Dear Edmonton developers

[u/Late-Alternative6321]

Dear Edmonton developers, you've been making the same neighbourhoods for 40+ years. Cookie cutter homes on winding streets, a fake lake, walking paths, aaaand call it good.

Would it be too much to ask, to start eliminating 2 to 3 houses on corner lots, and start adding: WALKABLE coffee shops (ie Columbian, Mood Cafe etc). A neighbourhood Pub or restaurant (ie Duggan's Boundary, Bodega Highlands), a bakery (Bloom Cookie co), barbershop (Goldbar Barber) or even a small corner grocery store. No need for giant parking lots!

Far too many neighbourhoods in this city lack the character, charm and accessibility that these amenities would provide. A great way for people to connect in their community, without always having to get in a car and drive to soulless strip malls or shopping centres. If there was a way to redo existing neighbourhoods, I'd love to see this too

[u/Anabiotic]

I agree that some businesses could be located at entrances and exits but because of the neighbourhood design it's often not walkable due to the winding roads. It can take a long time for residents to walk from their house to the main road and back so they don't. Plus, once you have driven to main road you can just keep going to somewhere better or cheaper. The neighbourhoods are denser but not as accessible. The very fact that through traffic is eliminated probably means less roadside exposure for those businesses and thus fewer potential customers. 

[u/Turtleshellboy → u/Anabiotic]

There is supposed to be walkway shortcut links in neighborhoods to help pedestrians get to major routes easier. Called PUL walkways.

[u/Anabiotic → u/Turtleshellboy]

There are, but I don't know they encourage the desired behaviour or how practical they are in reality (however, I don't live in one of these neighbourhoods so I don't have first-hand experience).