Red Mark of Death

Part of the problem is the color coding program started in 1937 by the US gov that went to somewhere mid 60's. It created MASSIVE disinvestment in cities and concentrated poverty. Between that, the highway system and cars available to such a large percentage of the US population, the US policies that favored new builds over fixing up existing housing, and the way we pay for schools that creates horrible ones in inner cities (areas of the most disinvestment over the last many decades) that bars people with children who have options and would WANT to live in urban areas from doing so...we've spent a long time taking many US cities apart. With predictable results.

Painted with goat's blood. Very biblical. It makes me want to punch a reverend.

Skipweasel, many of the houses in the US built after 1950 are not as sturdy as very old houses. I just left a house built in 1923 for a house built in 1905. Both are extremely well constructed, and will probably last another hundred years.

After the second World War, builders developed new methods for constructing modern affordable homes quickly for returning servicemen who started families and pursued the American Dream. Some of those will last a long time, many won't.

skip, we tend to destroy things in the US more often than in other countries, is true. We simply have far too many people trying to make a fast buck. (Wall St mess is very good example) The cities are run to the ground, crime everywhere, run down homes, and no one seems to see it for years. Then when they do take notice, it's tear it down! Demo must be biggest business here!
Tell Mayor Brown to save everyone the trouble of living in the shadow of a former great city...when you get that dozer ready for the aud just keep going until you see Niagara County!

Seriously this is dorky compared to the "X" marks on homes. Check out the episode of Jericho that mentions them. Pretty heavy. Echhhh, somewhere in the first season, but I can't find which one.

Anyway the whole series is streamed on the CBS website to watch for free.