One Chinese lawmaker is claiming the coffee chain's outpost in Beijing's Imperial Palace Complex, a venerable symbol of American capitalism, is tainting the national culture that the site represents.
"Jiang Hongbin, who represents Heilongjiang Province, has proposed a motion to "immediately move Starbucks out of the Forbidden City" to National People's Congress, according to the Xinhua news agency.
"Starbucks must move out of the imperial palace immediately, and it can no longer be allowed to taint China's national culture," said Jiang, as cited by the Xinhua news agency, on the sidelines of the legislature's annual session.
The 720,000-square-meter (0.3 square mile) Forbidden City in Beijing, which attracts 7 million tourists a year, was home to 24 emperors from the Ming and Qing dynasties for a period beginning in the early 15th century and running through the 1920s.
Starbucks was invited by the management company that oversees the site to open its outlet in September 2000. The cafe, the smallest Starbucks shop, was located in a tiny lounge where Qing officials gathered before meeting the emperor.
Rent paid by Starbucks is used for maintenance of the palace. Yet the U.S.-based coffee chain has been criticized before for affecting the historic and cultural heritage of Forbidden City and was ordered to remove its green logo in 2005."
Defenders point out that other retailers operate in the complex, and that the company is unfairly being targeted.
FULL STORY: Banning Starbucks From The Forbidden City
Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself
The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.
Savannah Reduces Speed Limits on Almost 100 City Streets
The historic Georgia city is lowering speed limits in an effort to reduce road fatalities.
A Park Reborn: Resilience and Renewal in Fire-Stricken Altadena
Rebuilt in just two months after the devastating Eaton Fire, Loma Alta Park now stands as a symbol of community resilience and renewal, even as some residents hope recovery efforts will continue to support housing stability and long-term equity.
Spain Moves to Ban 66,000 Airbnbs
The national government is requiring the short-term rental operator to remove thousands of illegal listings from its site as part of an effort to stem a growing housing crisis.
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.
City of Clovis
City of Moorpark
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions