The company is building its biggest-ever distribution centers in New York, Colorado, and California.
Despite canceling or delaying more than 40 planned warehouse facilities, Amazon just won approval to build another massive distribution center in Niagara, New York. According to an article by Jack Daleo in FreightWaves, Amazon is already building two more megawarehouses: a five-story, 4.1 million-square-foot facility in Ontario, California, and a five-story, 3.8 million-square-foot project in Loveland, Colorado.”
The company is expected to open 250 additional facilities of various sizes in 2022. “Chief Financial Officer Brian Olslavsky estimated on the company’s earnings call that Amazon is allocating 40% of its spending capital to support warehouse and transportation capacity.” Meanwhile, the company lost 99,000 workers in the second quarter of 2022. “It’s a sign that the company elected not to replace the thousands of workers who left between April and June.”
Amazon has been buying significant swaths of real estate across the country, tripling its holdings of built industrial space between 2020 and 2022.
FULL STORY: Amazon is doubling down on its warehouse strategyz
Amazon Shifting From Land Lessee to Land Owner
Amazon has been tending to buy when previously it would have leased, and the trend has massive implications for the industrial real estate market.
Communities Near Warehouses Unprotected by Outdated Zoning Codes
Today’s massive modern distribution centers have outsized impacts on adjacent neighborhoods. But outdated zoning codes often let them slip through the cracks with no environmental review.
Warehouse Sprawl Prompts Calls for Regional Planning
As e-commerce giants like Amazon build more and more facilities, advocates say a regional approach is needed to prevent sprawl and look beyond local benefits.
Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?
Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?
Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.
Greening Oakland’s School Grounds
With help from community partners like the Trust for Public Land, Oakland Unified School District is turning barren, asphalt-covered schoolyards into vibrant, green spaces that support outdoor learning, play, and student well-being.
California Governor Suspends CEQA Reviews for Utilities in Fire Areas
Utility restoration efforts in areas affected by the January wildfires in Los Angeles will be exempt from environmental regulations to speed up the rebuilding of essential infrastructure.
Native American Communities Prepare to Lead on Environmental Stewardship
In the face of federal threats to public lands and conservation efforts, indigenous groups continue to model nature-centered conservation efforts.
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.
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Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
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