The latest front line of the battle to prevent the spread of big-box stores is the city of Pleasanton, California.
Denis Cuff reports from the 680 Corridor in the East Bay Area: "A group trying to block a planned Costco in Pleasanton has collected enough signatures to force the City Council to either enact a ban on big-box stores, or put it before voters."
The group is called the Citizens for Planned Growth, and they're hoping to prevent the development of "a 40-acre development area along Johnson Drive parallel with Interstate 680 and north of Stoneridge Drive."
Read the full story: Pleasanton: Anti-Costco measure qualifies for ballot
To Clear Obstacles to Housing Affordability, Environmental Law Reformed in Washington
State and local lawmakers hope that recent reforms to the Washington State Environmental Policy Act are only an initial step toward ending the law's use as a tool for delaying affordable housing plans.
State Law Allows for Local Reform of the Washington State Environmental Policy Act
Reform of the Washington State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) is underway at the local level after a new state bill offered "safe harbor" under the law for a menu of land use and development reforms.
The Case Against Rent Control
Rent control is gaining popularity in cities and states around the country. Some economists urge caution when considering this form of tenant protection.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement
The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.
Northwest rail fans eager for Sept. 30 debut of Amtrak’s Airo fleet
Get ready for that new train smell and more seats. But they won’t go faster or run more frequently on the Cascades route in Washington and Oregon.
This rural Oklahoma town doesn’t want a data center. It may not be able to stop the project
With the project outside city limits and little county oversight of unincorporated land, officials are considering measures to gain local control.
Trump administration unlawfully slashed $7 billion in clean energy grants, judge rules
The Environmental Protection Agency ended the Solar For All program, which provided the grants, after President Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Record-breaking wildlife overpass in Colorado brings 91% reduction in animal collisions
Prior to the overpass, vehicles were hitting one deer per day on Colorado’s Interstate 25.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Thousand Oaks
City of Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello