Instead of abolishing single-family zoning completely, I would suggest adopting an approach more like the Japanese. They use "stacked" zoning for most uses, instead of the American-style single-use zoning. Their zoning is also done at a national level, instead of community level.
Generally, the change would allow single-family homes. But it would not REQUIRE single-family homes.
A typical development pattern might be something like...
- all single family homes to start
- area gets popular (property value goes up), a few SFH are replaced with duplex or small apartments
- area gets more popular, more SFH removed, mid-rise apartments begin to appear, small-scale retail appears
Etc.
Of course, this requires that NIBMYs aren't allowed to control other people's property. And the zoning and codes that do exist are enforced so you don't end up with a SFH next to a gas station.
If I had to commute for an hour both ways, I would go completely insane. I don't know about you, but I need to live near where I work, meet friends, and have hobbies.
People are not livestock, to be ferried from place to place as market forces see fit.
That said, we can't have both. Either we have density, or we have everything spread out with long commutes.
Personally, I support Japanese style zoning, and letting people buy the kind of property they wish to live in.
I'm with you and I will probably never have a roommate again because of negative experiences.
However, I've always felt something is deeply wrong with the way zoning works right now. I live in a suburb type residential neighbourhood and the nearest corner store is a 20 minute walk away -- that seems silly. At some point we strictly divided residential and commercial and we all suffer because of it.
Zoning is also one of the prime factors in the car culture problem that is eating up the world's resources and boiling the frog called humanity.
Currently every area of a city is "zoned" for what is allowed to get built there. "Single family home" (SFH) zoning is the most common, and the strictest: it requires every building to be a house meant for one family. No multi-family housing (even duplexes) and no commercial use (even neighborhood stores or home businesses).
This NYTimes articles discusses some of the issues and how Minneapolis is changing its policies. This should be done everywhere:
A middle ground I really like are these mixed residential suburbs I'm seeing more in Ontario. On one street you'll find 3 car garage houses all the way down to 6-unit townhouses. All circling the same park with an apartment building on the far corner.
https://devonzuegel.com/post/north-american-vs-japanese-zoni...
https://cdn-images.postach.io/0bd25fcc-8ab1-40fe-8eef-bcafaa...