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There are very few newer suburban areas that allow zero front setback in their commercial zones.
When it does occur, it is typically a special situation or variance or enlightened city planners.
The reasons for bigger front setbacks in suburban commercial areas are mostly because of traffic engineering and auto-centric design.
Thanks. The parking requirements don't seem excessive to me.
They vary town to town but 1 space per 250-300 sf for restaurants and retail and 1 per 350-400 sf for office is typical. It can add up quickly for medium to large buildings which is why walmarts have many acres of parking. Unfortunately much of it is designed for the biggest shopping days of the year, on a typical weekend you might have 2 acres of retail store, 1+ acre of parking in use and 2 to 3 acres of empty parking lot.
regardless, the parking requirements make it nearly impossible to build an old-style downtown as what used to be the norm.
Well, not the type of downtowns that were built with the idea of no parking whatsoever. But if you include the space in front of the stores, plus a small lot in back, I think you could make it work. You seldom find a Walmart or Target or even a clothing store in a downtown these days, anyway. It seems it would work fine for restaurants and boutiques like you find in most downtowns.
Well, not the type of downtowns that were built with the idea of no parking whatsoever. But if you include the space in front of the stores, plus a small lot in back, I think you could make it work. You seldom find a Walmart or Target or even a clothing store in a downtown these days, anyway. It seems it would work fine for restaurants and boutiques like you find in most downtowns.
The biggest single difference between a walkable, downtown type commercial area and more suburban type strip mall commercial area is the location of the parking.
I've heard it's due to the way zoning laws work in the states, but this concept always confused me.
Why don't more suburbs have a shopping small or store area within? It seems logical to have a central area with good walkability and entertainment. I can understand why somebody wouldn't want a gas station next door but a mini- down town area would be pretty acceptable I think.
They do have them. Unless they are one of the new, downtown/urban suburbs, they are called strip malls.
Well, not the type of downtowns that were built with the idea of no parking whatsoever. But if you include the space in front of the stores, plus a small lot in back, I think you could make it work. You seldom find a Walmart or Target or even a clothing store in a downtown these days, anyway. It seems it would work fine for restaurants and boutiques like you find in most downtowns.
It's rather hard to fit a Walmart or Target in a downtown, regular stores that cluster in strip malls can exist find in old-style downtown, and sometimes do. I made a long post about that, for shopping areas in cities a couple days back. I think the boutique/restaurant concentration gets created when old-style downtown area are a small portion of the retail environment or a niche, so more destination, that fit better with "let's visit and stroll for fun or an evening out" tend to gravitate them. And many small downtown areas don't have many boutiques if they're not in a well off area.
i don't remember any boutiques here, looks like more practical shops. Restaurants an boutiques can survive fine in strip malls, too, so what would count as making it work? Usually there are far more pedestrians in "old-style downtowns", so it that sense they work far better.
It's rather hard to fit a Walmart or Target in a downtown, regular stores that cluster in strip malls can exist find in old-style downtown, and sometimes do. I made a long post about that, for shopping areas in cities a couple days back. I think the boutique/restaurant concentration gets created when old-style downtown area are a small portion of the retail environment or a niche, so more destination, that fit better with "let's visit and stroll for fun or an evening out" tend to gravitate them. And many small downtown areas don't have many boutiques if they're not in a well off area.
i don't remember any boutiques here, looks like more practical shops. Restaurants an boutiques can survive fine in strip malls, too, so what would count as making it work? Usually there are far more pedestrians in "old-style downtowns", so it that sense they work far better.
When I said "make it work" I was referring to downtown shopping areas.
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