I was first introduced to the abbreviation “NIMBY” (“Not In My Backyard”) 20 years ago when I was planning $5 billion mega project Brooklyn’s Atlantic Yards (now known as Pacific Park) is first mentioned. Now, the term has become synonymous with the housing crisis plaguing America.
Atlantic Yards will transform Atlantic Avenue at the intersection of Flatbush Avenue into a huge A transportation hub with arenas (Barclays Center, home of the Brooklyn Nets), shopping, and more. people Protest against development Are the owners of expensive brownstones in the affluent Prospect Heights/Park Slope enclaveWorld Health Organization Worried about the development of the situation Both Destroying communities and potentially hurting their real estate prices. Many small businesses and apartments demolished was under eminent domain in subsequent years.
Now, Brooklyn is almost unrecognizable, with dozens of expensive new apartment developments and real estate prices soaring astronomical heightInfluence the entire borough and force Long-term residents are out. If homeowners are worried that their properties won’t increase in value through development, they’re wrong.
The connotation of NIMBYism has changed over the years
Although the NIMBY movement failed to stop the Atlantic Yards development—many might argue that the city had already been sliding toward rapid gentrification two decades ago—there is no doubt that NIMBYs have The word has changed a lot since then. It now has a negative connotation, with new affordable single-family homes falling prey to NIMBYs whose efforts impede development, and according to New York Times”, “Rising segregation and increasing wealth inequality are robbing the next generation of the American Dream.
The acronym first entered the public arena in the early 1980s to describe neighbors who opposed apartment developments. NIMBY activists be seen Serve as protectors of their neighborhoods and communities. As prices have exploded across the United States, the word has become synonymous with “keep out” and “high prices.”
complex problem network
NIMBYs and their counterpart YIMBYs (“Yes, in my backyard”), also known as YIMBYism, have been at loggerheads for decades. One is a supporter of high-density development (YIMBYs) and the other is against it.
In the middle is a complex web of politics, finance, transfer taxes, zoning laws, historical segregation, affordable housing, transportation, sewers, quality of life issues and more. That’s the power of NIMBYism to stop development, California Governor Gavin Newsom told the New York Times. san francisco chronicle: “NIMBYism is destroying countries“.
Once upon a time, developers were seen as the bad guys, lining their pockets at the expense of valuable green space and tight-knit communities. Now, with homeless epidemic and the affordable housing crisis engulfing the United States, the opposite appears to be true. As median home price for U.S. single-family homes jumps $425,000developer need Build affordable housing for people sleeping in their cars, on the streets or elsewhere exist Their parents’ couch.
The cost of building housing and the barriers it presents is a controversial issue There are no easy answers. The loss of parks, trees, natural habitats and historic buildings are all part of the community’s current state of affairs.
YIMBYs, on the other hand, compete with NIMBYs and homeowners associations with similar interests driven Instead of welcoming others into the fold, there is fear of losing what they have and the decline of local school systems and communities.
The black community has never been part of the discussion
Race has been at the heart of America’s development issues for decades. The term NIMBY is often associated with white communities. In contrast, historically, black communities have not had such a community-based voice to protect their assets.
For example, in 1957this Bethel AME Church demolished under eminent domain pittsburgh The famous mountainous area makes room for the Civic Arena. Residents were outraged that a nearby Catholic church attended by whites was allowed to remain.
Founded in 1808, Bethel AME is a cornerstone of the community. It was the site of Pittsburgh’s first black elementary school and a stop on the Underground Railroad. Exceed 8,000 residents Forced to relocate, most were housed with little compensation.
“In the 1950s, we had no one to prosecute,” Pastor Dale Snyder saysBethel’s current pastor noted that they could face racial violence for making “too much noise.”
Diamonte Walker is deputy executive director of the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and a fifth-generation Hill resident. “This way Development is complete What happened a few years ago was historically and emotionally harmful, especially to black people,” she said. “…I don’t think any amount of money can make up for the damage done to Bethel. demolished“.
vs. pittsburgh in the middle Due to the housing crunch due to rising house prices, the church’s former site has become extremely valuable. ice hockey team pittsburgh penguins has development rights to the site but last year chose to return it to the church in a loving gesture.
“Our neighbors No need these shiny buildingsus Affordable housing is needed,” Pastor Bethel AME Snyder said in a statement. “If you want to go somewhere else with millions of dollars, then do that. But if you stay, talk to people.
NIMBY vs. YIMBY is a national issue
Nowhere is the NIMBY movement more prevalent than in the United States. New YorkIt’s Long Island. Nassau County town and village leaders are outraged About New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s plan to allow faith-based housing be built Churches and mosques from the neighborhoods to which New Yorkers first fled working hard Escape the crowds of the city. This kind of faith-based housing is one way to address the affordable housing crisis.
“They want to turn the suburbs into an urban disaster,” Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino told CBS News of the proposal.
The new bill would allow houses of worship to circumvent local zoning laws and build high-density affordable housing on their tax-exempt land, a move that has become synonymous with everything NIMBYs oppose. “This is an attack on local zoningmake no mistakes. It changes the fabric of our community,” state Sen. Jack Martins told CBS News.
Similar wars have occurred In East Kilian MiamiSouth Dade County, where Local residents most The single-family community opposes the construction of a 216-bed assisted living facility in their community. NIMBY Killian residents have scored a victory as a rezoning plan failed after years of fighting. Residents fear changing zoning laws could lead to more development.
“Zoning must be compatible with existing neighborhoods, which is called ‘reasonable use,'” said Frank Schnidman, a retired land use professor at Florida Atlantic University. Florida Bulldogs Website. “This is destructive behavior designed to increase activity and will only increase the value to the owner and therefore the profits of the property.”
Single-family residential zoning 87% of residential space in Miami-Dade County. An influx of wealthy new residents and a lack of available space to build multifamily housing have made the area a focus of the battle for affordable housing and zoning law reform. Median home value area As of May 2024, its price is $650,000, reflecting 6% annual increase Home prices rose despite contraction in other parts of Florida.
final thoughts
In an election year, housing costs and the lack of affordable single-family homes are hot topics. Across the country, NIMBY and YIMBY are providing epic battle.
In Florida, Gov. DeSantis finds himself an unlikely opponent in upscale cities for through local living laws Officially effective in Marchwhich Allowing for taller, denser buildings. However, DeSantis recently changed the law allow Less affordable housing than originally proposed.
In the Bronx, New York City Councilwoman Marjorie Velázquez Support repartitioning In Throggs Neck, the project would have produced 349 apartments, nearly half of which would be permanently affordable — but she lost her council seat to Republican Kristy Marmorato in November.
governor of california Gavin Newsom steps in Cedar Street Partners’ application to build an 80-unit mixed-use project in La Cañada Flintridge was approved on behalf of YIMBY after opposition from local NIMBY districts. “La Canada Flintridge is another community making excuses instead of building its fair share of housing,” Newsom said.
In a heated political climate, the long-term need for affordable single-family housing is expected to be daily news, with both politicians and NIMBYs and NIMBYs claiming to have viable solutions to the housing crisis. The center of which will be Interest rate and cost-of-living crises plague the United States.
More affordable housing is urgently needed, but how It’s another thing for the country to get it.
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