Planning for retail change: a survey of municipal governments in Washington State

Effectively managing retail is essential for municipalities in terms
of meeting land use planning goals, developing revenue sources
through taxation, furthering economic growth and providing access
to goods and services for residents. In 2013, a survey was conducted
to examine the retail planning practices of all the 110 small- and
medium-sized municipalities in Washington State. The online survey
addressed data collection and analysis, land use, retail recruitment,
inter-jurisdictional cooperation and evaluation. A large majority of
respondents had retail planning goals in their comprehensive plans,
yet only 30% dedicated staff for implementation. Jurisdictions would
benefit from regional retail planning (especially in light of changes
underway from e-commerce), yet the state tax structure places
municipalities in competition.