No, I get it. It's classic NIMPYism written flat out. It has nothing to do with providing housing or lowering rents. It has to do with a misplaced desire to freeze San Francisco at some point in time you consider ideal. Any economic arguments aren't even made in good faith, because they aren't the real motivation.

It won't matter, even the second greatest recession since 1929 was a blip on the radar in SF's long term development.

Are you're right, no one wants strip malls and chain stores. NYC probably has the most locally owned retail storefront in America and very few chain stores outside certain areas on 5th and 6th avenue. The death of local retail is a global issue and a separate one. It's not related to population density.

However, while you try to freeze SF in time, you are forcing out the people who shopped at those stores and replacing them with techies who may not care, so it's probably counterproductive if you want local shops around anyways.