[onlyrealcuzzo]

This is a perfect reason why most zoning sucks - but not all zoning sucks. Current zoning prevents most neighborhoods from being walkable. You can't have cafes and grocery stores near most houses.

But replace cute cafe in your example with a landfill or a cement plant and see if it's still awesome.

This is why some zoning is good.

[spenczar5]

I previously lived next to a cement plant, actually, in Brooklyn - the Ferrara Brothers one, now shut down. It was literally adjacent to my apartment, out the back window. And you know what? I didn’t mind one bit. I really loved that neighborhood.

[stackedinserter]

You can have a little park between grocery stores and houses. I live in a neighborhood like this and have all necessary amenities in 5-10 minutes of walk.