Elaine Misonzhnik says the time is soon coming where having a smartphone at the mall will be a necessity instead of a luxury.
Misonzhnik says that, whether the general public knows about it or not, almost every retail mall in the U.S. has an app now. Apps provide discounts, give users games to play and updates them on mall events:
"Today, more than 33.3 million U.S. consumers engage in shopping-related activities using their mobile devices, reports Experian Simmons, a Costa Mesa, Calif.-based research firm. Those figures are bound to rise with the advent of smartphones, which already make up 40 percent of all mobile phones in the U.S., according to data compiled by the Nielsen Co., a New York City-based research firm. Given that U.S. has about 302 million mobile phone users in total that is equivalent to more than 120 million potential shoppers."
FULL STORY: The Spread of Smartphones Forces the Evolution of Mall Marketing Efforts

National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.

Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50
A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.

Delivering for America Plan Will Downgrade Mail Service in at Least 49.5 Percent of Zip Codes
Republican and Democrat lawmakers criticize the plan for its disproportionate negative impact on rural communities.

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Balancing Bombs and Butterflies: How the National Guard Protects a Rare Species
The National Guard at Fort Indiantown Gap uses GIS technology and land management strategies to balance military training with conservation efforts, ensuring the survival of the rare eastern regal fritillary butterfly.
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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EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
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Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service