The Waning Influence Of NIMBYism

After two generations, for reasons large and small, opponents of growth and housing in California are steadily losing power. That's good news for planners and planning.

1 minute read

April 21, 2022, 12:00 PM PDT

By Josh Stephens @jrstephens310


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Kristi Blokhin / Middle density homes

“NIMBYism has had a good run: a good, multi-million-dollar fun for many millions of (relatively older, whiter, wealthier) Californians. That run is ending.”

“Planners today are less encumbered than ever before by NIMBY-inspired restrictions. From a political perspective, I think they're going to hear increasingly fewer strident voices of opposition at public meetings in the coming years. Those voices might not be any less loud, but they'll be less numerous. In a democracy, numbers are supposed to matter more than volume. Planners can plan according to best practices rather than political constraints.”

NIMBYs will still win occasional victories, through clever use of CEQA and political pressure in certain slow-growth redoubts, like the San Francisco Peninsula and Orange County. But they’re also going to lose. Their losses will lead to frustration. But frustration is not policy. And the more time passes, the more evidence will mount that the sky remains intact. SB 9 is not going to destroy neighborhoods. Very few cities will adopt SB 10; those that do will not be transformed overnight. NIMBYs will have few arguments and little evidence.”

Tuesday, April 19, 2022 in California Planning & Development Report

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