It's actually the opposite. The issue with this argument is that denser environments are actually able to serve _more_ businesses -- mom-and-pop markets and ni

It's actually the opposite. The issue with this argument is that denser environments are actually able to serve _more_ businesses -- mom-and-pop markets and niche stores are able to survive. Right now I live a 5 minute walk from two separate grocery stores/markets, a 15 minute walk to 5 others, and a 15 minute bike ride to a number of foreign culture (e.g. Indian, Chinese, Hispanic) stores. More than half of these are family-owned. And that's _just_ for groceries. Every time I visit home in Phoenix I'm reminded of how awful the alternative is: nothing is in walking distance and everything is a corporate big box store. Very few small specialty stores and almost zero family-owned corner stores exist.