Municipal government exists at the pleasure of the state, and the State governments can just take back land use powers at any time. "They" here is the state Dem party, and they have an easy choice to make.
I don’t know about the party part (many of these date back when Republicans ruled the state), but
- development zoning (restrict development to low density residential),
- slowing development with required surveys (eg. CEQA)
- permit friction
- rejection of mass transport in growing population regions
- mobs at city planning meetings,
- Open Space preserves (private contracts to maintain nature in area where high demand
