Eliminate permitting requirements that result in wasteful land use. Unnecessarily large minimum lot sizes for houses produce as much sprawl as any other land use policy. Similarly, we should not force what should be intense development to engulf more open space in order to comply with unnecessarily restrictive lot coverage ratio requirements. Guide pedestrian-friendly activities into downtowns and allow opportunities for such activities in outlying areas. All development cannot be concentrated downtown.
Downtowns succeed by allowing pedestrians to shop and gather.
It is counterproductive to try to locate activities in downtowns that defeat pedestrian activity. Some strip development is acceptable. Everything cannot go downtown. First, some development is not pedestrian friendly. Second, there simply is not enough space in our downtowns for everything.