Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In

As any seasoned urban planner will tell you, hell hath no fury like a homeowner faced with a nearby zoning change.

The NIMBY is a familiar villain in the death of many a thoughtfully-conceived project that could have made a suburb more walkable or a city more vital. So today on the Network we're highlighting a post from Daniel Nairn at Discovering Urbanism that examines reflexive opposition to new development in people's backyards. If we want more livable neighborhoods, says Nairn, it's time we all become YIMBYs:

false

Suppose you’re a homeowner in a nice, classic inner suburban neighborhood. There’s a little bit of vacant land down the street from you, and rumors are going around that some developers have their eyes on it for new homes. Your neighbors are looking into their legal options for stopping any construction from happening before it’s too late. They ask you to sign a petition they are bringing to city hall. Do you sign it?

You already like where you live – that’s why you chose it – but you wonder why it couldn’t become an even better neighborhood. You want to show solidarity with your neighbors, but there’s a selfish voice in the back of your head saying: maybe I want a few more homes or even a store on my street. It’s true that the residents of these new homes may be criminals, but that’s not very likely. Most people are decent. You realize that it’s far more likely these new neighbors will call the police on someone breaking into your house than actually try to break into your house themselves.

Remember, your property values are determined by what some anonymous future buyer wants in a neighborhood, not what you want in a neighborhood. Maybe you should just join the angry crowd at the public hearing, if only to protect your largest financial investment and keep your options open when it's time to move. But here’s the bewildering paradox: for all the resistance, there’s actually a huge latent demand for walkable urban neighborhoods not unlike what yours could become. New neighbors and services are more likely to help than hurt your nest egg.

YIMBYs, perhaps, won't be as likely to storm City Hall with hyperbolic claims. But a few rational voices from within the community can help appeal to the better judgment of local decision makers. As Nairn points out, we shouldn't be afraid to stand up for new development, particularly if it will benefit local businesses, make transit more viable and otherwise increase urban amenities.

Elsewhere on the Network today: New Haven Safe Streets Coalition outlines the public outcry in the face of inaction over a dangerous rail crossing where several people have recently been injured. Walk-Bike New Jersey questions whether a proposed 3-foot-passing law will provide the proper protection for cyclists.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Agency Needs More Funding To Expand Delivery Worker Protections

The agency tasked with protecting city workers needs more money to implement recent laws passed to expand protections for delivery workers.

September 22, 2025

Zohran Mamdani On E-Bike Safety: Regulate App Algorithms, Not Workers

The presumptive mayor is joining the war against e-bikes ... on the side of the e-bikes.

September 22, 2025

Monday’s Headlines: Nasty Weather in Queens Edition

Hopefully, you were having so much fun this weekend (and you weren't anywhere near Citi Field) that you need our news update. Here you go!

September 22, 2025

Komanoff: Data Show Fewer Trucks in the So. Bronx After Congestion Pricing

Expert Charles Komanoff, using MTA bridge and tunnel data, dispels one of the myths that opponents spread about the Manhattan toll.

September 19, 2025

Friday’s Headlines: Mayor’s Mismanagement Report Edition

Revealed: lots more failures of the Adams administration. Plus other news from the perfect day for our editor to test positive for Covid.

September 19, 2025

Friday Video: A Brief Look At What Austin Street Could Be

Check out what a safer, better, more vibrant Austin Street could look like.

September 19, 2025
See all posts