North American Zoning Outlaws Corner Retail, Fueling Car Congestion

Not Just Bikes

Strict Euclidean zoning separates commerce from residential areas, converting daily errands into compulsory driving trips that enrich big-box chains while worsening gridlock.

AI-assisted summary of The Lively & Liveable Neighbourhoods that are Illegal in Most of North America — original source. Check the original for full context.

Source published: 2020-06-29

Key ideas

Unlike the widespread practice in Europe and Asia of integrating small shops and cafes within quiet residential streets, modern North American Euclidean zoning strictly outlaws commercial pockets in almost all residential areas across the U.S. and Canada. (0:06)
Although zoning originated during the Industrial Revolution to separate lethal industrial polluters from homes, North American planners took this framework to an extreme by completely segregating every form of land use, including basic neighborhood amenities. (1:14)
Mandatory single-use zoning forces residents to drive even for trivial errands like picking up a bag of milk, multiplying regional traffic congestion and funneling consumer spending into auto-oriented big-box stores rather than local entrepreneurs. (4:02)
North American attempts at mixed-use development remain predominantly restricted to rapid transit hubs and high-speed arterial roads, leaving vast expanses—such as Toronto's 'Yellow Belt'—legally locked under exclusionary single-family restrictions. (5:23)

Detailed notes

## Background Published on YouTube on June 29, 2020, by urban planning channel Not Just Bikes, this video examines the vibrant mixed-use residential pockets common in the Netherlands and parts of Asia. The video description highlights how dotting shops and restaurants throughout residential neighborhoods fosters liveliness and alleviates traffic, while underscoring that this type of human-scale urban design has been outlawed across most of the United States and Canada for nearly a century.

## TL;DR The video examines how European and Asian cities integrate quiet retail and cafe pockets directly into residential streets, contrasting this with North American Euclidean zoning that strictly criminalizes mixed land use. While zoning originally emerged to safeguard public health by separating toxic industrial factories from homes, North American planners took this to an extreme by banning even corner grocers and modest housing types in vast residential zones. This strict segregation mandates car ownership for every trivial errand, worsening traffic congestion and funneling money away from local businesses into sprawling automobile power centers. Ultimately, the piece demonstrates that grandfathered mixed-use neighborhoods remain the most desirable real estate in North America, highlighting the urgent need to repeal restrictive zoning like Toronto's 'Yellow Belt.'

## Atmosphere & style The presentation is dryly witty, pragmatic, and incisively critical, anchored by the narrator's deadpan delivery and personal exasperation with North American suburban design. Comparing peaceful European streetscapes and bustling Taipei alleys with sterile London, Ontario subdivisions and parking seas makes the planning critique visually striking and intuitively obvious. It feels like an engaging, eye-opening urbanist wake-up call, balancing quiet disbelief at archaic zoning codes with genuine appreciation for walkable, human-scaled living.

## Bulletin - [00:06](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnKIVX968PQ&t=6s) Unlike the widespread practice in Europe and Asia of integrating small shops and cafes within quiet residential streets, modern North American Euclidean zoning strictly outlaws commercial pockets in almost all residential areas across the U.S. and Canada. - [01:14](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnKIVX968PQ&t=74s) Although zoning originated during the Industrial Revolution to separate lethal industrial polluters from homes, North American planners took this framework to an extreme by completely segregating every form of land use, including basic neighborhood amenities. - [04:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnKIVX968PQ&t=242s) Mandatory single-use zoning forces residents to drive even for trivial errands like picking up a bag of milk, multiplying regional traffic congestion and funneling consumer spending into auto-oriented big-box stores rather than local entrepreneurs. - [05:23](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnKIVX968PQ&t=323s) North American attempts at mixed-use development remain predominantly restricted to rapid transit hubs and high-speed arterial roads, leaving vast expanses—such as Toronto's 'Yellow Belt'—legally locked under exclusionary single-family restrictions.

## Key takeaways - [00:06](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnKIVX968PQ&t=6s) Residential retail pockets in cities like Amsterdam and Taipei bring tranquility, liveliness, and everyday utility directly into neighborhoods without the noise of major arterial roads. - [01:04](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnKIVX968PQ&t=64s) Integrating corner shops and cafes throughout residential streets is completely illegal to build across almost all modern North American suburbs. - [01:14](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnKIVX968PQ&t=74s) Land use zoning originally saved millions of lives by separating heavy industrial hazards and steel mills from family residences during the Industrial Revolution. - [01:53](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnKIVX968PQ&t=113s) North American Euclidean zoning pushed public health protections to an extreme by treating benign commercial spaces as incompatible with residential living. - [02:34](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnKIVX968PQ&t=154s) Single-family R1 zoning districts outlaw not only corner grocers and cafes, but also missing-middle housing such as duplexes, townhomes, and modest apartment buildings. - [02:58](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnKIVX968PQ&t=178s) Historic North American neighborhoods with grandfathered corner retail remain among the most desirable and expensive real estate, proving high market demand for walkable mixed-use living. - [04:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnKIVX968PQ&t=242s) Carrying out daily errands by walking or biking is rendered impossible when residential areas are completely isolated from commercial activities. - [04:17](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnKIVX968PQ&t=257s) Mandatory driving for minor tasks, like buying a bag of milk, compounds automobile traffic and road congestion across the entire city network. - [04:41](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnKIVX968PQ&t=281s) Car-dependent suburban design channels revenue toward corporate big-box power centers surrounded by parking lots while starving local, independent business owners. - [05:05](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnKIVX968PQ&t=305s) Walkable mixed-use neighborhoods free up land from surface parking lots, allowing space to be used for patios, pocket parks, and housing. - [05:23](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnKIVX968PQ&t=323s) In North America, mixed-use development is treated as an exceptional planning buzzword usually confined to transit hubs, whereas globally it is simply the standard way cities are built. - [05:52](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnKIVX968PQ&t=352s) Toronto's 'Yellow Belt' illustrates how exclusionary low-density single-family zoning legally freezes vast areas of land surrounding a booming urban core.

## Detailed walkthrough ### [00:06](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnKIVX968PQ&t=6s) Retail Pockets and Residential Liveliness: Amsterdam to Taipei

A defining feature of everyday life in Amsterdam is how shops, cafes, and small restaurants are seamlessly sprinkled throughout quiet residential streets rather than confined solely to commercial strips. Unlike a traditional high street or main street where businesses are concentrated along one major, noisy thoroughfare, these neighborhood retail pockets create charming, tranquil destinations within a short walk or bike ride of people's front doors. Sitting on a patio or picking up groceries within a peaceful residential setting provides a far more relaxed, pleasant ambiance than enduring the roar and congestion of an arterial road.

This dynamic is not exclusive to the Netherlands. The cozy commercial nooks of Amsterdam strongly evoke the lively alleyways of Taipei, where vibrant small businesses transform what could otherwise be dim, utilitarian passages into inviting, active community destinations. Yet while these mixed-use pockets enrich daily city life across Europe and Asia, they remain nearly non-existent across modern North American suburbia. As the narrator observes: “So these pockets of shops and restaurants are in no way unique to the Netherlands. But what is interesting is that they are illegal to build in almost all of the U.S. and Canada.”

[01:14](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnKIVX968PQ&t=74s) The Rise and Extremism of North American Euclidean Zoning

The root of this absence lies in a planning framework known as Euclidean zoning—a system familiar to anyone who has ever played city-builder video games like *SimCity* or *Cities: Skylines*. The concept originated during the Industrial Revolution out of an urgent need to protect public health. At the time, unconstrained development meant heavy polluters like steel mills could open directly beside family homes, enveloping residents in toxic smog and squalor. Urban planners stepped in to separate incompatible land uses, an intervention that was arguably the profession's greatest gift to public health, saving millions of lives and prompting nearly every country on Earth to adopt basic zoning codes.

```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: Evolution of Euclidean Zoning accDescr: Diagram tracing the historical origin of zoning to separate heavy industry from homes to extreme modern separation.

subgraph Origin["Industrial Revolution Origin"] A["Industrial Pollution & Steel Mills"] -->|"Threatens Public Health"| B["Land Use Separation"] B -->|"Saves Millions of Lives"| C["Global Zoning Adoption"] end

subgraph NorthAmerica["North American Divergence"] C -->|"Overextended Logic"| D["Euclidean Zoning"] D --> E["Complete Separation of All Uses"] E --> F["R1 Single-Family Exclusivity"] end ```

However, North American planners pushed this logic to a rigid, harmful extreme. Rather than merely buffering neighborhoods against heavy manufacturing, municipalities mandated that every single category of human activity be strictly walled off from every other category. On a zoning map of London, Ontario—the narrator's hometown—broad swaths of land are designated strictly residential, shaded in yellow, meaning it is flat-out illegal to open a cafe, pub, or corner grocery anywhere within them. While mixed-use living can occasionally bring challenges like late-night noise, refuse, or crowds that require practical balance, modern American and Canadian codes dismiss compromise entirely. Single-family "R1" districts take this extremism even further by outlawing not just shops, but duplexes, townhouses, and modest apartment buildings as well.

Ironically, older North American neighborhoods built before the advent of rigid zoning laws demonstrate the enduring popularity of mixed land uses. In the narrator's former Toronto neighborhood, built around a century ago, small corner retail spaces were woven into the original fabric and grandfathered into modern codes. Today, those areas rank among the most sought-after and expensive real estate in the city, proving strong public demand. Yet under current zoning laws, building a neighborhood in that same classic style is completely prohibited.

- Modern North American planning operates under the absolutist premise that commercial amenities provide zero intrinsic value inside a residential neighborhood. - Under R1 residential zoning, not even missing-middle housing forms like townhomes or small apartments are permitted. - Historic walkable neighborhoods with grandfathered commercial units consistently fetch premium property values due to their rare livability.

> “Modern North American planning takes a very extreme view, that there is no value to having shops and restaurants within a residential neighborhood.” — Not Just Bikes

[04:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnKIVX968PQ&t=242s) Walkability, Car Dependence, and the Bag of Milk Dilemma

Beyond sheer neighborhood charm, strict single-use zoning wreaks havoc on transport networks by destroying walkability. When a grocer, pub, or café is embedded down the street, residents can easily walk or bike to meet daily needs. But when residential subdivisions are isolated from everything else, every single human errand requires a private automobile. Whether embarking on a trip across the city or simply running out to grab a bag of milk—a classic Canadian staple—getting behind the wheel becomes mandatory for every resident, multiplying regional traffic congestion exponentially.

```mermaid flowchart LR accTitle: Walkable Mixed-Use vs Automobile Suburbia accDescr: Flowchart contrasting how mixed-use neighborhoods enable local walking versus how Euclidean zoning enforces driving to power centers.

Once a person is forced to retrieve their car keys, back out of the garage, and navigate arterial traffic, the incentive structure collapses. Drivers rarely stop at multiple independent corner shops; instead, they drive straight to massive automobile-oriented power centers and strip malls surrounded by seas of asphalt parking. This structure starves independent neighborhood businesses and enriches giant big-box chains whose revenues bleed out of the local economy. In contrast, genuine walkable neighborhoods provide enough residential density within walking distance to support independent entrepreneurs without demanding massive parking lagoons, preserving precious urban real estate for street-side patios, pocket parks, and additional homes.

- Forcing residents to drive for trivial errands generates excessive, avoidable automobile traffic across city road networks. - Automobile-dependent errands heavily bias consumer behavior toward big-box retailers over neighborhood-scale entrepreneurs. - Compact walkable neighborhoods eliminate the spatial demand for surface parking, leaving room for parkettes, patios, and community spaces.

> “That results in a lot of car traffic, because it doesn't matter if you're driving across town or just need to buy a bag of milk, you have to get in your car.” — Not Just Bikes

[05:23](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnKIVX968PQ&t=323s) Mixed-Use Reality, the "Yellow Belt", and Sane Zoning Laws

While urban planners across the United States and Canada have begun embracing the buzzword "mixed-use development," the narrator emphasizes that this is simply “what the rest of the world calls: 'the way you build things.'” Even when implemented in North America, mixed-use projects remain narrowly confined to rapid transit hubs or packed directly along high-speed arterial corridors. Planners and councils almost never consider retrofitting gentle, low-impact commercial functions—such as independent bakeries, coffee shops, and neighborhood bodegas—into established residential tracts.

Consequently, vast tracts of North American metropolitan land remain locked down under exclusionary zoning. In Toronto, this phenomenon is widely referred to as the "Yellow Belt," coined by urban planners to describe the massive ocean of yellow single-family residential zoning that completely encircles the high-density downtown core. Having left North American suburban sprawl behind, the narrator expresses gratitude for living in an environment with sensible zoning laws that foster community, reduce vehicle miles traveled, and stimulate local enterprise. Wrapping up with a playful nod to his Canadian roots, he heads out on foot to buy milk—no longer packaged in bags, but happily retrieved without a car.

- North American "mixed-use" is often restricted to transit stations and high-traffic arterial roads rather than being integrated throughout quiet side streets. - Toronto's "Yellow Belt" keeps massive swathes of land adjacent to a booming urban core legally restricted to low-density single-family houses. - Human-scale planning laws naturally reduce vehicle traffic, stimulate independent local business, and encourage active walking.

> “Because honestly, I have absolutely no interest in going back to live in a place like this.” — Not Just Bikes

## Notable quotes > [01:14](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnKIVX968PQ&t=74s) Modern North American planning takes a very extreme view, that there is no value to having shops and restaurants within a residential neighborhood. — Not Just Bikes

## Mentioned Not Just Bikes, Amsterdam, Taipei, London, Ontario, Toronto, Gil Meslin, SimCity, Cities: Skylines

## Video description Watch this video ad-free on Nebula: https://nebula.tv/videos/not-just-bikes-the-lively-liveable-neighbourhoods-that-are-illegal-in-most-of-north-america

The pockets of retail & restaurants dotted throughout residential neighbourhoods in the Netherlands bring a liveliness and utility to the neighbourhood - and even help solve traffic congestion. Learn how this kind of urban design has been illegal in most of the US and Canada for a century, and why it should be brought back.

Want to support Not Just Bikes? Check out my Patreon.

Patreon: https://patreon.com/notjustbikes Twitter: https://twitter.com/notjustbikes Reddit: https://reddit.com/r/notjustbikes One-time donations: https://notjustbikes.com/donate

NJB Live (my bicycle livestream channel): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9v57F4xz46KaDsvWfCv8yw

--- Image & Video Credits:

Video of walking Taipei courtesy of Taiwan4K: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkfBrSh2-Nc

City Beautiful - An Introduction to Zoning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kVWDWMcLT4

Photograph of Widnes in the late 19th century showing the effects of industrial pollution (public domain): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Widnes_Smoke.jp

City Beautiful - The Case Against Single-Family Zoning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajSEIdjkU8E

Canadian Shows Milk in Bags by DeadVoidStudios (YouTube) (Creative Commons Attribution licence (reuse allowed)): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f90_WksXi60

That one little pocket of commercial within a residential neighbourhood on the London, Ontario zoing map is this conveniece store and haircutters: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.0092242,-81.3111312,3a,75y,300.41h,73.9t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1saHEY1TlETYpmGmZ-WO2wHA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Map of the "Yellow Belt" in Toronto, MapTO: http://www.mapto.ca/maps/2017/3/4/the-yellow-belt

The "Yellow Belt" concept comes originally from urban planner Gil Meslin: https://twitter.com/g_meslin

#urbanplanning #mixedusedevelopment #liveablecities

[Source](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnKIVX968PQ)

中文简报

北美区划法禁止街角零售，加剧汽车拥堵严格的欧几里得区划将商业与住宅区割裂，导致日常出行被迫依赖驾车，在加剧交通拥堵的同时让大型连锁商超获利。该视频探讨了欧洲和亚洲城市如何将安静的零售店和咖啡馆直接融入住宅街道，并将其与严格将混合土地利用定为违法的北美欧几里得区划进行了对比。尽管区划制度最初是为了通过将有毒工厂与住宅隔开来保护公共健康，但北美规划者却走向了极端，在广阔的住宅区内连街角杂货铺和适度规模的住宅类型也一并禁止。这种严格的隔离使得居民即使处理琐碎的日常事务也不得不依靠汽车，不仅加剧了交通拥堵，还将资金从本地小企业转移到了蔓延的汽车导向型大型商业中心。最后，视频指出那些依既有权益保留下来的混合用途社区仍然是北美最抢手的房产，凸显了废除诸如多伦多“黄带区”等限制性区划的紧迫需求。与欧洲和亚洲在安静住宅街区内融入小商店和咖啡馆的普遍做法不同，现代北美欧几里得区划严格禁止在美国和加拿大几乎所有的住宅区内设立商业点。 (0:06) 尽管区划制度起源于工业革命时期，初衷是将致命的工业污染源与住宅隔离开来，但北美规划者将这一框架推向了极端，彻底隔离了包括基础社区配套在内的各种形式的土地利用。 (1:14) 强制性的单一用途区划迫使居民即使处理去买袋牛奶这样微不足道的琐事也不得不驾车，从而成倍加剧了区域交通拥堵，并将消费支出引向汽车导向型大型商超，而非本地创业者。 (4:02) 北美对混合用途开发的尝试目前仍主要局限于快速交通枢纽和高等级主干道周边，导致大片区域——例如多伦多的“黄带区”——在法律上仍被封锁在排他性的单户住宅限制之下。 (5:23)

Reading summary

Urban planning channel Not Just Bikes argues that rigid Euclidean zoning in the United States and Canada artificially separates commerce from housing, outlawing the vibrant, walkable neighborhood retail pockets found in cities like Amsterdam and Taipei while enforcing automobile dependency. From Industrial Separation to Euclidean Extremism (1:14) Zoning originally emerged during the Industrial Revolution as a critical public health intervention, saving millions of lives worldwide by separating hazardous polluters, such as steel mills, from family homes. However, North American urban planners pushed this separation logic to an extreme, mandating that every category of human activity be entirely isolated from one another. In cities like London, Ontario, expansive tracts of land are designated exclusively residential, making it illegal to open a cafe, pub, or corner grocery. Single-family R1 zoning further outlaws missing-middle housing forms, prohibiting duplexes, townhouses, and modest apartment buildings alongside retail. Forced Driving and Economic Leakage to Power Centers (4:02) Strict single-use zoning eliminates local walkability, requiring residents to get behind the wheel for minor errands like picking up a bag of milk. This compulsory driving multiplies regional traffic congestion. Furthermore, once drivers are forced to use cars, consumer trips shift away from local independent storefronts and toward automobile-oriented big-box power centers surrounded by vast asphalt parking lots. This dynamic drains wealth from the local economy into major corporate chains, whereas compact walkable neighborhoods sustain local businesses without consuming valuable land for surface parking lagoons. North America's Arterial Bias and the Yellow Belt (5:23) Older North American neighborhoods built before rigid zoning—such as century-old areas in Toronto with grandfathered corner stores—rank among the city's most expensive and desirable real estate, reflecting high public demand that current codes forbid replicating. Even as modern North American planners adopt 'mixed-use' development, they restrict it to rapid transit hubs and high-speed arterial roads rather than integrating gentle commercial spaces into quiet side streets. This leaves metropolitan regions constrained by barriers like Toronto's 'Yellow Belt,' a vast zone of single-family detached zoning encircling the dense urban core. The channel concludes that integrating gentle, low-impact commercial amenities into residential streets naturally curbs vehicle miles, fosters community, and stimulates local enterprise, contrasting the livability of European and Asian cities with the restrictive sprawl of North American suburbs.

精炼阅读摘要

Not Just Bikes 指出，阿姆斯特丹与台北等城市中自然散布在居民区内的便利商铺在北美几乎完全非法；其根源在于北美过度推行严格隔离土地用途的欧几里得区划，不仅扼杀了街区活力，更强制锁定了汽车依赖。嵌入式商业的活力与北美法规的禁令 (0:06) 在阿姆斯特丹和台北，小型商店、咖啡馆和餐馆自然穿插在宁静的居住区巷道内，为居民提供了步行或骑行即可轻松到达的生活与社交节点。与传统将商铺集中在嘈杂主干道两侧的商业街（high street）模式相比，这种嵌入式的零售微空间创造了安静宜人的街区氛围，避免了主干道车流的轰鸣与拥挤。然而，这种在欧洲和亚洲极为普遍的混合功能形态在北美现代郊区几乎彻底消失。作者指出，尽管此类店铺为社区带来了极高的宜居性，但在美国和加拿大的绝大多数城市，在住宅区内合法建造和经营此类商业设施均属于违法行为。欧几里得区划的极端化演变 (1:14) 这一制度障碍源于工业革命时期创立的欧几里得区划（Euclidean zoning）。该体系最初旨在保护公共健康，通过将产生有毒烟雾的钢铁厂等重污染工业与家庭住宅严格隔离，挽救了数以百万计的生命，并促使全球广泛建立基础区划规范。但北美城市规划将这一逻辑推向了极端，转变为将每一类人类活动彻底割裂开来。以加拿大安大略省伦敦市为例，区划地图上大片被划为纯住宅的黄色区域严禁设立任何咖啡馆、酒吧或街角杂货店。更为极端的单一家庭（R1）区划不仅禁止商业，还排除了双拼住宅、排屋及中小型公寓等缺失的中间层住房（missing-middle housing）。这种规划建立在一种假设之上，即商业设施在住宅区内毫无价值。具有讽刺意味的是，在严格区划法实施前建造的历史街区（例如多伦多百年前融入街角商铺的老街区）通过祖父条款合法保留了这些商业，如今成为当地最受追捧、售价最高昂的地产，直观证明了公众对混合街区的高需求，但现行法律却禁止新建类似社区。强制性驾车出行与本地经济流失 (4:02) 单一功能区划从根本上摧毁了街区的可步行性。在混合用途社区中，居民可以步行或骑车满足日常采购；而在功能严格割裂的郊区，任何细小的人类差事——甚至只是出门买一袋牛奶——都必须依赖私家车，这导致区域交通网络上的车流量呈指数级增加。这种必须驾车出行的结构彻底改变了消费行为模式。驾驶员在倒车出库并驶入主干道后，通常倾向于直接前往被大面积地表停车场包围的汽车导向型大型商业中心（power centers）或条带状商场，而非光顾分散的街角小店。这一过程将财富转移给大型跨国连锁超市，使本地经济利益外流；相比之下，紧凑的步行社区无需配置巨大的沥青停车场，从而能够将宝贵的土地留给露天座、口袋公园和住宅，同时为本地独立创业者提供稳定的客流支持。 “黄色地带”对混合用途开发的制度制约 (5:23) 虽然北美规划界近年来频繁使用“混合用途开发”这一概念，但作者强调这在世界其他地方原本只是建设城市的通用常识。即便在北美获批的混合用途项目，也往往被窄化限制在快速公交枢纽周边或高车速的主干道沿线，极少被允许温和地嵌入既有的安静低密度居住区。在多伦多，规划学者将环绕高密度城市核心区的大片单一家庭住宅区称为“黄色地带”（Yellow Belt），这些区域在法律层面上长期被锁死在低密度状态。作者通过自身迁居欧洲的经历表明，理性的区划法规有助于自然减少车辆行驶里程、刺激本地小微商业并促进社区人际交往。 Not Just Bikes 总结认为，北美现行区划体系将商业设施武断地视为居住区的纯负面干扰，构成了汽车依赖与城市土地低效配置的制度根源。尽管保留街角商业的历史社区具有极高的宜居性和市场价值，但在既有区划机制与“黄色地带”的封锁下，推广人性化的温和混合社区仍面临巨大的制度阻力。

Detailed notes — zh

## Background 该视频由 YouTube 频道 Not Just Bikes 于 2020 年 6 月 29 日发布。视频简介指出，荷兰散布在住宅区内的零售店与餐厅不仅为社区注入了活力与便利，甚至有助于缓解交通拥堵，而这种城市规划模式在美加两国的绝大多数地区已被依法禁止了近一个世纪。 ## TL;DR 视频深入探讨了为什么像阿姆斯特丹或台北那样充满活力、配套齐全的步行社区在北美绝大多数地区属于非法建设。主讲人梳理了源自工业革命的“欧几里得区划”（Euclidean Zoning）历史，指出北美规划走入极端，将纯住宅区与所有商业功能彻底切断，强制推行单一家庭住宅（R1）管制。这种绝对隔离催生了严重的汽车依赖，迫使居民连买一袋牛奶都必须驾车前往配有大面积停车场的远郊购物中心，扼杀了步行友好度与本地小微经济。尽管北美近期开始推崇“混合用途开发”，但严苛的法规与类似多伦多“黄带”（Yellow Belt）的单一规划惯性依然阻碍着真正宜居社区的回归。 ## Atmosphere & style 视频风格犀利幽默且极具批判性，主讲人以标志性的讽刺口吻精准解构北美城市规划的荒谬之处。叙事在荷兰街头惬意漫步的慢节奏实拍与北美单调沥青战壕的视觉反差中展开，娓娓道来的理性分析中夹杂着关于加拿大“袋装牛奶”等生活化自嘲。整期内容既有对死板法规造成城市空心化的无奈与愤慨，也流露出对自己定居阿姆斯特丹后重获步行自由的由衷庆幸。 ## Bulletin - [00:06](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnKIVX968PQ&t=6s) 阿姆斯特丹与台北等地的居住区内散布着步行可达的小商业口袋，而这种充满活力与便利的社区规划在美加绝大多数地区均属违法。 - [01:14](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnKIVX968PQ&t=74s) 源于工业革命时期隔离重污染的“欧几里得区划”（Euclidean Zoning）在北美走向极端，严苛的纯单一家庭住宅区（R1）全面抹杀了在社区内开设便利店、咖啡馆甚至建设公寓的可能性。 - [04:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnKIVX968PQ&t=242s) 居住功能与日常商业的强制割裂剥夺了可步行性，迫使居民连买一袋牛奶也必须开车上路，不仅加剧了交通拥堵，更让依赖巨大停车场的郊区大卖场挤垮了本地小商业经济。 - [05:23](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnKIVX968PQ&t=323s) 多伦多等北美大都市核心区外围依然被广阔的“黄带”（Yellow Belt）死板覆盖，即便当下倡导混合用途开发，也大多局限于干道沿线，难以真正将低冲击商业缝合回居民区内部。 ## Key takeaways - [00:06](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnKIVX968PQ&t=6s) 阿姆斯特丹社区内部散落的零售店与餐馆为居民提供了静谧且步行、骑行几分钟即达的去处，明显优于车流嘈杂的集中式商业街。 - [00:06](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnKIVX968PQ&t=6s) 台北巷弄文化证明，嵌入居民区内部的小商业能够将逼仄后巷转化为具有人情味且安全的活力公共空间。 - [01:14](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnKIVX968PQ&t=74s) 分区管制（Zoning）原本是为了终结工业革命时期工厂紧贴民居所带来的严重公害与健康危机，属于公共卫生领域的重大突破。 - [01:14](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnKIVX968PQ&t=74s) 北美极端化推行欧几里得区划，将所有土地功能彻底剥离，导致在被划为纯住宅区的大片土地上开设哪怕一家便利店都属违法。 - [01:14](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnKIVX968PQ&t=74s) R1 单一家庭住宅区不仅禁止一切商业业态，往往还进一步剥夺了建造联排排屋（townhouses）或多户公寓的合法权利。 - [01:14](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnKIVX968PQ&t=74s) 多伦多拥有百年历史的混居老街区因“祖父条款”得以保留，如今成为全市最抢手、价值最高的优质资产，但现行法律却禁止新建此类街区。 - [04:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnKIVX968PQ&t=242s) 功能彻底割裂严重损害了社区的可步行性（walkability），导致即使最琐碎的日常采购也必须驾车出行，人为诱发了海量道路交通拥堵。 - [04:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnKIVX968PQ&t=242s) 步行街区内的小商业不需要巨型停车场，节约的土地可用于绿地、露天座或住宅，同时商业利润也能反哺本地社区。 - [04:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnKIVX968PQ&t=242s) 高度依赖汽车的郊区大卖场以巨大的沥青停车场吞噬城市土地，造成了畸形且不利于社区凝聚力的经济循环形态。 - [05:23](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnKIVX968PQ&t=323s) 北美近年来兴起的所谓“混合用途开发”（mixed-use development）在世界其他地区本属常态，但在北美仍被高度孤立于交通主干道或公交枢纽周围。 - [05:23](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnKIVX968PQ&t=323s) 多伦多市中心外围被大片被称为“黄带”（Yellow Belt）的纯单一家庭住宅区包围，严重阻碍了城市密度的合理提升与宜居社区的扩展。 ## Detailed walkthrough ### [00:06](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnKIVX968PQ&t=6s) 欧洲与亚洲的社区活力对比北美的违法现状阿姆斯特丹最吸引人的特质之一，便是散落在居民区内部各处的小商店、餐馆与露天座（patios）。这些商业节点为日常生活提供了极具趣味的目的地，且永远处于几分钟步行或骑自行车的舒适距离之内。这与将所有商铺集中在一条宽大主干道两旁的商业街（high street / main street）截然不同。荷兰的城镇固然也拥有繁华的商业街，但散布在居住区内部的商业小口袋（retail pockets）带来了一种独特的生机与个性；相比喧闹拥挤的主街，坐在社区街角或在其间漫步购物，环境要安静惬意得多。这种空间氛围令人联想起台北的巷弄文化——巷子里的小商业将原本昏暗逼仄的后巷改造成了充满人情味、安全诱人且富有探索乐趣的公共空间。这类设计绝非荷兰独创，在世界许多地区都能见到。然而极其讽刺的是，“在几乎整个美国与加拿大，建造这种社区都是违法的（it is illegal to build in almost all of the U.S. and Canada）”。 ### [01:14](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnKIVX968PQ&t=74s) 欧几里得区划的初衷与北美规划的极端演变北美城市普遍采用所谓的“欧几里得区划”（Euclidean Zoning），这一机制被《模拟城市》（SimCity）或《天际线》（Cities: Skylines）等城市建造游戏完整继承。回溯历史，在工业革命时期，城市居住环境极为恶劣，工厂与居民区毫无区隔，有人甚至会在纯住宅区正中央开办一座冒着滚滚浓烟的炼钢厂，带来严重的工业污染与卫生隐患。为了将互不相容的土地用途剥离，分区管制应运而生。这堪称城市规划职业史上对公共健康最重大的贡献，挽救了数以百万计的生命，因而全球绝大多数国家都建立了某种形式的分区法规。然而，北美规划体系却走向了走火入魔的极端，“决定让所有事物与所有其他事物彻底隔绝（decided that absolutely everything should be separated from absolutely everything else）”。在多数北美城市，一旦一块土地被划为“住宅区”（residential），就意味着法律上完全禁止建设任何其他功能。以主讲人的故乡加拿大安大略省伦敦市（London, Ontario）的规划图为例，整个大片被涂抹为黄色的区域内，开一家便利店或餐馆都是彻头彻尾的违法行为。尽管住宅区确实需要安静舒适、荷兰也偶有商业伴随的噪音、人群与垃圾困扰，但城市规划本应寻求平衡，现代北美规划却武断地认定在住宅区设置商业毫无价值。北美对单一家庭住宅（Single-Family Zoning / R1）的执念更是严苛到连联排排屋（townhouses）或公寓都一律禁止。实际上，北美过去并非如此。在多伦多拥有约百年历史的老街区中，内部自然镶嵌着若干小型商业建筑；这些区域依据“祖父条款”（grandfathered）被保留下来，如今反倒成了全城最抢手、房价最昂贵的黄金地段。即便如此，在现行死板的法规下，北美却再也不可能新建出同样迷人的街区。 ```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: 欧几里得区划演变脉络 accDescr: 展示分区制度从工业革命分离重污染演变至北美极端单一家居分区的路径。 subgraph Origin["历史背景：工业革命"] A["居住区与工业混杂 （住宅旁开设炼钢厂）"] --> B["引发严重污染与健康危机"] B --> C["引入区划制度（Zoning） 隔离互不兼容的用地"] end subgraph Split["两极化发展路径"] C --> D["欧洲/全球多数地区 （平衡管理，保留混合活力）"] C --> E["北美极端欧几里得区划 （绝对隔离所有功能）"] E --> F["R1 单一家庭纯住宅区 禁止商铺、甚至排屋与公寓"] end ``` ### [04:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnKIVX968PQ&t=242s) 步行友好度、汽车依赖与本地小商业经济除了街区活力，功能割裂带来的最根本问题是可步行性（walkability）。如果社区内部有街角杂货铺、餐馆或小酒馆，居民推门就能步行前往；但如果居住区被孤立在数公里之外，任何人想做任何事情都必须坐进车里发动引擎。无论是要横跨整座城市，还是仅仅出门买一袋牛奶，所有人都别无选择地开车上路，瞬间诱发了海量的汽车交通拥堵。（主讲人在此幽默地吐槽道，在自己的加拿大老家，牛奶确实是装在塑料袋里卖的，而且当地人深爱这种包装。）当居民不得不开车出门时，人们更不可能驾车辗转于几家零散的沿街小店之间，而是会直接拐上快速路，驶入带有庞大露天停车场的远郊大型购物中心（power center）。这种模式重创了实体社区经济： - **可步行街区的独立商铺**：多由本地小创业者经营，利润重新回流并反哺本地社区；由于周边有足够密度的居民步行光顾，店铺无需配套庞大的停车场，省下的土地可用于设置户外露天座、迷你口袋公园（parkettes）或建设更多住房。 - **依赖汽车的大型零售超市（Big Box Stores）**：以连绵起伏的沥青停车场吞噬大量土地，经济模式畸形，难以带来真正健康的社区经济循环。 ### [05:23](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnKIVX968PQ&t=323s) 混合用地的局限与多伦多的“黄带”困局近年来，美加多座城市的规划界虽然开始意识到欧几里得区划的危害，大谈所谓的“混合用途开发”（mixed-use development）——主讲人挖苦道，“这其实就是世界其他地区所说的‘正常的造城方式’（which is what the rest of the world calls: 'the way you build things'）”。但在北美实践中，这些项目依然高度受限，几乎全部被局限在公交枢纽或车辆呼啸的高速干道沿线；很少有人倡导将餐馆、咖啡馆等低冲击（low-impact）商业重新缝合回既有的静谧居住区。更严重的是，北美城市腹地依然被大面积的纯 R1 单一家庭住宅区占据。在多伦多，规划图上紧紧包裹在繁华市中心外围的广阔区域被称为“黄带”（Yellow Belt）——哪怕市中心是北美城市化密度最高的核心区之一，只要步入这一大片黄色海洋，土地上便依法只能建造单一家庭独立屋。主讲人由衷庆幸自己如今重新定居在一个拥有理性区划法规的国度，这里允许兼顾减噪、支持本地小微商业、促进慢行系统与街区活力的优美城市形态存在；对于北美那种离开汽车寸步难行、单调死寂的郊区环境，主讲人直言“我完全没有任何兴趣再回去住在那种地方（I have absolutely no interest in going back to live in a place like this）”。最后，主讲人宣布自己开通了 Patreon 赞助页面以回馈观众对频道的支持，并打趣道自己该去买牛奶了——虽然在阿姆斯特丹再也买不到家乡特有的袋装牛奶，但至少出门买奶全凭两条腿就能轻松走达。 ## Mentioned Not Just Bikes, Nebula, Patreon, City Beautiful, Taiwan4K, Gil Meslin, MapTO, SimCity, Cities: Skylines, Amsterdam, London, Ontario, Toronto, Taipei ## Video description Watch this video ad-free on Nebula: https://nebula.tv/videos/not-just-bikes-the-lively-liveable-neighbourhoods-that-are-illegal-in-most-of-north-america The pockets of retail & restaurants dotted throughout residential neighbourhoods in the Netherlands bring a liveliness and utility to the neighbourhood - and even help solve traffic congestion. Learn how this kind of urban design has been illegal in most of the US and Canada for a century, and why it should be brought back. Want to support Not Just Bikes? Check out my Patreon. Sign up to Nebula and watch ad-free and sponsor-free: https://go.nebula.tv/notjustbikes Patreon: https://patreon.com/notjustbikes Twitter: https://twitter.com/notjustbikes Reddit: https://reddit.com/r/notjustbikes One-time donations: https://notjustbikes.com/donate NJB Live (my bicycle livestream channel): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9v57F4xz46KaDsvWfCv8yw --- Image & Video Credits: Video of walking Taipei courtesy of Taiwan4K: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkfBrSh2-Nc City Beautiful - An Introduction to Zoning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kVWDWMcLT4 Photograph of Widnes in the late 19th century showing the effects of industrial pollution (public domain): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Widnes_Smoke.jp Zoning map of London, Ontario © 2003-2020 City Of London: https://london.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=20327d3bcfb34bb488a7c3f74c05d2d3 City Beautiful - The Case Against Single-Family Zoning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajSEIdjkU8E Canadian Shows Milk in Bags by DeadVoidStudios (YouTube) (Creative Commons Attribution licence (reuse allowed)): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f90_WksXi60 That one little pocket of commercial within a residential neighbourhood on the London, Ontario zoing map is this conveniece store and haircutters: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.0092242,-81.3111312,3a,75y,300.41h,73.9t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1saHEY1TlETYpmGmZ-WO2wHA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 Map of the "Yellow Belt" in Toronto, MapTO: http://www.mapto.ca/maps/2017/3/4/the-yellow-belt The "Yellow Belt" concept comes originally from urban planner Gil Meslin: https://twitter.com/g_meslin #urbanplanning #mixedusedevelopment #liveablecities [Source](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnKIVX968PQ)

Source quotes

[1:14] Not Just Bikes: Modern North American planning takes a very extreme view, that there is no value to having shops and restaurants within a residential neighborhood.

Original transcript

[0:06] One of the things I really like about Amsterdam [0:08] is the shops and restaurants [0:10] that are dotted throughout residential areas in the city. [0:14] These patios and local shops [0:15] provide a lot of interesting destinations [0:18] that are always within a very short walk or bicycle ride. [0:22] This is different from a high street or main street, [0:25] where the shops are all along one major street. [0:28] Cities in the Netherlands, like most countries, have high streets too. [0:32] But these retail pockets [0:34] bring an interesting character and liveliness [0:36] to residential neighborhoods, [0:37] and are a more quiet and enjoyable environment to sit in, [0:40] or shop in, [0:41] than along a busy main street. [0:45] In many ways, [0:46] these pockets of retail and restaurants [0:48] remind me of the alleyways of Taipei, [0:50] which were my favorite part of the city, [0:52] as they provided liveliness, [0:54] while also making what would otherwise be a dark alley [0:56] into a location that was inviting and interesting. [1:01] So these pockets of shops and restaurants [1:03] are in no way unique to the Netherlands. [1:05] But what is interesting [1:07] is that they are illegal to build [1:08] in almost all of the U.S. and Canada. [1:14] North American cities follow an approach [1:16] called "Euclidean Zoning". [1:18] If you're ever played SimCity or Cities: Skylines, [1:20] this will be familiar to you. [1:22] Euclidean zoning will come up in future videos, [1:25] because it's a big source of problems [1:26] with North American city design, [1:28] but I'm not going to go into too much detail or its history here. [1:31] If you'd like to learn more, [1:32] The exceptional urban planning channel "City Beautiful" [1:35] has made some good quality videos about zoning in U.S. cities. [1:38] I'll put links below. [1:40] But for our purposes now, here's the quick summary: [1:44] During the industrial revolution, [1:46] cities were pretty horrible places. [1:48] Someone could literally open a steel mill [1:50] in the middle of a residential neighborhood, [1:52] and this led to horrible pollution [1:54] and a terrible living environment. [1:56] So zoning was introduced, [1:57] to separate incompatible land uses. [2:00] This was probably the single most significant contribution [2:03] that urban planners made to public health [2:05] in the history of the profession, [2:07] and likely saved millions of lives, [2:09] which is why almost every country [2:10] has some kind of zoning ordinances. [2:14] Unfortunately, some countries took this a step too far, [2:17] and decided that absolutely everything [2:19] should be separated from absolutely everything else. [2:23] This means that in most North American cities, [2:25] if an area is zoned as "residential", [2:27] then literally nothing else can be built in that area. [2:31] Here is a typical zoning map, [2:33] in this case, of my home town, [2:35] of London, in Canada. [2:37] It is illegal to open a shop or restaurant [2:39] anywhere within the yellow shaded area. [2:44] Now, admittedly, [2:45] it is important to keep a residential area [2:47] quiet and comfortable to live in, [2:49] and that's not always compatible with other uses. [2:53] In the Netherlands there are sometimes issues with noise, [2:56] crowds, garbage, and other problem [2:58] related to living right next to, or above, [3:00] a commercial property. [3:03] But like all things in city planning, [3:05] there is a balance to be achieved. [3:07] Modern North American planning takes a very extreme view, [3:10] that there is no value [3:12] to having shops and restaurants within a residential neighborhood. [3:16] But North American zoning is extremist in general. [3:19] For example, if a neighborhood is zoned "R1", [3:21] for single-family homes, [3:23] then nothing else, not even townhouses or apartments, [3:26] can exist there. [3:28] I'll talk about that in more detail in the future, [3:31] but in the meantime, [3:32] you can watch the "City Beautiful" video, [3:34] "The Case Against Single-Family Zoning". [3:37] What's interesting to me [3:38] is that this was not always the case. [3:40] In our former neighborhood in Toronto, [3:42] built about a hundred years ago, [3:43] there were several commercial buildings [3:45] built within the neighborhood. [3:47] These areas have been grandfathered into the zoning code, [3:50] and are some of the most desirable, and expensive, [3:53] neighborhoods in the whole city. [3:55] But despite their appeal, [3:56] new neighborhoods will never be built this way again. [4:02] Beyond the liveliness that these places bring to a neighborhood, [4:05] the fundamental issue here is walkability. [4:08] If there's a local shop, [4:09] grocer, restaurant, or pub in your neighborhood, [4:12] then you can walk there. [4:14] But if your residential neighborhood [4:15] is separated from every other use, [4:17] then it means you have to drive [4:19] to do anything you want to do. [4:21] And so does everyone else. [4:23] That results in a lot of car traffic, [4:25] because it doesn't matter if you're driving across town [4:28] or just need to buy a bag of milk, [4:30] you have to get in your car. [4:32] And yes, where I'm from, [4:33] we buy milk in bags, and we like it that way. [4:42] But once you've gone to the trouble [4:43] of getting into your car, [4:45] you're much less likely to drive [4:46] to several small shops, [4:47] meaning most people skip local businesses, [4:50] and drive to the power center [4:51] with a giant parking lot. [4:53] Shops in walkable areas [4:55] are more likely to be run by local entrepreneurs, [4:57] who contribute significantly to the local economy [4:59] in a way that big box stores do not. [5:02] And I will talk about that in a future video, [5:04] about the twisted economics [5:05] of big box stores in North America. [5:09] By comparison, [5:09] a walkable neighborhood [5:10] had enough people living within walking distance [5:13] for small shops to stay in business, [5:15] and parking lots are not required, [5:17] making space available for patios, [5:18] parkettes, and places for people to live. [5:23] Thankfully, there is a realization [5:24] in many U.S. and Canadian cities [5:26] that Euclidean zoning has gone too far. [5:29] You'll hear urban planners talk about [5:31] "mixed-use development", [5:33] which is what the rest of the world calls: [5:35] "the way you build things". [5:37] However, [5:38] I find these developments are still highly localized, [5:40] such as at a transit hub [5:41] or a long and arterial road. [5:43] I rarely hear about bringing back [5:45] low-impact commercial spaces, [5:47] like restaurants, cafes and retail shops, [5:50] into existing residential neighborhoods. [5:53] And far too much of the area of North American cities [5:55] is still zoned as exclusively R1 single-family homes. [5:59] In Toronto for example, [6:00] this is called the "yellow belt", [6:02] because despite downtown Toronto [6:04] being one of the most urbanized area in North America, [6:07] it is still surrounded [6:08] by a sea of yellow on zoning maps, [6:10] where only single-family homes can be built, [6:15] so I'm happy to live again in a place [6:17] with sane zoning laws [6:18] that allow beautiful urban environments like this, to exist. [6:22] Places that reduce car traffic, [6:23] support local entrepreneurs, [6:25] encourage diverse retail, [6:26] and promote walkability. [6:29] Because honestly, [6:30] I have absolutely no interest [6:31] in going back to live in a place like this. [6:35] And speaking of supporting small businesses, [6:37] I've had several people ask [6:38] if they can contribute to the future of "Not Just Bikes", [6:41] so last week I set up a Patreon account. [6:44] If you'd like to support the channel, [6:45] check out patreon.com/NotJustBikes [6:48] or click on the link below. [6:50] As for me, I've got to get some milk. [6:52] I may not be able to buy it in bags anymore, [6:55] but at least I can walk there.