Originally Posted by
genec
The way we in America tend to have "zones" for commercial and residential areas makes that "European mix" impossible to do.
That's not actually the issue. Many major stores have some housing nearby; it's just not where most of the housing is being built, because it's not where the land to build on is available.
Mixed use development is very much a trendy thing. But most of the housing is elsewhere.
Older cities such as Boston or NYC might have that, but newer housing tends to be zoned "residential" with maybe a small "7-11" commercial zone at an intersection nearby.
The problem isn't a failure to build more stores near the housing, it's that the housing is too far flung from anything that matters.
As long as the mentality is that someone is gonna drive 3-4 blocks for a loaf of bread... cars will be used.
That's not the mentality. But the housing isn't being built within 3-4 blocks of the bakeries; more like several miles.