From the Economist: Bing wants to 'right-size' but movement will be slow

Last week Mayor Dave Bing laid out the State of the City. He spoke about where the city is and where he wants to take it. One of the topics, which have been pretty hot as of late, was the "right-sizing" of our 140-square-miles for a city of an estimated 800,000 people. The Economist puts together a straightforward piece about the hurdles Bing's city will face. The article talks about DPS and the success of Robert Bobb but states that the city's success will be slower and less visible than what we've seen in the school system.

Excerpt from the Economist:

This raises many questions. Which neighbourhoods should be saved? What will happen to residents of declining ones? Detroiters are sceptical of anything foisted on them by outsiders. Who should lead change and gather support for it?

While Mr Bing is distracted by the city's fiscal problems, others have rushed to present their ideas. One local group, the Next Detroit Neighbourhood Initiative, has a new plan to invest in districts such as Rosedale Park. A coalition of community-development organisations is crafting its own plan to support viable neighbourhoods and transform troubled ones into farms or parks. In a delicate exercise, charities are trying to present their agenda without usurping the mayor. The Kresge Foundation, based in Detroit's suburbs, is paying a prominent consultant to advise the mayor's planning department.

But "the mayor really has to lead the work," explains Ms Goss of the Skillman Foundation. Mr Bing, unlike so many of his predecessors, is wonderfully frank. He acknowledges that shrinking Detroit is a painful necessity. The real test, though, is whether he has the tenacity to guide this exhausted city to its next chapter.

Read the entire article here.