Good grief, it is lovely they’re trying to change the law, but saddened to learn that such small local places of all kinds were prohibited. A cafe, a newsagent, a small pharmacy within a short walk of one’s home make life so, so much more pleasant.
American zoning is so backwards out of fear. Suburbanites are so terrified that people in their neighborhoods will make them unsafe so they make them residential only, hurting even themselves. To the point that they think having a starbucks 2 miles away that they can drive to is “convenience”.
Seattle is also getting a light rail and people here are legit terrified of living near it. We do have a homeless problem, and as neighborhoods get bigger so do risks, but ffs people it’s not like they’re going to be bashing down your door. It’s a very very small risk that something might happen, and in turn our neighborhoods become livelier, we can walk places, we can enjoy things without needing to drive 2 miles.
American suburbs are quite literally: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Psi5m4x5aT0
Can see how being so removed from what are standard amenities in much of the world might make one nervous of their (re)introduction, but it makes me wonder which was the chicken & which the egg.
It feels as though the price of both land & gas, back in the day, featured heavily in the tolerance of such bizarre ideas.