Suburban neighborhood stores  Over the past 50 years or so the U.S. has grown out instead of up. In this area, Northern Virginia, most of the growth until recently was in the outer suburbs of Loudoun County in single-family houses on large lots, on cul-de-sacs that don't connect. The streets have few sidewalks and there are no bike lanes on the roads. People drive everywhere.

Why not allow small, locally-owned stores to be developed in these communities. Instead of driving 5 miles to get a gallon of milk, a loaf of bread, or other daily essentials, small stores could be scattered around these communities, connected by trails and bike-friendly roads. A section of the store could serve coffee, sell newspapers, and provide a local gathering place. Residents could actually meet each other and have a place to entertain themselves locally.

In most suburban communities, this is not possible. Zoning regulations usually forbid commercial development in these residential areas. If it is are allowed, it is often separated by a fence or other buffer. Granted, not everyone wants to live next to a store with people driving in and out and parking nearby, but if planned properly, they can be made to fit in. You could even require customers to arrive on foot or bike. I think it's time to rethink our zoning laws.

The laws are changing since almost all new development now is based on new urbanism principles with mixed uses in one development. These developments, like the Reston Town Center, try to recreate traditional city neighborhoods where there is ground floor retail with offices and residences in floors above. The concept was discussed in Jane Jacobs' seminal work The Death and Life of Great American Cities. Why not apply the same principles to existing, residential-only suburban developments?
posted by Bruce Wright at 2:00 PM #