A reporter attends a SmartCode conference and speculates on how New Urbanism principles could help Bentonville, AR -- home of the original Wal-Mart and the company's headquarters.
"While Bentonville residents main gripe is traffic, fear not the SmartCode zoning and other New Urbanist development offers solutions to the traffic problems," writes staff writer Rachel Lianna Davis about Bentonville, Arkansas, the home town of Wal-Mart.
"Bentonville Planning Commissioners and city leaders are working hard to encourage the right kind of growth here. Bentonville is on the forefront of long-range planning, with a decisive General Plan, a Downtown Master Plan, and a Master Street Plan."
Thanks to Laura Kranz
Read the full story: SmartCode zoning could help traffic woes
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.
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.
Chicago voters approve permanent festival grounds, penalty for vacant property owners
Currently, major summer and fall festivals take over public parks for weeks at a time, drawing criticism from nearby residents
NYC votes to cut outdoor dining red tape, speed up permitting
New York City also voted to allow the Department of Transportation to begin work on urgent projects before notifying elected officials.
California appears to reject Prop. 45
The proposition would have expanded the projects that qualify for a streamlined environmental review, effectively paring down the California Environmental Quality Act.
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