@UndercoverFamtastic5
Don't forget that these businesses were usually family-owned, generation-to-generation legacy shops. Putting shops owned by big corporations in the front yard may turn people off from allowing it, but if it was a mom-and-pop, they might be more open to it. Farming is a great idea. I think it would work wonderfully for busy people and older folks who have little time or ability but still enjoy seeing plants and foliage.
@plainhavoc
I am a Mayor-elect for a small town (Mayor-Council form), and would love to bring these ideas to life. We have very little tax revenue, as businesses died out before I was born. Something like this could revitalize smaller rural towns that are nearby to larger areas. Any thoughts?
@amusingarts
The existing rules are what will kill America's adaption to the future. The car dependency of the 50's has left America with few choices for reinventing the neighborhood. I moved to Mexico 18 months ago. I have no car and walk everywhere, carry my groceries home in a backpack. The effect this has had on my health, weight and stamina are absolutely AMAZING. The past 18 months have probably added several years to my life. I feel like I'm 17 again...and I'm 70!!!
@stevec404
Lots of older New England neighborhoods got it right. Corners were often set aside for businesses. They frequently had deeper setbacks, yet their styles fit in with the surrounding buildings, pretty much. Cafes, flower shops, small groceries, etc. humanize an otherwise sterile landscape. Yes, community is strengthened with carefully planned mixed use...and must be brought back.
@michellezevenaar
It's extremely common in Europe to have a business down stairs and live upstairs. Often it was a normal family home that's transformed into a business. Also sometimes they are turned back into homes. In the Netherlands its normal to be within 15 minutes walk or 5 minutes biking from a grocery store. They are built into every neighborhood.
@LoudMime
My former girlfriend is Australian. I am Filipino and its common to have small businesses (convenience stores, car mechanics, restaurants) in your neighborhood. In Melbourne suburbs, if she has to go get something, you gotta drive to it, and its far from your home. She finds it convenient how in my country its easier to access your needs when needed and get to be close with the community too.
@angelcarrillo980
In Mexico, this is legal and common. It's very convenient, and really brings neighbors together, even if for just some milk or whatever.
@atchafalya3168
so glad this ended on an optimistic note because literally every video about urban planning that i watch seems to imply that everything’s doomed and there’s nothing we can do about it. got super depressing for a while until i watched this video, so thanks for that!
@Journeyman.71
I grew up in a small Midwestern town, a once-upon-a-time thriving "river town," on the banks of one of America's major rivers. This kind of "mixed use" concept was once quite prevalent there, and still is, to some degree. I remember, from our house, down one block was a (much better) Dairy Queen competitor; down another block from there was a great little market/deli/convenience store. Across the street, on the 1st floor of a 2-story "home," there used to be a pizza shop. And all these were integrated into, and surrounded by, organic residential neighborhoods! Now, I'm in the big city (30 years on), and I do miss that kind of thing!
@chaklee435
The Yonders situation makes me think that a small minority of, for lack of a better word, killjoys forced us all into the single family zoned suburban neighborhood. Thousands wanted a cider bar, while one did not. If the cider bar did not already exist, the one would still oppose it, but the thousands don't even know what they're missing out on. So we lower ourselves to the lowest common denominator to minimize complaints
@parkerstroh6586
I’ve always lived 3 doors down from a little cafe. It used to be a butcher with a few other stores now converted to housing. This cafe is at least a kilometre from anything else. I think this cafe is why I’m partially so fascinated with mixed-use living
@ronniedio7152
The US and Canada has created a real suburban hell scape , you were spot on when you said it creates more community when you mix the businesses with the residential and the more businesses we have in residential the less we have to drive a car to get to what we need , which also means less stress from road rage and more exercise for our obese population,
@sadochismo3373
It's a really old fashioned, but somehow futuristic idea. I don't live in America, but this idea seems so interesting and promising. Not from a business standpoint, but for community. In a world that seems to be becoming more and more online dependent, this would bring back the feeling of living in a community again, back to the real world. I actually long for this vision of the world, where business and home are all interconnected and ran by regular people and not giant corporations. It's almost post apocalyptic without the horrors of such, back to basics, back to being human.
@11StarlingA
I work as a planning and zoning consultant and work with many of these cases in the day to day. Home occupations are becoming more common and the definition is expanding. I’m a huge fan of mixed use and Placemaking and think these ideas are very cool and could definitely be incorporated into countless communities. The only issue I see is zoning is split predominant into two groups, those who would be in favor of this and those who would say that residential areas and commercial uses should be separate because their home is their “sanctuary” and that includes having their own space and a quiet, quaint view out their front door. I am seeing this response more and more, specifically in rural communities and the installation of solar infrastructure/any development at all. Maybe there could be districts where mixed use is allowed and districts where it’s not? Therefore, they can live within the means of their expectations for a residential area and others can live in a more mixed use neighborhood. This would also decrease the need for parking because if these spaces are all within walking distance of where someone lives that will actually use them, there’s a high chance they’ll just walk, ride a bike, etc.
@bobbirdsong6825
When I was a child, I always wondered why there couldn’t be a restaurant or a store in my neighborhood. Why people didn’t have businesses in their own homes. Then, after living abroad, I discovered it’s just a zoning thing, which is super unfortunate.
@DerBjjjg
The biggest point for front yard businesses is that it connects people. You know the people who sell you things and in turn also buy things at your business. You see this in many Japanese shopping streets for example. Most restaurants get their stuff from the surrounding shops. They know each other and help each other out. Instead of 70% of businesses owned by big chains or franchises. They get most of their stuff from somewhere else sometimes even across half the country. I'm a tailor from Germany and opened a business in Japan a few years ago. And people there appreciate it when I can tell them where I get my fabrics from. I'm more likley to sell a suit if I can tell them that the fabric gets woven and colored by a family business somewhere in the neighborhood. One of my employees made kimonos before working for me and told me how really expensive kimonos are sometimes and painted by artist taking weeks. And I have reworked the whole process on creating suits spoke with many local craftsmen making connections. In the beginning I did that for my Japanese branch but I sold a few suits now with fabrics from these connections. And these craftsmen apriciate it that I take time to visit them at least once a year invite them and thank them for doing business with me.
@blackmber
Aside from barbers, beauty salons, and bookkeepers, some of the invisible businesses going on in homes include tutoring and music teaching, web services, sale of plants, handmade goods and even food marketed through online classifieds. Not to mention the many content producers who film or work from home. I also once worked for a podiatrist who consulted with clients and made orthotics from his garage.
@shoptalkbehindthescenes
My grandpa had a barber shop in front of his house in Anaheim, CA in the 70s. My great aunt ran a bakery from her detached garage and it was so cool to see neighbors come over and shop around her bakery
@mutedearthvirgo
i live in mexico and front yard businesses are everywhere! it strengthens the economy, makes things accessible, and keeps life entertaining!
@karmaloe2688