Grocery Stores

'Grocery Walk' Gathers D.C. Residents to Bring Attention to Lack of Food Options
Neighborhoods with mostly minority populations in Washington, D.C. suffer from a lack of quality grocery stores. A large group of neighborhood activists are trying to do something about it.

Considering the Street Level in San Francisco's New Urban District
In examining the question of whether a new high rise development in San Francisco achieves success at street level, John King picks up an age-old, but always relevant, debate.

Bag Tax Making a Big Difference in Chicago, Study Finds
NYU study finds 30% decrease in use of disposable bags since the city of Chicago implemented a seven-cent tax on them.

An Argument Against Government Incentives for Grocery Stores
Food desert-busting is one of the cross-over opportunities between planning and public health, but it's unclear how effective bringing healthy foods to underserved neighborhoods has been.

Dallas to Offers a $3 Million Carrot for Grocery Store Development
Hoping to attract investments in grocery stores in the food desert of southern Dallas, the City Council recently approved a $3 million enticement.
Mapping Grocery Store Closures around New York City
Thought eh majority of grocery stores that have closed in New York City recent years were located in Brooklyn, the issue still spreads far and wide through the city's boroughs.

Don't Blame Supermarkets for Food Deserts
Quartz makes the point that supermarkets alone won't solve the problem of poor diets among low-income Americans.
What's Wrong With Walk Score's Food Desert Map
Walk Score’s new food desert map is a potentially powerful tool in the ongoing policy debate about access to healthy foods. But it’s still a work in progress.

How Easy is Walking to the Grocery Store in Your City?
Angie Schmitt shares news of an effort by WalkScore to rank cities based on the ability of residents to access grocery stores on foot. WalkScore invites planners all over country to use their data to improve walkable access to food in cities.
Atlanta’s Food Desert Problem
An estimated 500,000 residents of the Atlanta area live without access to grocery stores. A recent article asks the obvious question: “Why can we build multimillion-dollar highway systems and multibillion-dollar stadiums but not more grocery stores?"
The Demise of Fresh & Easy: What Does It Mean for Food Deserts?
What does the impending demise of the Fresh & Easy grocery chain mean for food deserts? Hannah Burton Laurison and Christine Fry look at how small-format grocery stores can still succeed where Fresh & Easy failed.
Trader Joe's Expands Its Floor Space
The Trader Joe's grocery chain, which has long cultivated a funky neighborhood vibe, is going national and opening bigger stores. Will communities still love a big box TJs?
Food Deserts Exaggerated
The "food deserts" problem is receiving heightened attention following the release of the USDA's locator map. But this analysis relies on the suspect premise that suburban supermarkets are superior to small, walkable urban foodsellers.
Sushi from Walgreens?
The New York Times reports that retailers more used to selling aspirin and greeting cards are now offering more elaborate grocery options.
Grocery Stores Becoming Hot Mall Properties
Supermarkets are moving in to spaces vacated by department stores in malls, which until recently were too costly for grocery stores to rent.
The Solution to Food Deserts: WalMart?
Activists who want to solve the problem of "food deserts" in underserved areas push for co-ops and and independent grocery stores. But would large chains like WalMart be a better solution?
Geolocating Your Fruity Pebbles
"Indoor positioning systems" are getting closer to reality, placing products at your fingertips by tracking them down within the store.
Combatting the Food Desert of Detroit
Grist's food editor visits Detroit, where the lack of grocery stores has inspired a number of innovative, locally-grown food projects.
Dollar Stores and Groceries Bouncing Back
A new study shows a significant increase in planned new retail stores over the past three months, and discounters and grocery stores are leading the way.
The Big Business Behind Local Opposition to Wal-Mart
Typically thought of as a war to protect small businesses in communities from being swallowed up by a giant, the local opposition to Wal-Mart stores is often funded secretly by other major grocery chains.
Pagination
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