&gt; &#x27;character&#x27; is just code for &#x27;I don&#x27;t want to share&#x27;<p>Nonsense.  I don&#x27;t live in San Fran, I do live in a city whose character has changed.  I don&#x27;t mind that people saw the cool inner city and wanted to share.  I <i>do</i> mind that developer put up cheap high-rises with shit sound insulation, and then waged war on music venues, getting most of them shut down.  I <i>do</i> mind that rents escalate massively year-on-year so that the hitherto broad range of inhabitants have steadily whittled down to a richer and richer (and frankly less interesting) rump.  I do mind that many landlords would apparently rather see an empty shopfront than an interesting store that&#x27;s no longer viable because apparently the thing to do is year-on-year 30% rent rises.