Mayor Seeks Reshaping of Detroit

Detroit Mayor Dave Bing?EUR??,,????'?????<

Detroit Mayor Dave Bing wants to cluster city residents into about two-thirds of the city's current space and will give people incentives to move.

According to Bing, no resident would be forced to move, but people should know that the seven to nine core neighborhoods, which the administration will identify by spring 2011, will be the only parts of the city that have full city services.

Residents will be "much better off moving into a more dense area so that we can provide them with the services they need ???????(R)??EUR??,,????'?????<

"We think that getting our city to be more dense with its population is the right route," he said.

The targeted neighborhoods, occupying about 94 of Detroit's 139 square miles, are relatively stable with some vacant and foreclosed property, city officials say.

Some of the remaining 45 square miles includes public park space, the officials say.

Having strong schools, non-profit organizations, houses of worship, parks, community development organizations and medical facilities ???????(R)????????(R)??EUR??,,????'?????<

The incentives to move will not be big, Bing said.

"I don't want people to think that, if they hold out, there's going to be a pot full of money somewhere, because there's not," he said.

Creating more populated neighborhoods is essential to fixing the city's structural budget problems, Bing said.

Detroit's revenue is projected to continue dropping in 2011 and 2012, and even the most depleted neighborhoods now require police patrols, fire protection, bus service, garbage collection and other city services.

Once a city of nearly 2 million, Detroit has lost about 60 percent of its population since 1950 ?EUR??,,????'?????<