With suburbia saturated, large retailers chase an urban market poised for growth.
The very symbol of suburbia -- the big box store -- is moving downtown, chasing younger shoppers who are choosing city apartments over leafy lawns. Wal-Mart, Office Depot, and Target are all actively expanding into urban locations and, for the first time, adapting their stores to city living. That means working with tight spaces, such as stocking fewer goods, as well as adapting to the tastes and needs of urban shoppers who want it small, and want it fast.
It also means tweaking their distribution systems, which tend toward the one-size-fits-all approach in suburbia, to reflect the character of their surroundings. In Toronto, for example, many residents of one neighborhood happened to be recent immigrants seeking to upgrade their bathrooms as their primary home improvement, which kept the toilet seats and shower heads in the prototype city Wal-Mart flying off the shelves. Adapting to the urban environment doesn't just help court shoppers; for some retailers, it's a way to fend off the zoning battles that have accompanied previous urban forays.
The move underscores recent recent census data showing growth in urban areas inching above suburban growth for the first time in decades.
Thanks to Rachel Proctor May
FULL STORY: Retailers’ Idea: Think Smaller in Urban Push

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.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall
A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work
Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle
Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont