No Baby Steps?

I just read a thoughtful piece about why it's hard to revitalize a lot of neighborhoods until they totally hit bottom.

The author pins the blame on all the rules and regulations that are often involved in fixing a place up:

'There’s no in-between. You either get permanent stagnation or massive redevelopment. Baby steps are essentially illegal. “Hold, wait, and do nothing” works for the little guy.'

I really appreciated this comment, pertaining to people who acquire a building and then abandon their initial project, once they find out how expensive it will be to do all the mandated extras:

'I’ve heard many officials and professionals get very derisive in their assessment of such efforts. “Oh, they were idiots. They didn’t do their homework before they started their project. What? They thought they could just do whatever they want with the place? There are rules you know.” These are precisely the same individuals who butter their bread each day with impact fees and billable hours. They have no skin in the game.'

When a neighborhood erodes
Examine the building codes.