Originally Posted by
genec
The housing "keeping away from shopping schools etc," is due to zoning. Look into the zoning laws in your area... see if they allow mixed residential/commercial etc. Many areas do not...
No, that's where you get all mistaken again. Mixing housing into traditionally commercial areas really hasn't been an issue.
Where zoning actually is part of the problem, it's been archaic zoning that tries to limit the density of housing - minimum lot sizes, mult-family restrictions, and prohibitions on constructing the sort of short-walk-from-the-grocery store infill / auxiliary dwelling unit that I current call home.