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I don't know -- there's pretty lax zoning in Ohio. You can drive for hours and be constantly surrounded by strip malls. It's pretty much a hellhole. In other w

I don't know -- there's pretty lax zoning in Ohio. You can drive for hours and be constantly surrounded by strip malls. It's pretty much a hellhole. In other words: There's a reason for zoning. The U.S. is actually pretty lax, on average, in terms of zoning compared to some other parts of the world, though it is certainly a state-by-state thing. It's really not fair to lump zoning in with things like civil forfeiture.

throwaway0a5e 4y ago
>It's really not fair to lump zoning in with things like civil forfeiture. The common theme is that they're both massive affronts to property rights.
seoaeu 4y ago
Strip malls are generally one story buildings with tons of parking. They’re exactly the sort of thing that even very strict zoning codes allow. If you instead checked how much of the state allowed 6-story apartment buildings, you’d come to a very different conclusion. Doubly so if the building didn’t have a massive parking lot.
- ABCLAW 4y ago
  > They’re exactly the sort of thing that even very strict zoning codes allow. My experience working with commercial real estate leads me to believe that your experience with strip malls is driving your consideration here. Strict or Not Strict don't encompass what zoning does. Different jurisdictions deal with the issue in significantly different ways. Plenty of urban locations do not allow for strip-mall style commercial plazas that aren't also mid-rise buildings. You wouldn't find a strip mall in an area zoned for heavy industrial use, or a place zoned for a residential subdivision - strict or not strict doesn't come into the picture.
s1artibartfast 4y ago
I like strip malls. What don't you like about them?
- zbrozek 4y ago
  That they're among the only things that you can legally build in a lot of places. They're totally fine if that's what the owner wants to build. They're not totally fine if the owner would rather build something else but can't.
- jwagenet 4y ago
  As a sibling said: "Strip malls are generally one story buildings with tons of parking." Car culture and low density zoning sucks. We should be mixed zoning these units with multiple stories of residential on top of the commercial space and pushing the storefront up to the road. If absolutely necessary to accommodate motor vehicles, put a multistory garage behind the storefronts (downtown San Mateo is an example of this), but otherwise infrastructure for walking, biking, and and accessible transit should be emphasized. Finally, strip mall architecture is typically of an ugly cookie-cutter design.
  - sam345 4y ago
    Not everybody lacks a car and kids. For those that do more power to them -they can live, work,play in elite adult playgrounds. But if you have kids you probably want a yard and a car and that probably will involve the suburbs, parking lots and strip centers.
    - ReaLNero 4y ago
      I strongly urge you to visit Europe and see how mixed-use housing can be implemented to promote a car-free culture by largely eliminating parking lots, while keeping the greenery and shopping malls.
      - thehappypm 4y ago
        I have family in Europe and I think many Americans have a bit of a skewed view. Take a trip to Paris or Copenhagen and you see this car-free, bike oriented, public transit culture. But that’s kinda like visiting New York and DC and Boston and making the same conclusion about the US. Plenty of Europe is suburban with houses and a car culture. I think cars are actually quite common outside the city center, even if you live in an apartment like my grandparents (Poland and France), they still have a family car they drive to the store and mall and such. Definitely a more walkable focus in general, but this vision of Europe as this car-free utopia doesn’t seem accurate to my experience.
maxerickson 4y ago
The zoning rules often state that you have to build more hell!

throwaway0a5e 4y ago

>It's really not fair to lump zoning in with things like civil forfeiture. The common theme is that they're both massive affronts to property rights.

seoaeu 4y ago

Strip malls are generally one story buildings with tons of parking. They’re exactly the sort of thing that even very strict zoning codes allow. If you instead checked how much of the state allowed 6-story apartment buildings, you’d come to a very different conclusion. Doubly so if the building didn’t have a massive parking lot.

ABCLAW 4y ago
> They’re exactly the sort of thing that even very strict zoning codes allow. My experience working with commercial real estate leads me to believe that your experience with strip malls is driving your consideration here. Strict or Not Strict don't encompass what zoning does. Different jurisdictions deal with the issue in significantly different ways. Plenty of urban locations do not allow for strip-mall style commercial plazas that aren't also mid-rise buildings. You wouldn't find a strip mall in an area zoned for heavy industrial use, or a place zoned for a residential subdivision - strict or not strict doesn't come into the picture.

s1artibartfast 4y ago

I like strip malls. What don't you like about them?

zbrozek 4y ago
That they're among the only things that you can legally build in a lot of places. They're totally fine if that's what the owner wants to build. They're not totally fine if the owner would rather build something else but can't.
jwagenet 4y ago
As a sibling said: "Strip malls are generally one story buildings with tons of parking." Car culture and low density zoning sucks. We should be mixed zoning these units with multiple stories of residential on top of the commercial space and pushing the storefront up to the road. If absolutely necessary to accommodate motor vehicles, put a multistory garage behind the storefronts (downtown San Mateo is an example of this), but otherwise infrastructure for walking, biking, and and accessible transit should be emphasized. Finally, strip mall architecture is typically of an ugly cookie-cutter design.
- sam345 4y ago
  Not everybody lacks a car and kids. For those that do more power to them -they can live, work,play in elite adult playgrounds. But if you have kids you probably want a yard and a car and that probably will involve the suburbs, parking lots and strip centers.
  - ReaLNero 4y ago
    I strongly urge you to visit Europe and see how mixed-use housing can be implemented to promote a car-free culture by largely eliminating parking lots, while keeping the greenery and shopping malls.
    - thehappypm 4y ago
      I have family in Europe and I think many Americans have a bit of a skewed view. Take a trip to Paris or Copenhagen and you see this car-free, bike oriented, public transit culture. But that’s kinda like visiting New York and DC and Boston and making the same conclusion about the US. Plenty of Europe is suburban with houses and a car culture. I think cars are actually quite common outside the city center, even if you live in an apartment like my grandparents (Poland and France), they still have a family car they drive to the store and mall and such. Definitely a more walkable focus in general, but this vision of Europe as this car-free utopia doesn’t seem accurate to my experience.

maxerickson 4y ago

The zoning rules often state that you have to build more hell!