City developments at several levels affect the neighbors lives. Sometimes it produces clashes as people protest against them. Lost of quality life, social problems, price increment in common supplies, noise, pollution, all these elements can angry persons and as a result they tend to rebel. Well not in all cases. Fortunately, there are brave people who claim against what they hate and take actions in order to try to solve what upset them. Most of the negative elements of cities development is related to the misunderstander of urban development just for a few. In such cases, politicians and friends benefit from new infrastructures which harm neighbors lives.
In Spain there are a lot of such examples and the neighbors fights. Just to name a few, we have the association against the tunnel in the Pérez Galdós avenue in Valencia and the platform for the railroad track buddying in Murcia. Both share a common desire: Change the city infrastructures which bother them.
The association against the tunnel in the Pérez Galdós avenue (http://www.fueratunelperezgaldos.com, in Spanish) claims for adapting the road to the XXI century. At the time I am writing this post, it is a long avenue without trees or plants, with minute sidewalks, 4 car lines per direction and car accidents are common since the speed limits are not respected. Moreover, it has an uncovered tunnel from which noise and pollution contribute to make this avenue an undesired place. What the association claims is to broaden sidewalks, plant trees, put a bike line, close the tunnel, force to fulfill the speed limit and reduce the car use in that area. If they finally achieve them, surely Valencia will be better.
The platform for the railroad track buddying (http://www.soterramientomurcia.es, in Spanish) has been fighting for 30 years. They protest against the railroad which divide the city into two parts every month. By buddying the railroad track, Murcia would be again only one city. They organized a protest in this city and more than 50.000 people support them. They have the people backing but politicians again do not hear them. A national agreement was signed back in the 2000s before the crisis. In this official document between the Spanish government and the local one, the national government compromised to pay the railroad track buddying. But the reality has turn its back to Murcia. As time went by, the option to solve this problem remains remote. Nevertheless, thanks to the official signature the case is in court. You can see how idiot some politicians are. If justice exists, the Murcian platform for the railroad track buddying will not make sense as its claim will have been reached. Better later than never!