Arouse hopes and expectation

[Dr.Appalayya]

In the outskirts of the town with sparse habitats, the residents are very happy if somebody digs even small ditch or somebody cleans a weeded land, which eventually may or may not fructify into construction of house or laying black-top road. Yet, the residents expect highly of any such minor initiatives.

I want to describe the residents who suddenly become hopeful of future dense development, on seeing the such initiatives ( digging, clearing the weeds etc.). I also want to describe those small initiatives launched by other prospective home-owners or governments.

 

[clairanne]

The outskirts of the town is very underdeveloped. The residents are very happy if somebody digs even a small ditch or cleans a weeded field, which may, or may not, eventually lead to the construction of a house or the laying of a black-top road. The residents do, however, have high expectations of any such minor initiatives.

I am not sure what a " black top road is, it is perhaps what we would call a "tar-mac" road?

You could maybe say " the residents become optimistic for the future of their environment on seeing the signs of potential development".

 

[Aud Duck]

I am not sure what a " black top road is, it is perhaps what we would call a "tar-mac" road?

Yes. I think it's a regional difference. "Black top" is what people say in my part of the states.

You can say simply that the developments "raise people's expectations." To me, "become optimistic" sounds a bit stuffy.

 

[dificilima]

The outskirts of the town is very underdeveloped.....cleans a weeded field...

I am not sure what a " black top road is, it is perhaps what we would call a "tar-mac" road?

How about "The outskirts of the town is sparsely populated"? That seems a bit closer to the original sense.

I usually think of clearing instead of cleaning a field. Also would suggest changing weeded to weedy. To weed is the act of removing weeds. Therefore a weeded field is a field from which the weeds have already been removed. I believe that is not what you are trying to say. Weedy, on the other hand is a adjective describing something with many weeds. Another alternative is to rewrite the entire phrase as "weeding the overgrown fields."

To the best of my understanding:
Blacktop = tarmac (short for tarmacadam)=asphalt=bitumen=paved (unless you're going back in time in which case it might be cobblestone pavement)