Ford pulled back the curtains on the new and improved 2013 Ford Fusion, its flagship sedan, at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit this week, and it’s clear that Ford aimed to pull no punches with the new Fusion.

In fact, Ford says that the 2013 Ford Fusion represents the “new face of Ford”, and it’s admittedly a pleasant face to look at. The Fusion has seen an overhaul in its design, now having a distinct sleek European-style design with a grille that appears to be a mix between a Aston Martin Virage and a One-77, CSM points out.

According to a report by the Associated Press, Ford intends to offer several versions of the 2013 Ford Fusion, including a hybrid, which the company expects will get around 47 miles per gallon in the city, and a plug-in hybrin, dubbed ‘Fusion Energi’. All in all there will be about five different models, with FWD/AWD options and, of course, two transmissions.

“The majority of people near-term are going to hybrids. They’re just so flexible,” said Ford chief executive Alan R. Mulally at a press conference on Monday. Mulally went on explain that Ford intends to offer a wide variety of options, giving the company “greater flexibility” to “meet market demand”.

Ford isn’t talking about pricing just yet, but a representative told AP that the price should be at or around the current Fusion’s, which starts at $20,200.

2013 Ford Fusion unveiled at Detroit auto show is a post from: The Inquisitr

When the Detroit Auto show rolls into Detroit, Michigan in January Chrysler will roll out the 2013 Dodge Dart which it says was “adapted from the award-winning Alfa Romeo Giulietta.”

The Dart will be Chrysler’s first compact sedan since 2005 and in their release Chrysler teased fans of the vehicle with hints about it’s design and parts, for example they say it will contain significant quantities of Alfa-derived equipment and that it would not be a simple Giulietta with a cross-hair grille.

Dodge has also revealed that the Dart will be longer and wider than the Giulietta and will be delivered as a four-door sedan rather than a hatchback model.

As you’ll notice from the company’s teaser photos the care also appears to have sculpted rear and front bumbers with a elongated rear-taillight.

The company has also revealed three different power plants from Fiat, a 16-valve 2-liter 4-cylinder; a 16-valve 1.4-liter turbo 4-cylinder with Fiat’s MultiAir valve-throttling system; and a 16-valve 2.4-liter 4-cylinder with MultiAir. The Dodge Dart will also have three transmission types which have not yet been disclosed.

For the car’s sporty look and feel it will also offer a four-wheel independent suspension and optional 18-inch wheels.

Are you excited to take a closer look at the 2013 Dodge Dart when it debuts in January 2012 at the Detroit Auto Show.

Chrysler Teases About 2013 Dodge Dart, Unveiling Set For Detroit Auto Show is a post from: The Inquisitr

Poor Detroit- it can’t even come in at number one on the list of America’s saddest cities.

Despite lack of horrific winters, St. Petersburg, Florida ranked up top on the Men’s Health saddest cities index, followed by Motor City in the second spot. Memphis, Tennessee came in third, with Tampa, Florida and Louisville, Kentucky in fourth and fifth places. St. Louis, Missouri; Birmingham, Alabama; Miami, Florida; Reno and Las Vegas, Nevada rounded out the top ten of depressing spots to live, according to the glittering abs mag.

Men’s Health describes the analysis as “more statistical than psychological,” and used sad factoids like suicide rates (via the CDC) and unemployment statistics (through the Bureau of Labor Statistics, through June 2011). Additionally the mag says they “tapped SimplyMap for the percentage of households that use antidepressants as well as the number of people who report feeling the blues all or most of the time to rank the cities in order of most sad ever to relatively and remarkably sad.

The site also ranks the happiest cities by the same index (note that the flipside doesn’t get nearly as much attention), and found Honolulu, Hawaii to unsurprisingly be the happiest city in the US ranked on the above criteria. However, the second happiest city in America is in far less of a tropical paradise- Manchester, New Hampshire came in second place, despite snowy winters. Fargo, North Dakota- also not known for it’s sunny climes- ranked third on the shiny, happy cities list, with Omaha, Nebraska and Boston, Massachusetts coming in at fourth and fifth places.

Saddest Cities in US Ranked, St. Petersburg, Detroit Top List is a post from: The Inquisitr

Looking for a smile? Stay away from St. Petersburg. The Florida town was just ranked the saddest city in America by Men’s Health Magazine.

Men’s Health’s list of frown towns was created by analyzing suicide rates and unemployment rates from cities around the country. The list makers also used SimplyMap to find the percentage of households that use antidepressants.

Men’s Health writes:

“If you want record-setting sunshine, St. Petersburg is your city—it once soaked up a Guinness-certified 768 straight days of rays. But there’s an asterisk: The people of St. Pete also have the darkest clouds hanging over their heads.”

My Fox Tampa Bay talked to a few St. Petersburg residents to see if they agreed with Men’s Health‘s assessment.

Lenor Sawyers, a St. Petersburg resident, said:

“It is disappointing and shocking to me. I wouldn’t call it the saddest city at all.”

Savannah Riggleman said:

“I think that’s crazy. I go to college down here, and I picked college here because it’s so great. It’s close to the beach! It’s always sunny! I think it’s really a happy place to be, honestly!”

Have you ever been to St. Petersburg? Do you think it’s the saddest city in America?

Detroit, which ranked the second saddest city in America, was also ranked the country’s most dangerous city earlier this year. 

Here are the 10 saddest cities in America according to Men’s Health .

1. St. Petersburg, FL 
2. Detroit, MI 
3. Memphis, TN 
4. Tampa, FL 
5. Louisville, KY 
6. St. Louis, MO 
7. Birmingham, AL 
8. Miami, FL 
9. Reno, NV 
10. Las Vegas, NV 

On the other side of the spectrum, Men’s Health says that Honolulu, HI, Manchester, NH, and Fargo, ND, were blues proof towns.

St. Petersburg Named the Saddest City in America is a post from: The Inquisitr

Oprah Winfrey made the day for John George, founder of the non-profit organization Motor City Blight Busters when she handed him the keys to a new 2012 VW Beetle, his first new car in 25 years.

John picked up his car on Thursday from Suburban Imports in Farmington Hills, MI and speaking of his gift he said:

“It’s been so long since I’ve had a new vehicle, or one that’s fuel-efficient, I’m just numb,” while adding, “I’m tickled pink, or tickled red, I should say.”

Oprah originally gave away VW Beatles to 275 audience members during her final ”Ultimate Favorite Things” show in November. That final favorite things show was made up of community heroes who gave back to their own communities and to the people who nominated them.

According to the Detroit Free Press:

George’s niece, Kelly George of Flint, sent a nomination letter to the “Oprah” show, telling of the work her uncle does with Blight Busters, a nonprofit that razes and rebuilds abandoned properties in Detroit.

George and his niece were among six audience members from Michigan to get a Beetle. They chose from among five colors for the base-model Beetle, which begins at $18,995. The 2012 models went on sale in September.

Unlike the Pontiac G6 fiasco in 2004 which required audience members to pay taxes and fees on their expensive vehicles this time around Volkswagen agreed to pay all additional charges.

After receiving the keys to his new car George took his 88-year-old mother for a ride from the dealers lot to her condominium.

Oprah Winfrey Gives 2012 VW Beetle To Motor City Blight Busters Founder is a post from: The Inquisitr

Detroit, Michigan, where murder is almost a daily occurrence or 1,111 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, is the most dangerous city in America, according to Forbes.

To compile the list of America’s Most Dangerous City, Forbes used the FBI’s uniform crime report for 2010 which tallies crime data for each of the country’s metropolitan areas.. The crime-fighting agency uses four categories of violent crimes, namely: murder and non-negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault.

Despite the impression that poor economic conditions can lead to more crimes, violent crimes for the past four years have actually dipped according to the FBI. For example, murder was down by 4%, rape by 5%, robbery by 10% and aggravated assault by 4%.

Completing the list of Forbes Most Dangerous City in America are:

2. Memphis, TN (1,006 violent crimes per 100,000 residents)
3. Springfield, IL (855 violent crimes per 100,000 residents)
4. Flint, MI (827 violent crimes per 100,000 residents)
5. Anchorage, AK (813 violent crimes per 100,000 residents)
6. Lubbock, TX (808 violent crimes per 100,000 residents )
7. Stockton, CA (805 violent crimes per 100,000 )
8. Tallahassee, FL (775 violent crimes per 100,000 residents)
9. Las Vegas, NV (763 violent crimes per 100,000 residents)
10. Rockford, IL (760 violent crimes per 100,000 residents)

Where do you live in America? Are you safe? Remember, it’s not just the economic condition of a city that makes it dangerous. There’s a whole lot of different factors.

Detroit is America’s Most Dangerous City is a post from: The Inquisitr

Fiat owned and operated car manufacturer Chrysler is getting ready to build a new vehicle in one of their production plants but it’s probably not what you would expect, the company is going to manufacture  the new Maserati Kubang SUV in Detroit and then export the vehicle to other destinations around the world.

The vehicle debuted today in Frankfurt and will add plenty of new jobs to Chrysler’s Jefferson North assembly plant when it eventually goes into full production.

The Maserati will have the same underbody as the Dodge Durango and Jeep Grande Cherokee SUVs, both which are built at the Jefferson North plant.

Where the Maserati SUV will differ will be it’s sheet metal design and Ferrari engine. The luxury SUV will sell for somewhere in the $100,000 range and hopes to compete with the likes of BMW and Mercedes-Benz who offer their own luxury utility vehicles.

The Jefferson North plant currently employs 2,800 workers over two shifts, with the introduction of a new vehicle a third shift will likely be added. During the middle part of 2010 Chrysler added 1,080 new jobs to their payroll to create their new Dodge and Jeep SUVs.

The move comes just after the Fiat 500 minicar was introduced to America by the company, however that subcompact is assembled in Mexico.

The company is also working on an Alfa Romeo SUV and 20 other vehicles based on the company’s shared platform which was created when they took a controlling interesting in Chrysler.

Do you think Fiat is making a wise decision by producing the Maserati Kubang SUV at a plant in Detroit, only to export them out of the country?

Maserati Kubang SUV Being Built In Detroit is a post from: The Inquisitr

It’s still an early acknowledgement but word has it that the Detroit Lions have reached an agreement with former Tennessee Titans linebacker Stephen Tulloch.

According to ESPN analyst Adam Schefter the Lions have agreed to pay Tulloch $3,250,000 for one year with a guaranteed payout of $1.8 million.

Speaking through his own Twitter account Tulloch thanking Titan fans and player for their great support over the last five years, he specifically thanked Courtland, Finnegan and Michael Griffin, saying he felt “forever indebted” to them.

It’s believed that he showed interested in Detroit when the team showed more interest in former Green Bay Packers linebacker Nich Barnett.

Detroit has made an effort to offer only one and two year contracts to player in order to field the best team possible for the franchise which has suffered greatly during the last several seasons.

The move also signifies Jim Schwartz’s belief that the Lions need a strong front seven on defense.

[NFL Free Agent] Detroit Lions Reach Deal With Linebacker Stephen Tulloch is a post from: The Inquisitr

Eddie Franklin, the 52-year-old son of songstress Aretha Franklin, underwent emergency surgery after he was beaten at a Detroit gas station by three unknown attackers.

Detroit police say that information regarding the incident is scarce, no surveillance video of the attack was available, and that by the time they arrived at the hospital to interview Franklin he had already “checked himself out.” Witnesses say two males and a female attacked the singer’s son, and that the woman of the group was reportedly in her very late teens and had dreadlocked hair.

Police made a say there are no leads in finding who is reponsible for the attack of what motives they may have had:

Eddie Franklin, son of Aretha, ‘savagely’ beaten at Detroit area gas station is a post from: The Inquisitr

Facebook status updates- if they’re not getting you fired or murdered, they’re pissing off judges and getting your silly, non-court-respecting ass kicked off a jury.

Okay, you might say that serving on a jury sucks and you’d like to get dismissed from it. 20-year-old Hadley Jons wasn’t ostensibly trying to get out of jury duty when she signed on to Facebook and posted and update saying it was “gonna be fun to tell the defendant they’re GUILTY,” but the trial wasn’t over and the defense hadn’t even presented their arguments yet. Whoops.

Jaxon Goodman, the 17-year-old son of the defendant in the case’s lawyer, found the young juror’s comment the day before the defense was slated to get their defending on, and Jons was immediately removed from the jury. But that wasn’t the only consequence- she was also forced to pay a $250 fine and write a five page essay about the sixth amendment. Macomb County Circuit Judge Diane Druzinski expressed her judgly displeasure in court:

Druzinski told Jons that it didn’t matter whether she used Facebook to express an opinion or simply spoke to a friend about the case.

“You violated your oath. … You had decided she was already guilty without hearing the other side.”

A defense attorney for Jons would only comment to call the outcome “appropriate.” I wonder if Judge Druzinski had fun telling Jons she was guilty?

[Charleston Daily Mail via Gawker]

Juror booted, sanctioned for Facebook status update is a post from: The Inquisitr

You know when someone keeps commenting on your Facebook page and it drives you nuts and you totally want to kill them?

Apparently, one such exchange became so contentious that a woman who spotted a “Facebook rival” decided, despite the fact that she was in the car with her three-year-old daughter, that deliberately running into her frenemy’s car, killing her, was an appropriate and proportionate response.

According to Detroit News, the unnamed 23-year-old perpetrator spotted 21-year-old Alesha Abernathy driving with friend Danielle Booth, 20, in the passenger seat. (Abernathy had filed a harassment report with police earlier in the week due to the woman’s alleged Facebook harassment.)

Detroit News describes the bizarre incident and collision:

According to authorities, the woman repeatedly rammed Abernathy’s car, causing her to lose control of the vehicle. The Abernathy car struck a dump truck, which flipped onto its side. The truck driver was unhurt.

Court documents indicate that the woman, who was not injured, is expected to be charged with “second-degree murder, assault with intent to murder and child abuse.”

Facebook feud leads to deliberate car crash, death is a post from: The Inquisitr

The woman who used Facebook to find her 14-year-old son, and later became involved in an affair with the underage boy, will be sent to prison for thirty years.

36-year-old Aimee Louise Sword surrendered to authorities in April of 2009 after Child Protective Services became aware of the illicit relationship between the woman and her biological son. She was charged with third-degree criminal sexual conduct. Sword surrendered the now 16-year-old boy for adoption when he was an infant, and was married with five other children when the abuse occurred. Her lawyer says that Sword was confused:

“When she saw this boy, something just touched off in her — and it wasn’t a mother-son relationship, it was a boyfriend girlfriend relationship,” Ribitwer said. “Aimee’s searching for a reason why this happened. She can’t understand it. She’s going to get some counseling.”

The Detroit Free Press says direct contact between the boy, who remains unnamed because of his age and the nature of the crime, began when Sword did not receive a yearly update from his adoptive parents. Sword was sentenced to 9-30 years in prison.

Woman who used Facebook to find, seduce biological son jailed for 9-30 years is a post from: The Inquisitr

Detroit born singer Ali-Ollie Woodson, who lead the Temptations in the 80s and 90s, has died after an 18-month-long battle with leukemia.

Woodson, 58, died Sunday in California. Billy Wilson, of the Motown Alumni Association, confirmed the singer’s death to press. Wilson commented to The Detroit News about Woodson’s unique vocal style:

“He was an excellent singer,” Wilson said. “He’s one of the few singers who was accommodating to virtually everything. He had a style and swagger about himself that was different than the other Temptations.”

Woodson, who joined the Temptations in 1984, wrote and sang their hit “Treat Her Like a Lady” from the same year. He performed in 2008 both at the Motown Museum Fundraiser and the funeral of The Four Tops’ Levi Stubbs. Of Stubbs’ death, Woodson said:

“It’s a sad day… he was the first person I met when I signed with Motown in 1983,” he told The Detroit News.

Family members have not yet commented on Woodson’s death. Funeral arrangements and memorial plans have yet to be announced.

[Image]

Former Temptations singer Ali “Ollie” Woodson dead at 58 is a post from: The Inquisitr

An outside investigation is being sought in the early Sunday morning death of 7-year-old Detroit girl Aiyana Jones, shot by police as she slept in her home.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy called for an inquiry into the incident by Michigan State Police after Jones was killed in an early morning raid on her Lillibridge home. Worthy said:

“On Sunday, I was approached by the Detroit Police Department about having an outside agency investigate the fatal shooting death of 7-year-old Aiyana Jones,” Worthy said in a statement today. “I agree that it is most appropriate that this be done independently. I have contacted the Michigan State Police and they have consented to investigate this matter. The Detroit Police Department will cooperate fully with the investigation.”

One aspect of the incident that may prove to be pivotal is the use of a flash-bang grenade- a tool used by police teams in serious negotiations, such as those with a “barricaded gunman.” Detroit Police spokesman John Roach has also confirmed that a film crew from A&E show The First 48 was present with the police department’s special response team, filming during the incident. (A&E has declined comment on the tragedy.)

Assistant Police Chief Ralph Godbee made a statement about the incident Sunday, promising that the incident would be fully investigated:

“This is a tragedy of unspeakable magnitude to Aiyana’s parents, family and all those who loved her,” Godbee said. “We cannot undo what occurred this morning. All we can do is to pledge an open and full investigation, and to support Aiyana’s family in whatever way.”

“We have executed countless high-risk warrants where children have been present,” Godbee said. “This was a perfect storm for tragedy.

The Detroit Coalition Against Police Brutality’s Ron Scott spoke to the Detroit Free Press about the use of the flash-bang grenade, a decision he calls “highly unusual” in that context:

“We’ve never heard of this happening,” Scott said of using a stun grenade to make a homicide arrest. “I think there needs to be some serious look at policy in relation to how this situation happened.”

Scott also insinuated that the presence of a film crew may have endangered both civilians and police during the controversial incident.

Inquiry sought in sleeping 7-year-old’s shooting by police is a post from: The Inquisitr

Felix Sabates has always been a NASCAR owner known for running off at the mouth, but his latest diatribe against the City of Detroit and the State of Michigan is so offensive, so hateful that he should face sanctions from NASCAR, and be banned from Michigan all together. Speaking on the recent struggles of NASCAR Sabates said the following to Brant James of thatsracing.com, “I mean, there’s nobody left in Detroit other than the police and the unemployed. I’d cut Michigan off the schedule altogether. Michigan – I’m talking about the state – is never coming back to what it used to be, so why go there and throw good money after bad money?”

Very nice, Felix. Since you are a total moron, let me educate you on the importance of NASCAR racing to Detroit, and the great NASCAR fans that live there. If you haven’t guessed by now, I am a native Detroiter. So I know the lay of the land, I also owe my entire sports writing career to the fine, and plentiful racing fans in both Detroit and Michigan. One of my most successful writing gigs of my career was a local Detroit NASCAR column featured on examiner.com. It was one of the top five Detroit based examiner.com columns in 2009, and the main reason that I am now a full time professional sports writer.

Let us also not forget that Detroit is the home of the Big Three American car companies who contributions to the sport of NASCAR over the years are far to numerous to list. This also happens to be the home state of Jack Roush, owner of Roush-Fenway Racing,  Roger Penske, owner of Penske Racing, both of whom just happen to be far more successful NASCAR team owners than Felix himself could ever hope to be.

Not to mention Michigan is, home to NASCAR Truck series champion Johnny Benson, and rising NASCAR star Brad Keselowski. If Felix wants NASCAR to be fixed maybe we should start by banning him as an owner. In 14 years of ownership he has a pretty pathetic record featuring only  seven wins. Most of which came with Kyle Petty, son of NASCAR King Richard Petty, at the wheel. Maybe the real reason Felix hates Michigan so much is that he has never won a race here as a car owner.

More NASCAR News and Notes

Detroit Sports Complete

Felix Sabates hates the City of Detroit, and the State of Michigan is a post from: The Inquisitr

As we continue our year in review, we must also remember that this is also the end of a decade. It got me wondering about who would be the Detroit Professional of the past decade? What would the qualifications be? Should a distinction be awarded on stats, or on accomplishment? How high shall we rank popularity of fans?

They are all a part of the formula, but the sad fact here is Detroit Sports over this past decade have been rather poor. Sure three World Championships were delivered to this city, and the Detroit Tigers made a World Series experience, however the Tigers were also one of the worst team in MLB history in 2003, the Detroit Lions have been a joke for a long time, and while the Detroit Pistons looked to be on a magical run they only won one title and have regressed quickly into obscurity.

Let us take a look at this by team. Nominees from the Detroit Red Wings seems pretty easy, Captain Steve Yzerman and Defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom. Both delivered two Stanley Cup Championships to Detroit, while Lidstrom also won six Norris Trophy’s as the best Defenseman in the entire NHL. For the Pistons we have to go with Chauncey Billups or Ben Wallace, both were key parts of the magical Piston run, and their departure signaled the end of an era. In the case of the Lions, Kicker Jason Hanson gets nominated by default. The Tigers don’t really seem to have a nominee. No one player made a lasting impact on this team over the past 10 years. The closest thing we have to that is Curtis Granderson, so by default he is the Tigers nominee.

In the end I think we have to go with Nicklas Lidstrom of the Red Wings. For six of the past ten years he was voted to be the best at his position. He brought two Stanley Cups to Detroit, one as Captain. In fact many Red Wings fans would say that he was the single most important piece of the Red Wings organization that has won four Stanley Cup in the last 15 years.

Detroit Professional Athlete of the decade is a post from: The Inquisitr

37-year-old Jamar Pinkney Sr. is facing a first degree murder charge in the Monday shooting death of his son, 15-year-old Jamar Pinkney Jr., in a field in Detroit’s Highland Park.

The incident was sparked by allegations that the younger Jamar Pinkney had “sexual contact” with a three-year old. The boy’s mother, Lazette Cherry, confirmed to the Detroit Free Press that her son had admitted the incident to her, at which time she involved the elder Pinkney:

“I called and told his father. This isn’t something you sweep under the rug,” she said.

Cherry said the elder Pinkney arrived at the home with a gun, ordered his son to strip and marched him outside despite her protests.

“He got on his knees and begged, ‘No, Daddy, No,’ and he pulled the trigger,” Cherry said.

Defense attorney Corbett O’Meara hopes prosecutors will take Pinkney’s mental state into consideration when compiling their case:

“If something were to happen that would cause a reasonable person to lose control of himself, that is something the prosecution would have to take into account,” O’Meara said outside Highland Park District Court.

Detroit father accused of shooting, killing 15-year-old son in field is a post from: The Inquisitr

Titus Glover, also known as Baatin, founder of acclaimed rap act Slum Village has died.

Baatin’s death was confirmed by the Detroit Free Press. No details are available as to when or how the rapper died. News of his death came a day after Hip Hop Wired reported his return to the group for their upcoming album Villa Manifesto, which drops on September 22nd. Baatin suffered from health problems prior to his death.

Baatin, aka Titus Glover, was 35.

Baatin of Slum Village has died is a post from: The Inquisitr

Every once in a while we need to have a reality check and right now it appears that we might be getting a big one when it comes to our cities. For much too long there has been this idea that bigger is better. Bigger cars, bigger stores, bigger factories and to house all this big business even bigger cities. It is a mindset that has been with us for generations, however it may be one that may see some drastic changes as we work our way through this current recession.

The idea of sprawling suburbia and all the interconnecting services required support that kind of land use is undergoing some serious reconsideration. As factories close and large sections of cities have turned into abandoned businesses and homes there is a growing thought that maybe the time has come to make our cities smaller.

One of the leading proponents of this idea is Dan Kildee, treasurer of Genesee County which also includes the  city of Flint Michigan. The civic leaders of Flint believe that in order for the city to survive it must contract its size by 40 percent. This means literally razing portions of the city to the ground and return it to a more natural condition.

In an interview with Tom Leonard, Mr. Kildee said

"The real question is not whether these cities shrink – we’re all shrinking – but whether we let it happen in a destructive or sustainable way," said Mr Kildee. "Decline is a fact of life in Flint. Resisting it is like resisting gravity."

The city of Flint, some 60 miles from Detroit, is the original home of General Motors who at its height employed some 79,000 people. The number now is probably closer to 8,000 along with an unemployment rte of 20 percent and a population of only around 110,000 people. Behind all this has been a steady exodus of young people as they look for new places to call home. Tie this is with the collapse of the housing market and you are seeing huge tracts of the city sitting empty.

Mr. Kildee points out thouogh that this downsizing of cities requires an incredible shift in social thinking as it goes against some of the core American ideas about growth.

"The obsession with growth is sadly a very American thing. Across the US, there’s an assumption that all development is good, that if communities are growing they are successful. If they’re shrinking, they’re failing."

But some Flint dustcarts are collecting just one rubbish bag a week, roads are decaying, police are very understaffed and there were simply too few people to pay for services, he said.

If the city didn’t downsize it will eventually go bankrupt, he added

The city has been lucky enough to revitalize the formerly abandon city center but at the same time thay have also torn down 1,100. That however is really just the beginning as far as Mr. Kildee is concerned as he see yet another 3,000 homes that need to make an appointment with the city bulldozers.

Already, some streets peter out into woods or meadows, no trace remaining of the homes that once stood there.

Choosing which areas to knock down will be delicate but many of them were already obvious, he said.

The city is buying up houses in more affluent areas to offer people in neighbourhoods it wants to demolish. Nobody will be forced to move, said Mr Kildee.

This idea of re-constituting a city by reassessing its land requirements is just being confined to Detroit and Flint. After the presidential election Kildee was approached by the Obama government to take what he has learnt with Flint and see what other cities in the United States could also benefit from this kind of idea.

Mr Kildee said he will concentrate on 50 cities, identified in a recent study by the Brookings Institution, an influential Washington think-tank, as potentially needing to shrink substantially to cope with their declining fortunes.

Most are former industrial cities in the "rust belt" of America’s Mid-West and North East. They include Detroit, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Memphis.

Whenever I read about this idea of smaller being better, even if it is out of survival, it reminds me of t he writings of E.F. Schumacher back in the 1970’s of which his most famous book is Small is Beautiful. It’s a shame we’ve had to go through so much heartache to realize that our drive for bigger is better might not be the right way to.

picture courtesy of The Telegraph Online

The changing city landscape in the US is a post from: The Inquisitr