E-Commerce
Traditional Retail is Hanging by a Thread. What Now for Cities?
After Kaid Benfield paints a rather grim retail outlook — where even retail bastions like San Diego are going dark — he suggests a series of actions for city leaders and planners.
Shifts in Shopping: Transforming Malls Into Parks
Maybe zombie malls still have a second life — one with a little greenery.
Key Warehouse Centers Challenge Distribution Center Expansion
Communities near major e-commerce distribution centers are increasingly resisting new construction, citing air pollution and other public health impacts.
State Reports Seeks To Guide Warehouse Development in New Jersey
With demand for sprawling e-commerce warehouses growing, New Jersey’s State Planning Commission has released a series of documents outlining best practices for cities examining warehouse proposals.
Rethinking Retail Space in the Wake of COVID-19
As e-commerce boomed and people sought outdoor shopping and dining options, the pandemic accelerated the decline of massive, merchandise-oriented retail spaces and indoor malls.
Manhattan Traffic Spreading to Other Boroughs
New travel patterns and an increased reliance on delivery services and ride-hailing are creating more congestion in New York's outer boroughs.
Amazon Plans Further Expansion
On the heels of building its HQ2 facility in Arlington, Amazon continues to expand its hubs in cities spread out across the country.
Phoenix Mall Sold for Mixed-Use Redevelopment
The former Paradise Valley Mall will undergo a conversion to a mixed-use community with homes, offices, and stores.
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.
Causes of the Pre-COVID Decline in Bus Ridership
Even before the effects fo the coronavirus pandemic drastically reduced ridership, transit riders were declining in cities across the country. The reasons for the downward trend were varied.
Report: Last-Mile Deliveries to Increase 78% by 2030
A new report from the World Economic Forum predicts dire consequences for congestion and carbon emissions if e-commerce delivery services proliferate unchecked.
Study: E-Commerce Decreases Traffic Congestion in China
Examining congestion data from 94 Chinese cities before and after Alibaba's Singles' Day, this study found evidence for a modest drop in traffic following the Cyber Monday-like event.
Teamsters Authorize Strike as Negotiations with UPS Heat Up
UPS's unionized workers have voted to authorize a strike around expanded service. If that strike does happen, it could be one of the biggest U.S. has seen in decades.
Logistics Industry Footprint Grows in the Inland Empire
Some residents are holding out as warehouse developers scope out their property. Others have already accepted offers well above market value.
Impacts of AVs and E-Commerce on Municipal Budgets
A new report from Urbanism Next/SCI takes you through a city’s budget—both revenues and expenditures—and describes the areas that will be affected as AVs become commonplace and e-commerce takes on an even larger role in retail
Explosion of Deliveries Disrupts Streets
E-commerce and its delivery trucks are a big problem for narrow streets, homes, and retailers that don't have loading docks.
Industry Analyst Predicts Grocery Store Closures Across the U.S.
Competition from online retailers forced many physical stores to close their doors, that trend could be headed for grocery stores next.
Online Shopping Statistics, Overstated and Misreported
Articles that claim online commerce have surpassed sales at brick and mortar stores are wrong, according to an article on City Observatory.
China's Urbanization Boom May Be Slowing
After a period of modernization and urban growth unrivaled in human history, several forces promise a slump, or at least a slowing. Maybe it's time to improve existing cities, not keep building new ones.
Online Retail Curbs Urban Traffic
Despite claims that urban truck traffic continues to rise, recent data shows no real increase in urban vehicle miles traveled. Online shopping may be helping keep people off the roads.
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.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
