Belmont, Massachusetts is the latest town to consider zoning rules that let them keep their downtown from being taken over by banks. Banks can pay higher rent and generate less noise than other establishments, so landlords love them, but a good downtown needs a mix, and banks don’t generate foot traffic nights or Sundays. Via Richard Layman.

Tagged: boston, retail

David Alpert created Greater Greater Washington in 2008 and was its executive director until 2020. He formerly worked in tech and has lived in the Boston, San Francisco Bay, and New York metro areas in addition to Washington, DC. He lives with his wife and two children in Dupont Circle.