If you look around the map, you will notice that an unsettling amount of colonies have been inactive and sit taking up space. The pros of these empty colonies are that they are "farms" for players to raid resources. The cons? Well, for one, they take up way to much space than can be considered ok. If you are looking for a strategic location for your next colony, chances are that great location is already filled up with inactive colonies. All I am saying is that the removal of a few very old ones that have not been raided in a month or so could do a lot of good.
Thanks,
X