Although Meadowbrook Village will also have on-street parking, the developers can't completely avoid the vast parking lots typical of enclosed malls. Putting parking behind the stores preserves the ambience on the street but still leaves large areas of pavement. Another hurdle has been the incompatibility of mixed-use developments with traditional zoning ordinances. In Novi, the city created a new zoning category to fit the Main Street project. But some developers have found that neo-downtowns are easier to get past zoning boards and city councils than a proposal for a mall or strip mall.
People see it as smart growth.
Northville, a few miles south of Novi and the model for many Novi residents of what they want to achieve with Main Street, inspires such reactions in its merchants. It's like a mini-vacation. Melanie Purcell, director of the Downtown Development Authority in Plymouth, says she can understand why other communities would want to copy the atmosphere they enjoy. I think it s very positive that everybody wants what we have. This article was written by Michigan Retailer staff writer Rachel Whitaker. .