Your next neighbour could be a charming little cafe or corner store.
Driving the news: Cities across North America are beginning to roll back zoning laws that have kept small businesses like corner stores, breweries and cafes from operating in residential areas, a move designed to provide more people with walkable retail options.
- Ottawa is exploring changes that would let small businesses set up shop in residential neighbourhoods, following similar reforms in U.S. cities like Seattle, Baltimore and Louisville.
- Meanwhile, Edmonton has proposed allowing small business owners to convert a portion of their residential properties into a retail space.
Why it matters: The zoning changes are part of a push to build more walkable cities that (hopefully) reduce traffic congestion, make it easier to open small businesses, and improve convenience.
- While the downtowns of cities like Toronto, Vancouver and Montréal all have great walkability scores, people in less central neighbourhoods across Canada are often dependent on cars to shop for groceries, go to the gym, or eat out.
Yes, but: Don’t hold your breath waiting for a new convenience store to open on your block. Rezoning proposals in some cities — like Toronto, which began studying the issue in 2022 — have been in the works for years and still not been implemented. —LA