ABSTRACT
This chapter begins with a conceptual discussion of the broader transition away from managerial land abandonment techniques to those dominated by market logics. The market-first/market-only continuum has narrowed the range of acceptable social policy options considerably, particularly in the United States. Few laws are intrinsically "managerial" or "market first", but all such strategies are framed by legal parameters. The nature of managerial programs vary, but they typically consist of legal mechanisms allowing the city to inspect properties and then warn owners who are in violation. A number of managerial land-abandonment techniques still exist and are sometimes used to penalize property owners who fail to live up to community mores or safety requirements. Detroit's land abandonment regime is notable in a number of respects. Think tanks present the legislation for the land-abandonment regime, and neoliberal notions of profligacy are driving the current austerity budget that will be imposed after bankruptcy.
