Why might it be important to consult local residents when planning new developments in a city?

Well, the main reason is that local residents understand their neighborhood's daily needs best. For example, when they built a new shopping complex near my apartment in Shanghai, the planners didn't consider that many elderly residents relied on that area for morning exercises. The construction disrupted their routines completely. Developers might focus on big economic benefits, but residents can point out practical issues like traffic flow or noise that affect quality of life. I remember seeing older neighbors having to walk much further to find another park - small things like that really matter to people's daily comfort. That's why consultation isn't just polite, it's practical for making cities work better.