Communities near major e-commerce distribution centers are increasingly resisting new construction, citing air pollution and other public health impacts.
Southern California communities that have for decades borne the brunt of pollution caused by the logistics industry are putting moratoriums on warehouse construction. As Ngai Yeung and Augusta Saraiva write for Bloomberg CityLab, “Calls for more stringent environmental monitoring in warehousing areas -- disproportionately home to communities of color -- have grown louder as supply-chain chaos pushed shipping and logistics issues to the top of the agenda in Southern California.”
The opposition to new construction is putting pressure on e-commerce companies that are seeing growing demand for warehouse space—1 million square feet for every $1 billion in additional online sales, according to CBRE Group Inc. Vacancy in the Inland Empire is down to 0.4 percent, with 40 million square feet of distribution centers already under construction.
The region, through which most goods imported via the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach pass on their way to destinations farther afield, has the nation’s highest ozone pollution levels. According to the article, “The moratoriums have allowed communities to explore emission-reduction initiatives, including proposals to redesign truck routes, restrict the size of warehouses and rezone some neighborhoods to create warehouse districts.”
FULL STORY: Los Angeles Warehousing Mecca Halts Expansion Just as Needs Soar
Inland Port Planned for Mojave Desert
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Communities Near Warehouses Unprotected by Outdated Zoning Codes
Today’s massive modern distribution centers have outsized impacts on adjacent neighborhoods. But outdated zoning codes often let them slip through the cracks with no environmental review.
Warehouse Sprawl Prompts Calls for Regional Planning
As e-commerce giants like Amazon build more and more facilities, advocates say a regional approach is needed to prevent sprawl and look beyond local benefits.
Inclusive Prosperity: No Displacement Necessary
Recent analysis identifies nearly 200 U.S. neighborhoods that have achieved the highly-sought-after goal of increasing the prosperity of residents without displacing the existing community.
Making Healthy Places
The editors of the book "Making Healthy Places," recently published in a second edition by Island Press, discuss the intersections of public health and planning, including key concepts such as green gentrification, health impact assessments, and AI.
Chicago ADUs Concentrated in More Affluent Neighborhoods
An analysis of city-issued permits shows that homeowners in gentrified wards are building accessory dwelling units at much higher rates than those in less well-off communities.
Is it a Rowhouse, or a Rowhome?
Philadelphia has long been acknowledged as the capital of rowhouses in the United States. It’s becoming more common for those rowhouses to be referred to as rowhomes.
Maps for Proposed San Francisco Bay Tunnel Revealed
Planners presented two options for new tunnels that would help connect more parts of the Northern California megaregion to San Francisco and Oakland.
How the Yellowstone Floods Laid Bare a Housing Crisis
This year’s historic floods ravaged communities already roiled by spiking housing costs and a shortage of available workforce housing near the nation’s oldest national park.
Lane Council of Governments
City of Albuquerque Planning Department
City of Albuquerque Planning Department
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Smart City Expo World Congress
Daniel R. Mandelker
City of Charleston
City of Crystal River
Sun City Center Community Association, Inc
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.
Hand Drawing Master Plans
This course aims to provide an introduction into Urban Design Sketching focused on how to hand draw master plans using a mix of colored markers.
