Borders committed to opening urban bookstores in Chicago, San Francisco, Detroit join Washington, other cities.
"Borders Group Inc. is becoming an urban pioneer. The book retailer is opening stores in Chicago, San Francisco and Detroit in once-devastated retail areas or in commercial or industrial areas that have never had places to shop. The Detroit store opened on the ground floor of Compuware Corp.s new world headquarters amid shuttered storefronts and empty buildings -- many of them under renovation. Urban locations are not always an easy sell, especially for large stores similar to Borders that rely on roomy parking lots. But Ann Arbor-based Borders, the countrys second-largest bookseller, has 50 stores in urban settings out of 480. Alex Lelli, vice president of development, said urban stores are big contributors to the Borders profits. Detroits store, which opened in November, has exceeded sales expectations, though the company wont provide sales figures. Its too early to say how well the stores in Chicago and San Francisco are doing. Lelli said the newest stores are opening in places that arent obvious -- Borders is looking for areas where redevelopment looks like its going to take off. 'We hopefully make that decision at the right time,' he said."
Thanks to Richard Layman
FULL STORY: Borders makes habit of being first to go in downtown

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

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.

Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?
Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.

In California Battle of Housing vs. Environment, Housing Just Won
A new state law significantly limits the power of CEQA, an environmental review law that served as a powerful tool for blocking new development.

Boulder Eliminates Parking Minimums Citywide
Officials estimate the cost of building a single underground parking space at up to $100,000.

Orange County, Florida Adopts Largest US “Sprawl Repair” Code
The ‘Orange Code’ seeks to rectify decades of sprawl-inducing, car-oriented development.
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