Fairfax County Supervisors have approved a new measure to restrict the development of stores larger than 80,000 square feet, against the protests of the business community.
"After listening to heated testimony, supervisors voted 5 to 3, with two abstentions, to require that retail developers seek permission before they build stores of 80,000 square feet or more. The goal, according to the measure's supporters, is to lessen the negative effects of big boxes, including noise, traffic and aesthetic blight.
The bigger these big boxes are, the more impacts there will be on residential neighborhoods," said Supervisor Linda Q. Smyth (D-Providence). "And we don't have the means to review them. We need these added protections."
That sentiment was so strong among supervisors that they rejected a request by business leaders to raise the threshold for the new restrictions to 100,000 square feet -- slightly smaller than the typical Target. Supervisors did, however, agree to revisit the size in 18 months to see whether predictions of a chilling effect on retail development come true."
FULL STORY: Fairfax to Set Limits On Big-Box Stores
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.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
Bend, Oregon Zoning Reforms Prioritize Small-Scale Housing
The city altered its zoning code to allow multi-family housing and eliminated parking mandates citywide.
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.
LA Denies Basic Services to Unhoused Residents
The city has repeatedly failed to respond to requests for trash pickup at encampment sites, and eliminated a program that provided mobile showers and toilets.
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.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie