Formula retail restrictions and other planning and zoning techniques

can be used to address issues in neighborhood commercial districts. (Re the Barracks Row story mentioned earlier in the week.)

Bronxville, New York has passed a moratorium on banks. See "Latest Suburban Plea: Enough Banks Already!," from the New York Times.

2. Formula retail restrictions are a way to put limits on chain expansion. See this page from the New Rules website.

3. While they aren't restricting banks, Seattle is mapping retail uses and key pedestrian places in their neighborhood commercial districts, and they will only allow A uses to be located in A places. Offices etc. are relegated to upstairs locations, side streets, and lesser positions on the corridor.

From "Now, Big-Name Retail Chains Will Take the Other Boroughs, Too," in the New York Times.

4. In Paris, the city said "non" to H&M. See "Megastores March Up Avenue, and Paris Takes to Barricades," from the New York Times.