@icedquinn @allison @voltrina zoning is complex. there's safety critical stuff like no light industrial using crazy chemicals next door to the apartment. there's stuff like not wanting a walmart parking lot being put in immediately adjacent to your single family home

there's also a bizarre lack of pragmatism where low capacity retail isn't allowed with residential or height restrictions aren't eased up on even where it would make obvious sense. the latter often with claims of preserving the character of the area all while reducing setbacks and landscaping requirements to near zero resulting in an ugly mass of concrete and metal. very nice character you preserved there :blobwoozy:

and then there's the blatant conflicts of interest. there's usually someone making money off of all the dysfunction. and in particularly expensive areas it's worth noting that any politician that actually managed to "solve" things would be hated by everyone when their real estate investments tanked