Can you put a cat on a leash?

Short answer: Yes, but it's not very successful.
Since I moved into my condo, I have asked my cat Merriweather (pictured above on her 4th birthday) to move in with me. She no longer has a backyard to play in, but I try to let her go outside once in a while. The challenge is not losing her, and past attempts have meant chasing her around the complex as she darts from car to car to hide underneath. So, natch I thought I could solve the problem by using a leash. I pictured her tied to a tree, lazily rolling in the grass, enjoying her controlled freedom.
Well, it didn't exactly turn out that way.
She fights against the leash and always manages to tangle herself up in some way that almost chokes her to death. Today I found her perched on top of some horribly scratchy bush, her zebra-striped leash wound around all the branches. And of course, the Canadian neighbor next door was watching the whole time.
At this point, I'm not exactly sure what to do. I hate to leave her cooped up in my 1-bed condo, but I can't have her running around all over tarnation.
Maybe I could just get the neighbor to move.