[hinckley buzzard]

One could add Cleveland to the list. It topped out at about 850,000 in the 1950 census and is now about 475,000. I see no serious indicators that the population decline will reverse, as the city becomes Blacker and poorer. Mostly the city survives on legacy assets which will continue to dwindle over time.

Another Ohio candidate is Youngstown, once the Steel City but now a virtual urban derelict.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Cleveland and Baltimore are similar in that regard (might as well throw in New Orleans, as it now has effectively lost 2/3rds of its population, down from 600,000, along with the city my cousin once ran in the 1910s and 1920s, St. Louis, which had close to 1 million in the city, and now has just above 300k).

Youngstown has been trying a new approach, accepting the fact that it will never have the population it once did (between 150-200k). Whether it works is another story...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Youngstown%2C_Ohio
http://www.youngstown2010.com/

[paul51]

One could add Cleveland to the list

I think Buffalo could be a candidate

[RockinRight]

I have asked this question in several declining Democrat run cities across the fruited plain:

“Why do you vote Democrat in Baltimore/Cleveland/Detroit/Buffalo?”

“Because they care about the poor folks and are better for the cities.”

“Is this city in good shape?”

“It’s OK, but crime is too high, the streets aren’t safe, unemployment is too high and we have a lot of problems.”

“And what political party runs this city?”

“Democrats”

“and how long have they run the city?”

“Since 1920.”

“And you don’t see the problem here??”