Question: I am not sure if it makes sense but will it be possible to add a line break between the start of the plot and the X-axis.

For e.g.

```
{
  "$schema": "https://vega.github.io/schema/vega-lite/v4.json",
  "width": {"step": 10},
  "height": 120,
  "data": {"url": "data/cars.json"},
  "mark": "area",
  "encoding": {
    "x": {"field": "Name", "type": "nominal", "scale": {"round": false}},
    "y": {"aggregate": "count", "type": "quantitative"}
  }
}

```

[![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/3sVcQ.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/3sVcQ.png)

Hopeful output:
[![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/rbN5X.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/rbN5X.png)

Answer: 
One way to do this is by adding a `scale.domain` argument:

```
{
  "$schema": "https://vega.github.io/schema/vega-lite/v4.json",
  "width": {"step": 10},
  "height": 120,
  "data": {"url": "data/cars.json"},
  "mark": "area",
  "encoding": {
    "x": {"field": "Name", "type": "nominal", "scale": {"round": false}},
    "y": {"aggregate": "count", "type": "quantitative", "scale": {"domain": [-0.5, 6]}}
  }
}

```

[![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/rESH4.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/rESH4.png)

Another way to do this is to use the `y` and `y2` encodings to set a bottom value for the area chart:

```
{
  "$schema": "https://vega.github.io/schema/vega-lite/v4.json",
  "width": {"step": 10},
  "height": 120,
  "data": {"url": "data/cars.json"},
  "mark": "area",
  "transform": [{"calculate": "0.1", "as": "bottom"}],
  "encoding": {
    "x": {"field": "Name", "type": "nominal", "scale": {"round": false}},
    "y": {"aggregate": "count", "type": "quantitative"},
    "y2": {"field": "bottom"}
  }
}

```

[![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/FtT8M.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/FtT8M.png)
Another way to do something similar, adding it as another answer to make it convenient for others.

`offset` property of [axis](https://vega.github.io/vega-lite/docs/axis.html) shifts the axis line by fixed pixels, independent of the data. Using `offset` adds a gap between the `x` and `y` axis lines though.

```
{
  "$schema": "https://vega.github.io/schema/vega-lite/v4.json",
  "width": {"step": 10},
  "height": 120,
  "data": {"url": "data/cars.json"},
  "mark": "area",
  "encoding": {
    "x": {"field": "Name", "type": "nominal", "scale": {"round": false}, "axis": {"offset": 5}},
    "y": {"aggregate": "count", "type": "quantitative"}
  }
}

```