It is heavily favored by most big-city mayors (and RINO little-city mayors) because it will give them the old "Federal Money" excuse for zoning OUT anything that does not produce big tax dollars.
Another 'use' for this garbage has been 'model communities'--suburban developments featuring 'town square' models,with small grocery/hardware/pharmacies within walking distance of condo, apartment, and single-family homes.
Good thing they are within walking distance, as the roads built are too small for two lanes of traffic and parking on each side of the road.
Given that larger stores have better prices, the store operators generally go out of business quickly. Then you have abandoned stores and a NEED to drive. Then they rip up the roads and re-do them to make them wider, out of necessity.
City of Milwaukee tried this on a particular commercial street. Ten years later, they ripped it all out to widen the street again, after most merchants had gone banko.
Wonderful way to screw EVERYBODY...