Empirical studies? No, just common sense and personal observation. The smaller the area governed, the more easily it will be influenced by local pressure groups. If there's one state politician who'll be against increased airport traffic, it'll be the one representing the idiots who built houses near flight paths.
I lived in Camberwell a couple of decades ago when the council signed on a redevelopment scheme for the main shopping area. Next council election, every candidate was anti-development and there was nobody decent to vote for. The new council promptly reversed the development plans, and got sued for tens of millions of dollars (of our money) and lost. Camberwell junction should have been redeveloped, busting at the seams with people as it was/is, but the council got bought by the few mega-rich wankers within walking distance who didn't want their precious streets to carry any more traffic and serve the rest of the community adequately.
I don't think universal regulations are required for litter, height restrictions, etc. In much the way we have federal laws that states can't override and so on, I do think state-level regulations are required for not impeding home-owners from appropriately defending their homes from fire.
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Date: 2009-02-23 08:43 am (UTC)I lived in Camberwell a couple of decades ago when the council signed on a redevelopment scheme for the main shopping area. Next council election, every candidate was anti-development and there was nobody decent to vote for. The new council promptly reversed the development plans, and got sued for tens of millions of dollars (of our money) and lost. Camberwell junction should have been redeveloped, busting at the seams with people as it was/is, but the council got bought by the few mega-rich wankers within walking distance who didn't want their precious streets to carry any more traffic and serve the rest of the community adequately.
I don't think universal regulations are required for litter, height restrictions, etc. In much the way we have federal laws that states can't override and so on, I do think state-level regulations are required for not impeding home-owners from appropriately defending their homes from fire.