The plight of Finch Cafe, a local business that might close down over zoning issues on its residential street, has more people in Toronto thinking about small stores operating out of our side streets and laneways.

Most seem to think that these shops and restaurants make for charming additions to the fabric of the city, adding personality and much-needed amenities to otherwise quiet, even stagnant neighbourhoods.

But, bylaws that could be considered restrictive — along with the odd complaint to the City from select citizens that some see as NIMBYs, as is the case with Finch Cafe — are holding establishments back, which is something that the City is now looking at changing.

Someone is documenting all the fun businesses operating out of Toronto laneways😄 https://t.co/WICX8jjzdc #Toronto

— theGentries (@theGentries) December 19, 2023

A new initiative to reassess neighbourhood retail and services could mean more independent cafes and stores in pockets of downtown, as used to be the case in earlier decades when there were different zoning and licensing regulations.

City planners are now pushing for the return of more lenient rules in residential areas when it comes to not just businesses, but housing, too.

A recent report in front of council outlines how more small businesses and even offices would help "support walkable and complete communities," and urge leaders to "apply the principle of 'build back better' to land use planning and improve the city's built form by prioritizing gentle density with greater emphasis on a mix of building types and uses, including low-rise residential, retail and services."

The proposed changes would allow more business types and larger spaces on busier streets, with limitations on less-trafficked roads — though less red tape than there is now, of course, and even permissions for small patios

Corners stores in neighbourhoods are good. Foundational, even, to a walkable city.

Overregulation of the wrong things is the problem, here.

That the City would have its knickers in a knot over an expresso machine where one ought not to be in a city where cars regularly park in… https://t.co/KtzuepcrT6

— Jennifer Keesmaat (@jen_keesmaat) June 10, 2024

As a petition to save Finch Store reads, "residents value these types of stores," and current bylaws governing these businesses are, to many, "out-of-date and do not reflect contemporary Toronto."

"We need a holistic approach that will create resilient and vibrant communities for local residents and visitors alike. Let's tell the city we want by-laws that allow independent businesses to thrive within our neighbourhoods."