Dollar stores were already a presence in rural communities, but recession has caused dollar chains to ramp up development to keep pace with the public's growing need to stretch their paychecks. Urban communities aren't immune from chain creep either.
Louisa County, VA. planner and Rooflines blogger David Holtzman writes about the ever growing presence of dollar store chains in rural parts of the country in his blog post "Dollar Stores Take Their Place on the Block." While praising the willingness of these chains to open up in places where other larger retailers will not (incomes in rural areas have long lagged those in suburban and urban communities), Holtzman notes that a preponderance of any of these stores in a community could potentially rid it of vibrancy and uniqueness.
Concern with the spread of chain stores is not limited to rural America, however. In a new piece for The Atlantic Cities, Sarah Goodyear looks at the spread of 7-Elevens in New York City, the perceived threat to the neighborhood bodega, and the ensuing backlash. "The rise of 7-Eleven is just one example of the increasing dominance of chain stores in the city at large," observes Goodyear. "[T]here’s no denying that the texture of the city would be flattened if the idiosyncratic bodega became an endangered species. Not so much because of what the stores sell as because of the larger role they play in the community."
FULL STORY: The Dollar Stores Take Their Place on the Block
Oregon Passes Exemption to Urban Growth Boundary
Cities have a one-time chance to acquire new land for development in a bid to increase housing supply and affordability.
Where Urban Design Is Headed in 2024
A forecast of likely trends in urban design and architecture.
Savannah: A City of Planning Contrasts
From a human-scales, plaza-anchored grid to suburban sprawl, the oldest planned city in the United States has seen wildly different development patterns.
Washington Tribes Receive Resilience Funding
The 28 grants support projects including relocation efforts as coastal communities face the growing impacts of climate change.
Adaptive Reuse Bills Introduced in California Assembly
The legislation would expand eligibility for economic incentives and let cities loosen regulations to allow for more building conversions.
LA's Top Parks, Ranked
TimeOut just released its list of the top 26 parks in the L.A. area, which is home to some of the best green spaces around.
City of Rochester
Boston Harbor Now
City of Bellevue
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Birmingham, Alabama
City of Laramie, Wyoming
Colorado Department of Local Affairs
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.