With growth of so-called "mega-churches" continuing unabated, congregations are outgrowing their current environs and are getting creative about new buildings in which to worship. But the trend is not without controversy.
Such mega-churches are typically Protestant with weekly attendance in excess of 2,000 people. To accommodate their members, many of the churches are locating in vacant former commercial and retail spaces such as strip malls and abandoned "big-box" retail buildings. They are finding plenty of suburban property to choose from as recent trends have seen commercial and retail outlets returning to the fringes and downtowns of large cities.
Not everything is rosy in the world of rosaries, however. Many suburban cities are fighting the relocation of mega-churches to former retail buildings due to concerns over increased traffic, higher demand for city services, and the presence of a nonprofit in space that could potentially hold a tax-paying business.
[Editor's note: This article is available for free online for seven days after the publication date.]
Read the full story: Worship on a Grand Scale
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago breaks ground on $3 billion megadevelopment
The new neighborhood, titled Foundry Park, will one day host 3,700 residences.
This MA town is drowning in its own sewage — and residents like it that way
Susan Murcott, a waste water expert, said if Carlisle didn't address their leaking sewage, the problem could turn “deadly.”
Iowa taxpayers are paying thousands to clean manure out of their water
While the Clean Water Act makes states responsible for regulating factory farms that discharge pollutants, Iowa has turned a blind eye to the polluting farms.
Amtrak cuts ribbon on Seattle Airo maintenance facility
The $250 million, nearly 100,000-square-foot building can house an entire Cascades Airo trainset.
To power data centers, Google seeks autonomous control of thousands of homes’ electricity
The tech company has signed a deal to indirectly pay Mid-Atlantic residents to reduce their power demand when the grid is strained.
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
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello