Frustrations with local government is a familiar groan across communities all over the world. Local municipalities can rarely do enough to satisfy their residents, because it is impossible to please everyone. But what happens when the extremely vocal minority, (or those who simply had time and resources on their hand) are able to block beneficial changes?

This article explores how constantly changing construction regulations can cause big problems. On the other end of the spectrum, even when vocal majorities voice their opinion - they are dismissed by their local government. These scenarios delay community projects and local government initiatives for years and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees. It's a situation where even well-supported projects can get stuck, making it harder to improve our public spaces. ‍

How do we fix a broken system? Strong Towns speaks of making incremental changes, quickly. Or semi permanent interventions based on community feedback.