Where to provide new housing? In town centres

With reference to the Viewpoint article by Jenny Raggett complaining about how much new housing is being provided on the edges of urban areas or in the countryside (leading to increasing car trips) (LTT 8 Jun), surely one solution is that more housing could be provided in or adjacent to town centres.

We are seeing increasing numbers of stores closing as internet shopping increases. This is presumably giving rise to unused buildings in or adjacent to town centres. It would surely make sense to redevelop some of them for residential use. Obviously they would not be houses with gardens but they could provide flats for young people, and also older people who no longer wish to live in homes with gardens.

This would also hopefully decrease commuting.