Vacant Commercial Corridors Are Zoning Failures, Not Market Failures
By Bahram AzabDaftari, Imaginationtree.org
Take a walk down Wyoming Avenue, Lackawanna Avenue, or Providence Road in Scranton and one thing jumps out: empty storefronts, dusty windows, buildings waiting for someone to breathe life into them. From shuttered shops to historic buildings that could be beautiful again, these streets tell a story of lost opportunity.
Many shrug and say, “The market just isn’t strong here.” But that’s only part of the story. In truth, our zoning rules are often the biggest barrier keeping these spaces vacant. Instead of helping neighborhoods flourish, outdated land-use regulations leave buildings idle and communities frustrated.
Zoning: What It’s Meant to Do—and Where It Falls Short
Zoning is supposed to make neighborhoods safe, organized, and livable. In Scranton, the zoning code decides where businesses, homes, and industry can go. It sets rules for building heights, lot sizes, parking, and what types of businesses can operate where.
The problem? Many of these rules were written decades ago, when retail and urban life looked very different. Now, they often:
Separate uses too strictly, making it hard to have shops below apartments or offices above stores.
Demand too much parking, forcing small businesses to lease or pave spaces they can’t afford.
Block adaptive reuse, keeping old buildings empty even when they’d be perfect for a café, studio, or co-working space.
These aren’t market realities—they’re regulatory roadblocks keeping our neighborhoods from thriving.
Our Vacant Corridors Tell a Story
Look downtown: Scranton has invested in streetscape improvements, new sidewalks, and better lighting. Yet, many storefronts sit empty, and people notice—often bringing it up at public meetings.
Take 329 West Market Street. Owners are trying to convert commercial space into apartments, but they need zoning variances just to make it happen. Nearby, The Marketplace at Steamtown shows a regional trend: developments once expected to anchor downtown life are struggling to adapt to today’s mix of work, retail, and lifestyle patterns.
The takeaway? Vacancy isn’t about a lack of demand—it’s about rules that don’t match modern realities.
Zoning Doesn’t Have to Be the Problem
Across Scranton and its neighborhoods, there are bright spots where potential is being unlocked—projects that should inspire us to do more:
Mixed-use corridors: The Scranton-Abingtons Comprehensive Plan highlights streets like North Main Avenue, Providence Road, and Pittston Avenue for mixed residential, retail, and office uses. These areas are meant to be walkable, connected, and lively.
Façade grants and small business support: Scranton’s ARPA-funded façade improvement program has helped businesses refresh their storefronts in North Scranton, showing what’s possible when owners and city leaders work together.
Neighborhood revitalization partnerships: Groups like United Neighborhood Centers are turning vacant lots into housing and commercial space, especially in Pine Brook, pairing thoughtful planning with actual development.
Policy Fixes That Could Unlock Value
Turning empty streets into thriving neighborhoods doesn’t require magic—it requires smart, flexible policy:
Modernize zoning codes: Let apartments go above shops, allow mixed uses by right, and ease parking requirements where walkability and transit make large lots unnecessary.
Facilitate adaptive reuse: Make it easier to convert empty commercial floors into housing, studios, or co working spaces. Provide fast-track approvals and clear guidelines.
Incentivize incremental redevelopment: Offer grants or tax breaks, like façade improvement funds, to reduce the financial risk of breathing life into old buildings.
Engage the community: Let residents help shape zoning and development. Projects with local buy-in are more likely to succeed and reflect real neighborhood needs.
Vacancy Isn’t Destiny—It’s a Call to Action
Empty storefronts are often dismissed as the inevitable result of a weak market. But if we look closer, we see choices that have been made, sometimes decades ago, that keep our neighborhoods from flourishing.
Scranton and Northeast Pennsylvania are full of history, strong communities, and untapped infrastructure. What’s missing isn’t imagination—it’s policies that allow us to imagine, act, and thrive.
Our zoning should open doors, not close them. Revitalization will only happen when we think of zoning as a tool for inclusion, flexibility, and proactive community building—something that helps our streets, our businesses, and our communities come alive again.
Scranton, PA - September 2025
References
Local Planning & Revitalization References
· Scranton City Government. (n.d.). Scranton‑Abingtons comprehensive plan. Scranton, PA: Office of Economic and Community Development. Retrieved February 2, 2026, from https://scrantonpa.gov/your-government/oecd/planning/comp-plan
· Scranton City Government. (n.d.). ARPA façade improvement program inspires North Scranton revitalization. Retrieved February 2, 2026, from https://scrantonpa.gov/scranton-arpa-facade-grant-inspires-north-scranton-revitalization
· United Neighborhood Centers (UNC). (n.d.). Community revitalization. Retrieved February 2, 2026, from https://www.uncnepa.org/communityrevitalization
· Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development. (n.d.). Mixed‑use revitalization program. Retrieved February 2, 2026, from https://dced.pa.gov/programs/mixed-use-revitalization-program
· Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development. (n.d.). Main Street Matters / Elm Street designations. Retrieved February 2, 2026, from https://dced.pa.gov/main-street-matters-elm-street-designations
General Urban Planning References
· Talen, E. (2021). Zoning and urban form: How land use regulation shapes communities. Routledge.
· Salazar‑Miranda, A., & Talen, E. (2025). Zoning in American cities: Are reforms making a difference? arXiv. https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.00008
· Lang, R. E., & LeFurgy, J. (2020). Mixed-use development in post-industrial cities. Brookings Institution Press.