And it's really the only way to overcome NIMBYism. Don't want a power line running through your land? Don't want light rail a half block away? Too bad, here it comes.
Take away the government intervention and you take away the property easements that allow utilities to put up poles and run wires through yards, etc, to get to all the houses.
Good luck with your "let everyone run their tiny wires wherever without the government being involved" plan. You've heard of NIMBYism, right? How many times do you think you'll be allowed to rip up the street?
I've always assumed that NIMBYism primarily gets its hackles raised as soon as you can't drive to exactly the place you want to go without encountering traffic. As someone who uses public transit and their legs to get around I've found that sort of NIMBYism to breed the most hopelessly useless urban planning.
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