@AgentCy... maybe this will help. Another 4 min video demonstrating the financial power of a traditionally developed city block, vs one that uses the more suburban model. From Brainard Minnesota so something easy to relate to for those of us here in Iowa and the Midwest.
As an aside: this might be especially interesting to those living in places like Ankeny where there is a lot of surburban development, but they also have still have their old Uptown area and now the Prairie Trail neighborhood that use a more traditional development pattern.
I think the important thing to keep in mind is this isn't about what your or I might PREFER....but rather, how does one stack up directly against the other financially despite personal preferences. It is a black and white analysis....personal preference and bias aside. This is dollar and cents:
The video answers your questions. So about half of the problems STEM from the CITY's regulations. Set backs, parking requirements, traffic flow, environmental regulations, etc. So perhaps Strong Towns is lobbying cities to change their zoning but just doing that is not going to change the economics.
Now I also don't think Taco Johns is going to want to go into those attached buildings because they can't get a drive-thru or convenient parking for the customers. They will if they really, really see an opportunity but they obviously prefer the large site.