It's not about nice, it's about structure. What sorts of development are they encouraging? Is the main street an endless series of the same chain restaurants, or does it have a livable core? Are they encouraging rental properties to make the it easier to live there? Are they promoting high-priced condos instead to get quick hits of cash?

Policy is a highly subjective thing, but it also takes decades for it to make an impact.

This is capitalism isn't it. What should the government encourage? To let the consumers and the producers decide for themselves.

There's a difference between a well tended garden and one left to do whatever it wants.

Consumers and producers don't always get to decide. If you live in a small town that has a Wal-Mart then it's extremely difficult to compete directly with that store if you're just some independent. People might like your business, but you can't buy at the same volumes, you can't force the hand of city council for tax breaks, you have almost no power in comparison.

Absent good governance then corporations decide everything and we get to "decide" between the options they deign to give us.