This piece from The Roanoke Times laments the coming of a Wal-Mart Supercenter, and blasts the planning process that let a proposed mixed-use walkable town center transform into a "big-box juggernaut".
"I'm angry about the bait and switch the developers pulled. Fairmount Properties pitched a mixed-use, upscale project to the town. People envisioned a pedestrian-friendly retail center with trees and benches."
"The developers and their backers stoked those dreams while seeking a zoning change."
"Then they showed up with a Wal-Mart, low-end hangers-on, fast food and a sea of asphalt. The promised "traditional neighborhood" design vanished."
"I'm infuriated that the town council changed the zoning to allow the project without getting everything in writing first. In the rush to boost Blacksburg's economy, council members let this happen."
FULL STORY: Blacksburg's big-box juggernaut
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Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
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Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
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Barrett Planning Group LLC
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Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
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ULI Northwest Arkansas
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