The city of Lancaster is prepared give more than five acres of the city park for a shopping center, but residents and two former mayors oppose the plan.
"City officials are prepared to slice off more than five acres of Lancaster City Park and use it for a shopping center if that's what it takes to keep the Costco warehouse store. City officials are considering taking the park's southwest corner and using it with adjoining vacant land for a commercial development that they won't identify, but which fits the scope of the Costco expansion that the city has been trying for years to expedite." In need of revenue, the city estimates the store will generate $400,000 a year in sales tax receipts. However, the city's plan, which was discovered by a local resident, is drawing criticism from opponents citing the lack of parks in Lancaster.
Thanks to David Abel
FULL STORY: City may convert parkland
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
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.
Google Maps Introduces New Transit, EV Features
It will now be easier to find electric car charging stations and transit options.
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.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
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.