I did not see any mention of using leavening to influence spread. It is well known that ammonium bicarbonate (a.k.a. Baker's ammonia) increase spread. It is used industrially for this purpose, as well as leavening. As long as your finished cookie moisture is below about 4-5% you will remove any residual ammonia.
This ingredient has a long history of use and I wonder how many home bakers are aware of its potential benefits.

Also, spread can be influenced by melting point and solid fat index (the amount of solid fat at a given temperature). Blending shortening with butter can dramatically alter your texture. Perhaps the purists would never desecrate their butter - and I understand.

Finally, on reduced sugar cookies I am a fan of polyols. You can now find them retail. Ice cream brands such as Halo Top are using isomaltose and erythritol to provide bulk with less sweetness and calories. Many keto diets are using this ingredient as well. At controlled levels (which varies for each polyol) you can also manage some of the cooling effects that can accompany these ingredients (sorbitol has a strong cooling effect) if you do not desire that flavor.

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