoned properties are quite evident.

Definitely some consideration of how to deal with the abandoned cities is important, but this talk of “sprawl” is always overdone. After 2 centuries of unrestricted development, our country only has 5% of it’s footprint developed. With continued concentrations of our population, I don’t think there is any threat to expanding that footprint, and with smart planning (not usually led by government) we can reclaim the brown spots to more cleanly scenery.

That is an incredible burden, but also an incredible opportunity. The nature of property taxes and tax sales are such that just about all the land reverts to the government (becuase it is not worth it to a third party to take over the property and pay the back taxes). The land is there, what is the government going to do with it?

Urban farming is one idea. More parks is another one. Tree farms? Get the carbon sequestering credits. Parts of Buffalo and Gary might make for good wind farms, being close to the lakes.

I do think that urban planning has been a massive failure, Carlos. Planners have a lot to answer for, more so than someone from the Cato institute.

http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2009/06/low-interest-rates-lead-to-overbuilding.html

Green shoots are sprouting indeed…thanks to new pastures replacing subdivisions.

Interesting how the same things come up for different problems. Portland is growing and projecting another million people in the region in the next 30+ years, and one of the strategies is putting aside land for parks before the new building happens. Flint is looking at shrinkage and putting aside land for parks as a way to cope with unused deteriorating housing and industrial buildings.

As the speakers, Steven & others, said this has to be part of a larger strategy involving people, transportation, businesses etc.

Places deteriorate in different ways. Appalachian Ohio is emptying out and nobody is moving in, leading to decay. Central California is growing in population but not coping with things like pollution, sprawl, loss of agricultural land and jobs, leading to declining quality of life. Some strategies, like creating open space could be the same, but others would be very different. Youngstown needs to encourage growth, Modesto needs to control it.