Question of the Week: How Can I Pitch Allowing Limited Commerce in Residential Areas? -- Strong Towns

Question of the Week: How Can I Pitch Allowing Limited Commerce in Residential Areas? -- Strong Towns

"Studies show profound latent demand in America for walkable urban neighborhoods (again, allowing some local businesses is an essential part of walkability). One of the most compelling examples is a 2005 study by Jonathan Levine which found that in cities such as Atlanta with a stark shortage of mixed-use, walkable neighborhoods, up to half of the people who expressed a strong preference for such a neighborhood were nonetheless not living in one. Most likely they were unable to find a home in such a place within their price range--the 'shortage of cities' drives up the price of housing in walkable areas (Redfin found that one point of Walk Score was worth about $3,000 in home value)...."

"Legalizing live-work arrangements is a good low-risk experiment. Certain types of home-based businesses--a photographer's studio, a hair salon, a coffee shop--can blend in very easily in a residential area and begin to set a precedent that mixed use can be unobtrusive and pleasant....

"Furthermore, from the city's perspective, live-work can mollify critics of the proposal who worry about disruptive impacts on neighbors, for three key reasons: The business owners, in this case, are also residents and therefore have skin in the game when it comes to not creating negative impacts (noise, congestion, litter, crime) on the surrounding neighborhood. Businesses will inherently be confined to those that can operate on a residential property. No big stores. The city can choose a trial neighborhood or two: maybe there's a historic one that already has some mixed use 'grandfathered in' where it's technically illegal now."