Which gets us into a whole other debate about zoning in (most of) the US.
Why shouldn't a land owner be able to use that land in the most profitable way possible (within reason)?
Example: In my area, there's an intersection about 1/4 mile away. I think it would be a great place to have a corner shop/cafe/bodega. It's close to the schools, the other shopping options are another mile away. It's walking distance to several thousand housing units.
But, I can't build such a shop because the entire area is zoned residential (and also covered by HOAs, which are yet another debate).
Quite a few blogs and articles out there comparing US zoning to typical Japanese zoning, if you're interested. Cliffs: Japan often has mixed-use zoning by default (ie, anything from detached homes to small apartments to small office/shops is ok in the same zone)
Why shouldn't a land owner be able to use that land in the most profitable way possible (within reason)?
Example: In my area, there's an intersection about 1/4 mile away. I think it would be a great place to have a corner shop/cafe/bodega. It's close to the schools, the other shopping options are another mile away. It's walking distance to several thousand housing units.
But, I can't build such a shop because the entire area is zoned residential (and also covered by HOAs, which are yet another debate).
Quite a few blogs and articles out there comparing US zoning to typical Japanese zoning, if you're interested. Cliffs: Japan often has mixed-use zoning by default (ie, anything from detached homes to small apartments to small office/shops is ok in the same zone)