City planners in Charleston, SC would like to see some local malls redeveloped as mini-downtowns, filling in their parking lots with buildings, but local developers think they're insane. 'This really horrifies me,' says one business person.
"(City planners) said the code would help create beautiful places full of life in the suburbs, but 40 or so commercial real estate owners representing properties that would be subject to the city's proposed rules didn't see it that way.
'This really horrifies me,' said Jerry Garfinkle, representing Cisco's Cafe and Sunfire Grill in West Ashley. 'If I build 20 apartments above a restaurant, I think you'd have 20 empty apartments.'
Morgan's presentation repeatedly used the Big Kmart on Savannah Highway as an example of what the city wants to discourage, repeatedly showing a photograph of the store's vast and mostly empty parking lot.
Steven Anastasion, owner of the site, was not amused. 'This (plan) is great, if you can create a whole new city from scratch,' he said. 'We're in the real world.'
FULL STORY: Planners' dream draws fire; Could big shopping centers become mini-downtowns?

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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