This is an excellent article by Hannah Miao related to my previous last mile blog post and addresses the primary issues for delivery app site selection: zoning and land use.

There are plenty of M-zones and higher intensity commercial districts locations where these e-commerce businesses could operate. Zoning regs will be the primary control, but NYC DOB and DOT should also be at the table discussing use, intensity, street, sidewalk traffic and safety.

USE - NYC DCP
DESIGN - NYC DOB
DELIVERY - NYC DOT

Questions about whether or not these businesses are warehouse or grocery store uses should not be that difficult to answer. Is there a properly designed and meaningful public/customer-facing component or not?

Operators letting site selection people choose retail storefront locations at the base of mixed use buildings in ‘residential’ neighborhoods or in areas with congested sidewalk traffic are inviting additional scrutiny and ultimately choosing unsustainable locations.

Delivery apps trying to bridge tech with the realities of dealing with multiple stakeholders and complexities in the congested last mile are messy business models that will continue to evolve, but they are here to stay.

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/02/04/bodegas-look-to-zoning-to-defend-against-instant-delivery-rivals.html?__source=sharebar|linkedin&par=sharebar