Growth should be checked by (reasonable) zoning, not by constant one-off meetings that make the de facto rules stricter than the on-paper ones.

Laws and code should be transparent.

What cities have unchecked growth in the last fifty years?

It should be an option. You pay higher prices. But the community gets more control. And for a smaller city, that’s a fair choice to make. For a metropolis, it’s not.

Yes. Agreed. I liked the civic engagement. With the Target thing though, opponents were just a bit hypocritical. Davis residents were already going to a Target: they were driving to Woodland or Vacaville for their serious shopping.

That assumes there even is unchecked growth, and that’s very much not true. I think you missed the point of the game.