Cities and counties all over the South are restricting further development of dollar stores.

Adina Solomon reports from DeKalb County, Georgia, where the county has implemented, and recently extended, a moratorium on new dollar stores (e.g., Dollar Tree, Dollar General) in unincorporated parts of the county.
"DeKalb’s moratorium, which will remain in effect until the end of July at least, came about because of concern from elected officials over dollar stores not providing enough fresh food in neighborhoods with limited grocery store options," writes Solomon. "The county of more than 756,000 has about 70 dollar stores."
According to Solomon, other local governments have passed similar restrictions on dollar stores, including the city of Stonecrest in Dekalb. Atlanta has also "restricted dollar stores from locating within a mile of each other in most neighborhoods," and "Cities across the country — including Tulsa and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Fort Worth, Texas, and Birmingham, Alabama — have also passed restrictions on dollar stores."
According to Solomon, researchers have not yet provided definitive answers on the effect of dollar stores on localities. One study, published by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance at the end of 2018, found that dollar stores are forcing consolidation in the grocery store industry. The DeKalb County moratorium will provide researchers from Georgia State University to study the connection of dollar stores to crime, property values, and the local economy in the county.
FULL STORY: Questions Persist as Another Municipality Regulates Dollar Stores

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.

Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall
A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work
Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle
Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.
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