[imperfectcats]

Costs go up when the process gets complicated, especially when the complications are increasingly tangential to the activity. YIMBYism, environmental impact, indigenous land rights, historical considerations (preserving sites with historical value) all play a part in increasing costs in the west in building physical things.

That is not an argument AGAINST these things. It may be a valid trade-off that we all accept. Or it may be a power grab by some department or group. It is tough to know generally speaking.

That is true in all areas where costs are rising wildly - medicine, education, cost of building real estate in pre-COVID bay area, cost of infrastructure. Whether you think the trade-offs are justified will depend on your mood affiliation as much as anything else.