Planning July 2018

In This Issue:

Planning July 2018

Retail is booming in America, but not on Main Street, where brick-and-mortar stores are losing ground to online competitors. This month, Planning drops in on small- to medium-sized cities that are updating regulations, revising codes, offering financial incentives, and more to support hometown retail and spur economic development. A follow-up zooms in on creative coping strategies under way in Athens, Ohio; Greenfield, Massachusetts; and Huntsville, Texas.

Featured Articles

Retail Realities

In the age of e-commerce, economic resiliency can't bank on brick and mortar. Jeffrey Spivak reports.

Drilling It Down

Local planners push back on state oil and gas preemptions, reports Mark Jaffe.

Staying Local, Online and Off

Three small towns find ways to keep businesses — and their revenue — close to home. Story by Kristen Pope.

The Long Journey Back

Michael Stockstill follows the winding journey of the LA River, from concrete eyesore to public amenity.

News & Departments

Perspectives

A guest column by Cynthia A. Bowen.

Intersections

Youth engagement, strong partnerships, APA's diversity strategy.

Letters

Missing the mark with May's cover.

Planning News

Montgomery lynching memorial, vacant property rates, California solar mandate.

Legal Lessons

Amicus briefs.

Ever Green

Can we give half of Earth's surface back to nature? Timothy Beatley takes a look.

Planners Library

Economic resiliency, callous design, the city's dark side.

Et Cetera

AARP's Livability Index, The Experimental City, diverse rendering figures.

Viewpoint

Planning for safe protests.

Cover: Photo courtesy Central Business Improvement District, Madison, Wisconsin.