Easier said than done....especially when someone from another state wants to be close to fellow alliances members in another....especially if there is a long time frame til that persons army reach that city...in that time someone else could take the city.

It is annoying and something should be implemented...I have so many inactive cities around me its not funny.....also what would help is that when someone abandon a city, that they go back into flats and not NPC (barbarian) cities..