Planning and managing a city’s growth is nothing new. But what about when a city population drops dramatically, as it has in countless industrial centers across the country?

In Youngstown, Ohio they’re employing something called “Youngstown 2010“, which involves both tearing down houses and tearing up streets to fight crime and drugs that have moved into deserted areas. Check it out here.

It’s a seriously interesting topic. In a country that propagates myths of unending prosperity, we generally only focus on managing growth. But what about all of the industrial towns across the country, where plants close and jobs move elsewhere?  Shouldn’t they be just as concerned and adjust for the future?

But what about historic inventory?  There’s no chance for any revitalization if you tear down entire neighborhoods.  And isn’t it wasteful to just bulldoze an entire neighborhood?