Something that kills me is how roads are paved and then within a few months they're torn up to do work on pipes underneath like clockwork. They say it's because the utility companies and the town don't have good communication, but think we all know it's because of kickbacks from the paving companies. I've rarely ever seen work done under roads that weren't just paved over. And no, it's not just because I only notice it when the road is new because every since I've had this realization about 10-15 years ago I've been paying attention to it and it's still the case.
Aside from that, a big issue is that cities aren't designed for maintenance. Why are we still building towns with the pipes under roads? Keep them under the sidewalks with loops in the cement blocks so they can be easily lifted up and moved for repairs. It'd be faster and cheaper b/c no more repavements, you don't need super heavy equipment (simple forklift with chains can move them), and it'd cut down on job completion time, not to mention it's much easier to plan. For anything that crosses a street, do it at intersections and you can just make intersections a composition of concrete slabs that again can be moved.
Another issue is not utilizing technology. It'd be incredibly simple to create a web portal where citizens can report maintenance issues like potholes, broken street lights or traffic lights, tree limbs that need cutting to keep away from power lines, a sewer drain that's clogged, a fire hydrant that's leaking, etc. The list goes on and on. All these things being reported would make it much easier for the city to plan the maintenance so you could bang out a bunch of things at once early on rather than waiting for it to build up so much that it becomes obvious without the reporting and by that time it's usually late and has lead to other issues.
Aside from that, a big issue is that cities aren't designed for maintenance. Why are we still building towns with the pipes under roads? Keep them under the sidewalks with loops in the cement blocks so they can be easily lifted up and moved for repairs. It'd be faster and cheaper b/c no more repavements, you don't need super heavy equipment (simple forklift with chains can move them), and it'd cut down on job completion time, not to mention it's much easier to plan. For anything that crosses a street, do it at intersections and you can just make intersections a composition of concrete slabs that again can be moved.
Another issue is not utilizing technology. It'd be incredibly simple to create a web portal where citizens can report maintenance issues like potholes, broken street lights or traffic lights, tree limbs that need cutting to keep away from power lines, a sewer drain that's clogged, a fire hydrant that's leaking, etc. The list goes on and on. All these things being reported would make it much easier for the city to plan the maintenance so you could bang out a bunch of things at once early on rather than waiting for it to build up so much that it becomes obvious without the reporting and by that time it's usually late and has lead to other issues.