Generally, mixing livestock and people in the confined conditions of a city is a very bad idea (if you're talking about suburbs, then that's a completely different thing, and I would agree with you about supporting it).
Ah yes, typically suburbs. Cities that adopt it generally have regulations around it, such as needing an inspection and nominally priced permit. The inspection just makes sure it's sanitary and follows certain rules about distance from house and whatnot.
I definitely don't advise raising chickens in an apartment or some such.
Most places that allow them don't have much in the way of inspection, etc, until you start selling the eggs.
Amusingly enough, rural towns are more likely to prohibit backyard chickens than suburbs of major cities these days. This is because if you want chickens in a rural area, the assumption is you'll buy just outside town; the people who moved into town don't want to hear roosters (which are often banned or severely limited even where chickens are allowed).
Noticed that too. The two rural towns near me bans any poultry with under 5 acres, which is essentially the entire town. Luckily I live right outside their limits.
RE: roosters, a lot of cities that permit backyard chickens do not allow roosters as they're considered a bit of a nuisance. As I'm sure you're aware(though I've found many people aren't), roosters are not required for the keeping of chickens nor the production of eggs.
They can be useful for flock protection, if you don't get a dud rooster. But in general, they're more annoying than you expect.
And yeah, you don't need one to "get them to start laying" though if you want to try to actually hatch some eggs you will need one (or buy the eggs ready to go).
Now I've heard that the roosters in Kansas/Nashville, them do lay eggs ...
Most annoying thing about roosters is, if you have one, then you'll have a bunch. (Our hens go hide their clutches eventually.) But if you have a bunch, then you can have coq au vin.
