The Washington Post writes on the impact that lifestyle centers are having on the behaviors of retailers, developers and consumers.
"After more than 50 years of building big, boxy, enclosed malls in suburbs across the country, developers cannot fit any more into most communities. So they are turning back the clock (and filling in the spaces) with open-air shopping centers designed to look and feel like small-town downtowns." The Post reports that "U.S. developers will open more than 30 of them through 2004, compared with only 13 enclosed malls, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers." The Post also reports that, on average, consumers spend more money at open air malls but in less time, making them attractive to consumers and retailers alike. "The open-air shopping centers possess that rare quality in retail -- 'walkability.' A regional mall often requires a 10-minute walk from one department store to the next. Open-air centers generally contain less than half the 1 million square feet of a regional mall."
Thanks to Connie Chung
FULL STORY: Retailers Embrace the Great Outdoors

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.

Half of Post-Fire Altadena Home Sales Were to Corporations
Large investors are quietly buying up dozens of properties in Altadena, California, where a devastating wildfire destroyed more than 6,000 homes in January.

Opinion: What San Francisco’s Proposed ‘Family Zoning’ Could Really Mean
Mayor Lurie is using ‘family zoning’ to encourage denser development and upzoning — but could the concept actually foster community and more human-scale public spaces?

Jacksonville Launches First Autonomous Transit Shuttle in US
A fleet of 14 fully autonomous vehicles will serve a 3.5-mile downtown Jacksonville route with 12 stops.
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.
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
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