The city has indicated this is the last time it will extend a permit for a drive-thru at a McDonald’s restaurant as it transitions to supporting a denser, more walkable downtown environment.
The drive-thru window at a downtown Dallas McDonald’s fast food restaurant will stay open an additional two years after the City Plan Commission approved a temporary renewal of the company’s permit. “This decision highlights the broader debate between urban development goals and the practical needs of businesses in a changing downtown environment.”
According to The Dallas Express, critics say the drive-thru is not in line with the city’s goal to make downtown more walkable and dense. The article notes that the restaurant is a popular, affordable option for workers in the area, but city officials say it could continue operating successfully without the drive-thru. “The franchisee is encouraged to adapt and find ways to keep the business viable without the drive-thru, in line with downtown Dallas’ future vision of a more walkable, dense urban area.”
Read the full story: McDonald’s Drive-Thru In Downtown Dallas May Stay Open For Two More Years Amid City Vision Debate
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Chicago breaks ground on $3 billion megadevelopment
The new neighborhood, titled Foundry Park, will one day host 3,700 residences.
California High-Speed Rail Authority CEO resigns after $600,000 scandal
Under Ian Choudri, the authority used taxpayer dollars to fund first class flights and trips to nightclubs.
Want to study the Missouri River? Soon, you may need unanimous approval from 10 states
Legislation would require 10 governors’ permission to study or build projects moving water outside the basin.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority