It is, the YouTube Channel NotJustBikes explains the issue in a few videos "housing that cannot be built in America" or something like that

So in the suburbs, yes and no. You can absolutely have grocery stores next to residential areas. So like if you have a main (st)road that has a grocery store, there may be housing behind the store. Here's an example in my area (The Price Chopper is a grocery store). Residential zoning has bumped up against commercial zoning along the (st)road. Which means that the grocery store is next door for some of those people. Even a few blocks away is still pretty decent.

But let's say someone wanted to build a grocery store next to this school for some reason. The developer is willing to buy up some houses (and people willing to sell them) and bulldoze them down to make a grocery store. The city will NOT allow that. That's like a 99.9999% chance of never happening. Because that area is specifically zoned for strictly for residential and not commercial endeavors.

And it goes further. Let's say instead of a grocery store, the developer wanted apartments or townhouses/duplexes. That keeps with the residential character and zoning, right? It does, but this area is probably zoned for SFH only. Not for multifamily units. It'll never be built. At least not without overcoming significant local opposition.

This is actually being fought over in a neighboring suburb.

That's not to say zoning is always terrible. If I build a house and then some industrial building/warehouse or commercial chicken coop wants to be my neighbor afterwards, with all the loudness and smells that brings, that's not gonna be great for me. And if I want to move because my quality of life has decreased, who's gonna buy my house? Nobody. At least not for the price I want.

So zoning has its benefits. It's just a tool at the end of the day. But it can make things difficult when people do want change. It's not as simple as tearing things down and putting up something new and completely different.

This is kind of overblown. I live in the Phoenix valley suburban sprawl and there are shopping centers mixed with the suburban zones every 1 mile at major intersections. I can already ride my bicycle to yoga, bars, restaurants, and grocery within easy range. These discussions use Phoenix as examples of bad design but I really don't get it and ride my bike all the time anyway. There are canal paths and stores spread out everywhere in the suburbs.

It's to make big auto and big car happy by forcing us to use their products as much as possible

Montreal has excellent areas! Miss that city a lot.

@cyborganism @Blaze I love that local people walk around and go to small shops in Montreal. I enjoyed it last year when visiting. Years ago Manhattan was mostly like Montreal now. But shops are disappearing in New York City and many people just hole up in their homes and offices and have their snacks and toys delivered. Deliveristas on bikes everywhere.

They do and the cities around the valley here often provide free trees to homeowners and have programs where they are trying to fill in as much as they can with shade. Some subsidized by the power companies I believe, to reduce power consumption by putting shade next to homes. I ride my bike a lot around the city here and there are a lot of sections with fantastic tree cover on paths and parks. Of course there are also barren sections, but trees can grow well and it is discussed often locally to plant them.

Not without taking water from the Colorado river.

You can take the cars out of America, but it's still America

It’s Phoenix. Desert.

cheap easily buildiable housing is a good thing but yes I agree completely with the trees. Makes such a difference

All the human pictures just look pretty natural. Maybe we arent used to that anymore lol. The blank white buildings are kinda lame but energetically the best choice in hot regions i believe.

Yeah they needed some overview shots or at least a map or something.

Can't expect to mimic the curbside aesthetics of the model walkable-city when you're dealing with 100+ degree heat for a third of the year.

What was the question again?

Why are you living in a place that doesn't support human life? And did people live there before electricity and gas?

Have you considered not living in satans slimey anus?

https://www.walkscore.com/WA/

I'm right there with you. Well, a bit worse, rocking a 20 for walkability. On a few occasions I have decided to take my life in to my own hands, walking the 1 mile alongside the cars which seem to have confused the 40 mph road with a drag strip.

The sweet reward for doing so? Nothing but the finest of dining options. From Subway to McDonald's to Taco Time, we've got it all!

what if you lived across the street from a mall where there used to be a parking lot?

The climate of Kenmore is substantially similar to that of nearby Seattle, being defined principally by its latitude, proximity to the Pacific Ocean and Puget Sound, and inclusion in the Puget Sound Convergence Zone. As such, it is usually considered Marine west coast in nature, with damp, cool winters, and mild, dry summers

Sounds nice. I'd have expected you to complain about rain if anything

Well, they don't really have to go anywhere... so.

@nab @Blaze
According to the article there is also a grocery store.

who can pay at least 3k for rent

So you are saying this type of development is so sought after that they are able to set rent at higher rates than the surrounding "parts" and still get enough tenants despite the "inconvenience"?

Also yeah according to the article, the nearby amenities include a grocery store. It's not an apartment complex, it's a walkable town.

Rental prices https://culdesac.com/tempe/apply/unit-selection/