In Detroit, shattered by the woes of the US car industry, there are already plans to split it into a collection of small urban centres separated from each other by countryside.
Maybe they could have urban gardens and wind turbines in the countryside areas. Seriously. I recall that a Detroit city council member did in fact say maybe wind turbines might be a good idea. Parts of Detroit already are empty spaces
“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.”