Detroit Contracting and Depopulating June 23, 2009 Joseph Bishop-Henchman Joseph Bishop-Henchman Mapscroll Blog has an interesting post on the depopulation of Detroit: Detroit had a population of close to 2 million. Since then it’s shed more than half its population and now, according to City Farmer, “about 30% of Detroit is now vacant land — about 40 square miles, by one estimate.” Forty square miles is roughly the size of San Francisco. The post then goes on to discuss proposals to contract the city through extensive razing. Wouldn’t improving Michigan’s tax climate, particularly the awful Michigan Business Tax, be a better option? More on Michigan here. (Hat tip William McKelvey) Stay informed on the tax policies impacting you. Subscribe to get insights from our trusted experts delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe Share Tweet Share Email Topics Michigan Tags State Tax and Spending Policy