Do people have a right to the city? Do longtime residents and businesses have a right to remain where they are?  If so, how should local governments, urban planners, and other decision-makers ensure these rights are maintained?

There is no city without people. People create communities and understand their community better than anyone else. If a community is unsafe, unclean, or tackling any other issue the first voice you hear from is from the residents. There is nowhere better to learn about a community than from those that have seen it grow. This is why I believe people, longtime resident and businesses should have rights when development is planned in a city or community by the government. When local governments, urban planners, and other decision-makers want to developed a community, the first thing they should do is speak with the community. From there they will understand the people of the community, the importance a business has to the community, and how the community holds each other up. The local government may think that adding a high-rise building will help the community grow but in reality, it removes the people and businesses who’ve made and served it. This results in a new community rather one that has been improved. There shouldn’t be officials that are narrow minded, like Robert Moses, in government. People who can’t consider opposing views aren’t fit to serve the people. When development is planned, residents and businesses should have rights to ensure that the changes will help their community.