I grew up in San Francisco, walking with my family by the Golden Gate Bridge. I still remember the thick and iconic chain railing that gave the place a sense of distinctiveness.
Now the chains are gone, and they've been replaced by a soulless metal railing that's colder than a hospital waiting room. I'm sure some bureaucrat somewhere justified it with a tidy spreadsheet, but they stripped away a little piece of San Francisco's soul in the process.
This is how a culture loses its charm: slowly, quietly... one small decision at a time.