Someone is paying for that service. Who? Why?

Abandonment is one thing, clearing the land immediately after the occupants have left is another.


What's the end game?

They tend to catch fire much more often than occupied houses. People squatting in them or using them for illegal activities are not paying utilities, so they use other sources of heat and cooking. And in a modern house that makes it much more likely that the house will burn down (We don't have big fireplaces anymore).

They're also more expensive because of the aforementioned squatters and illegal activity.

Finally, if there are no longer any houses in a large area, the city doesn't have to maintain the utility connections to that area. No need for water or sewer pipes when there's no buildings.

So cities often bulldoze abandoned houses. Yes, there's an expense up front, but it reduces their expenses down the road.

Yet plenty of money and manpower to clear abandoned lots.


Makes me think there are plans for that land.

It's not a huge expense, and not a lot of effort.

One person drives an excavator that knocks the house down, then he loads the debris into a dump truck driven by the second person.

People who have never been in the neighborhoods of Detroit think that it is just a bunch of fixer uppers.

Some may be, but the reality is, even the ones that are not burned out are frequently very old to begin with. Things decay naturally. Add broken windows and open doors and no plumbing or wiring, you have a health and safety disaster that cannot be effectively saved.

Source: I have two eyes and drive cab, spending a lot of time in neighborhoods that scare the hell outta most people.

Capitalist wasteland.

Americans could do better. But they refuse.

so, so sad.

A little positive things that are happening in the fair city of Detroit. It's easy to point out the decline in anything, takes a little more work to find the positive.
Yes, Detroit was a city in trouble for a long time. but the come back should be noted also. There are still many problems to be addressed and worked out but we are coming around.

Come on for a visit, Kilgore, you may be amazed. The North American Auto Show is coming up, stop by for a visit.

http://www.naias.com

Check out this article from Detroit Free Press:

Couple's rehab of Detroit family home leads to TV show

http://www.freep.com/story/life/2014/12/28/american-rehab-detroit-tv-show/20925453/


http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/detroit-bankruptcy/2014/11/09/bankruptcy-numbers-detroit-change/18722275/

http://archive.freep.com/article/20140720/BUSINESS06/307200105/detroit-ilitch-arena-downtown-midtown-apartments

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g42139-d560603-Reviews-Eastern_Market-Detroit_Michigan.html

My last trip two years ago I saw some construction in downtown, some new stores, bars, restaurants, etc. I took a tour of the Fox Theater which is flourishing. Big renovations to the COBO convention center.

Housing is coming around. Many people from the suburbs are moving back into the city. I fail to mention the casinos, cuz I really don't agree with gambling, but the jobs the created cannot be overlooked along with supported business.
It will take a while but the people of Detroit endure.

Gentrification alert! Gentrification alert!

Detroit has to be left in bad shape so the people who live there have places to squat. If you start fixing up buildings, clearing weeds, cleaning up trash, opening retail businesses, and generally making it a safe, attractive, and pleasant place to live, you will force out the current residents who apparently don't want these things.

Some people on both the left and right need Detroit to be a Mad Max dystopia to help make their points. They don't want to hear any good news about "The City" - it totally interferes with their racist (on the right) or anti-capitalist (on the left) narratives.