Victoria Commons

[nms]

Historically speaking, how did cities evolve a good mix of private, public and semi-private space? Simply building "mixed-use" buildings that stack housing, on top of office space, on top of one layer of retail that may or make not be in a shape that works doesn't seem to do more than encourage convenience retail, convenience services (nails and hair) and convenience eating (eg to-go or fast food restaurants). I doubt that mid-size urban areas like Waterloo Region have the critical mass to support larger cultural spaces that encourage longer stays in any particular area during leisure time. Does a development like the Victoria Commons even have the option for post-construction renovations of the "mixed-use" spaces into the kinds of things that the area might attract?