This article looks at barriers to development . In a lot of places, construction is technically legal but practically unfeasible -- or at least more bother than it's worth, high risk for low return. That means little or nothing happens. If that's what you want, if you're trying to block undesirable activity, that's fine. However, if your town has a shortage of something, like affordable housing or small-business shells, then you need to tear down the barriers in order to get the things you need built. It should not take thousands of dollars just to ask for permission. You need a stock of things that people can just go do . For example, if you need affordable housing, then pick out a series of blueprints and pre-approve them. Say, you might go with a couple of small houses (good for auxiliary dwelling units, lot splits, cottage courtyards, etc.), a duplex and a triplex, a few rowhouse variations (good for live-work, large families, even apartments), and some small (4-16 units) apartment buildings. Anyone could then build those on any lot big enough. That would encourage more people to build them. You wouldn't have to worry about problematic plans because you already examined those plans. Next year, do the same for your business shells. Figure out what's missing and pre-approve several blueprints to fill the gap. Year after that, assess your housing. What's popular and what's not from the first batch of plans? If people hate one or more plans, drop those. If there's a clear favorite, add something similar to expand choices. In any case, put in at least a few new plans to keep the options fresh. At least once a year, check barriers. Talk to people who had ideas that didn't pan out. Why did those plans fail? Did people run out of money? Did research indicate it just wasn't a good project after all? Or did they run into bureaucratic problems? You should not have a town where it's impossible to accomplish ordinary things that people should be doing. Building stuff is ordinary. You need a stock of houses and businesses that are simple and easy to put up. And hell, it's not like those regulations prevent monstrosities from going up. Look at the history of blobitecture and brutalism. Tour any city with a college that teaches archecture -- I once got a hilarious tour of Milwaukee's mistakes from some friends there.