Using Zoning To Survive Wal-Mart's Arrival

Community stands up to Wal-Mart with the help of zoning.

1 minute read

March 15, 2004, 8:00 AM PST

By Abhijeet Chavan @http://twitter.com/legalaidtech


State revenue sharing policies make playing off one community against another harder in Wisconsin and ordinances to regulate big-box design are cropping up all over the place. From Delavan and Watertown to Plymouth and Baraboo communities are setting new standards. Nearby Oregon, a fallback if Wal-Mart gives up on Stoughton, is already talking about such an ordinance.The state's spread-the-wealth formula for revenue-sharing means that a community's tax-base gains from a big-box store are "at best a wash." "Small-town residents can't do much to hold back the tide of globalism that brings Americans both cheap goods and depressed wages; love it or hate it, Wal-Mart isn't going away anytime soon. But through their zoning powers, communities can at least control what big-box stores will look like. And that, in turn, is one way to prevent engaging little places like Stoughton from turning into Anywhere USA."

Thanks to Bud Laumer

Sunday, March 7, 2004 in Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

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

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight