“Main street” environments are places that are: pedestrian-oriented; promote interaction among residents and visitors; provide a mix of places to eat, shop and find services; have a distinct identity that reflects the community. By promoting contextual, infill development, zoning and design guidelines can create these places.
Yet most zoning regulations do not enable or allow that kind of mixing of activities. In terms of form, inflexible and excessive off-street parking requirements for each use as well as setback regulations make compact infill development difficult. In terms of uses, many codes prohibit putting more than one use in a building. By relaxing some of these restrictions and expanding the lists of permitted uses, compact mixed-use development can happen.
“Main street” environments are places that are: pedestrian-oriented; promote interaction among residents and visitors; provide a mix of places to eat, shop and find services; have a distinct identity that reflects the community. By promoting contextual, infill development, zoning and design guidelines can create these places.
Yet most zoning regulations do not enable or allow that kind of mixing of activities. In terms of form, inflexible and excessive off-street parking requirements for each use as well as setback regulations make compact infill development difficult. In terms of uses, many codes prohibit putting more than one use in a building. By relaxing some of these restrictions and expanding the lists of permitted uses, compact mixed-use development can happen.