Not everywhere can be a destination and it would be good if more acknowledge that, but not sure density has to be all that high to support local amenities. Heavy emphasis on the local. I'd still consider somewhere like Oakwood Village in Toronto to be a relatively walkable urban area, but it really isn't attracting people from elsewhere. That should be more of an aspiration - not the next Ossington. You aren't going to do everything locally, but it should be an option for at least some things. Even businesses on Roncesvalles and the western portion of Parkdale are primarily patroned by local residents, though there are certainly exceptions (I know several business-owners in the area).
Of course there are a lot of economic reasons it's very difficult to recreate this model in suburban Oakville (or wherever). The best we can reasonably hope for is something more self-contained at the end of the day.
One thing that's always puzzled me about these new developments incorporating retail though is why there's almost never a bar/pub (even a chain Firkin) anywhere nearby aside from bigger restaurants in big-box areas. Older Ontario suburbia has lots of them and they seem much more common in Calgary suburbia. I can see why given the ethnic makeup of some suburbs but Oakville seems like an easy market. This is the only one I could find in Uptown Oakville:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/fDPbD2ZnCywSRiTu9