> All the small shops disappeared from the city centre years ago, because the patrons had a problem getting there. Luckily in Germany there are quite a lot ped

> All the small shops disappeared from the city centre years ago, because the patrons had a problem getting there. Luckily in Germany there are quite a lot pedestrian zones ("Fußgängerzonen") for shopping where motorized vehicles aren't even allowed and small businesses can thrive there. Cars have to park somewhere else and this can often become a problem. Parking is also quite expensive in major cities with parking fees up to 3€/hour. Building more parking lots into the inner cities is impossible and the fees are high to keep people moving. > Shops also do have parking. In Germany malls aren't very common. Inner cities are mostly mixed business and residential with shops on the lowest floor and apartments above.