“Demolition Planning” in a U.S. Legacy City: Using Stakeholder Input to Plan for the Demolition of Blighted, Vacant Properties in Flint, Michigan

Abstract

This paper presents a case study of participatory “demolition planning” for blighted, vacant properties in the legacy city of Flint, Michigan. It outlines how the Genesee County Land Bank Authority (GCLBA) used residents’ responses to a survey about demolition priorities to create an algorithm that assigns demolition scores to blighted properties in Flint. The survey results showed that residents’ top priority was demolishing blighted properties located directly next door to occupied properties. Fire-damaged properties, blighted properties in proximity to schools, and blighted properties located in highly occupied neighborhoods were the next highest priorities. There were few spatial differences in survey responses at the neighborhood (i.e., city ward) level. We discuss the implications of these findings and how other communities can adapt and improve upon the GCLBA’s surveying and algorithm creation efforts.