Planning for Retail

This paper is about retail development and its impact on local and regional communities. As the Big-box phenomena continues to play out in the 21st century, planning departments across the nation have been called to action with respect to addressing negative aspects of retail development. The purpose of this paper is to examine the nature of retail, by tracing the evolving retail form and applying critical analysis to planning practices that no longer safeguard community interests in relation to retail industry initiatives. Specifically, this paper discusses issues that shape the social, economic and physical design of urban life. To that end, this paper reflects on the impact of retail and offers guidelines for resolving potential community/retail conflicts.