Will Flint become a pioneer in how to purposely shrink a city?

The New York Times, April 21

Instead of waiting for houses to become abandoned and then pulling them down, local leaders in Flint, Mich., are talking about demolishing entire blocks and even whole neighborhoods. The population, stores and services would be condensed into a few viable areas and the rest would return to nature. Planned shrinkage became a workable concept in Michigan a few years ago, when the state changed its laws regarding properties foreclosed for delinquent taxes, allowing them to become the domain of county land banks. Other cities with shrinkage problems are setting up land banks as well. More here.