Because of closures at big box stores like Toys R US, 2018 will see total retail space down sharply even while the number of store closures is small compared to last year.

Credit Suisse projects a big drop in retail square footage in 2018. The year’s closures tend more toward large square footage stores, meaning total retail square footage will be down sharply, they predict. "As closures skew towards big-box retailers like Toys R US — which announced in March it was shuttering or selling all of its 700 US stores — and Sears — which said in January that it was shutting more than 100 stores," Mamta Badkar reports in the Financial Times (the article is behind a paywall).
While closing brick and mortar retail stores is not a new trend 2018 looks to be different from 2017 in some important ways. "This year they note a shift from so-called soft line retailers, which sell clothing and linen, to hardline stores that typically sell consumer electronics and home furnishings, and more closures at so-called bigger box stores," Badkar reports.
FULL STORY: US set to lose another big chunk of retail space in 2018 — CS (paywall)

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

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

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Defunct Pittsburgh Power Plant to Become Residential Tower
A decommissioned steam heat plant will be redeveloped into almost 100 affordable housing units.

Trump Prompts Restructuring of Transportation Research Board in “Unprecedented Overreach”
The TRB has eliminated more than half of its committees including those focused on climate, equity, and cities.

Amtrak Rolls Out New Orleans to Alabama “Mardi Gras” Train
The new service will operate morning and evening departures between Mobile and New Orleans.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont