Shrinkage

With the shift in the US from manufacturing to services, Detroit is long past it’s prime as one of the manufacturing capitals of the world and it’s population has gradually been decreasing.

More than the economic downturn, perhaps decades of decay could be seized for an environmental and economic opportunity?

http://www.mlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2009/07/time_to_shrink_detroit.html

I think of other manufacturing towns ‘past their prime’ and how proctive planning and ‘shrinkage’ might improve the future economic well-being on a per-capita basis. Aberdeen, WA comes to mind.