Actually, the reason it is that way - with the additional green space between the sidewalk and the street, making it more desirable - is that originally, when the bike path was a railway, the train stop was where the donut shop used to be, and Highland between the bike path and Kidder was planned to be a park. (The whole College/Morrison/Broadway/Cedar neighborhood was planned.) Then they ended up deciding to build houses there after all, and so had more room. At least that is the story I was told, wish I could recall who told it!