Demolition Space and Housing Removal Policy in Detroit

Abstract

In 2014 the city of Detroit began a program of "targeted and rapid demolition" of its housing stock, aimed at removing all of the city's "blighted" buildings. As the largest currently ongoing housing removal operation in the United States, with $250 million in funding and over 13,000 houses demolished so far, the impact of Detroit's housing demolitions on the city is substantial, and its popularity has grown despite charges of price-gouging, misuse of funds, and ineffectiveness. The scale by which this initiative is reshaping the city should be familiar to anyone with knowledge of twentieth century urban renewal efforts; it likewise deserves a great deal of careful study to understand its inherent benefits and harms. Evidence of blight removal's ability to reduce crime, improve property values, revitalize neighborhoods, and spur economic growth (generally called "neighborhood stabilization") is widely cited, and many city residents are approving of the practice. However, criticism of blight removal programs and the concept of blight in general is growing as scholars find fault with the tenuous relationship between demolition and stabilization, and city governments contend with accusations of displacement, corruption, lack of redevelopment plans, and unjust use of resources. In response, this thesis examines Detroit's housing removal program in light of its rapid growth and potentially problematic effects. It evaluates the impacts of housing removal at the community level by comparing short term outcomes in case study neighborhoods against the stated goal of neighborhood revitalization through its various metrics, and then recommends strategies for future demolition programs and for neighborhoods experiencing high amounts of removal.