The first item you mention seems like a governance issue that can be addressed. I'm in Canada, and there are zoning regulations and five-year development guidel

The first item you mention seems like a governance issue that can be addressed. I'm in Canada, and there are zoning regulations and five-year development guidelines, and that's it. Promoters can ask to derogate from the plan and potentially face protest, but that's only if they derogate. I rarely hear of much protest (in Montreal, at least). If they do protest, they have to protest the city, because they're the ones who approved the project (and yes, there are the occasional corruption cases and politicians who go to jail). I don't really understand the electrical workers' union issue. Here there are provincial guidelines for safety and that's it. Construction is heavily regulated, union membership is mandatory, but it's often in the promoters' interests. The US tendency to deregulate/liberalize and let people sue each other is mind boggling sometimes.