NIMBYs

illustration by Marc Hughes for the PlannersWeb

If you are considering a land use change that will affect a residential neighborhood, perfectly normal, rational people will appear to grow fangs and spit fire.

As a planning commissioner you need to keep your cool, and recognize the difference between legitimate concerns and irrational fears.

Editor's Notes & Interviews

Talking with Rebecca Cohen & Keith Wardrip about “The Economic & Fiscal Benefits of Affordable Housing”

The authors’ of the feature article in the Summer 2011 issue of the PCJ respond to comments and questions about their article.

Insights

A Nose for NIMBYs

by Christine Robbins

With NIMBYs legitimate concerns are often mixed with irrational fears. Planner (and planning commissioner) Christine Robbins offers some insights into how to deal with NIMBY situations.

PCJ Articles

Why Not in Our Back Yard?

by Michael Allen

Almost all of us have faced locally unwanted land uses. However, these “LULUs” are usually designed to provide vital community services. How your community can harmonize its housing and social service needs with the objections of neighborhood opponents.

Insights

Dealing With the Fear of Multi-Family Housing

by Ray Quay

Steps planners can take to improve the quality, and acceptability, of multi-family housing.

PCJ Articles

Is Your Community Being Invaded by NIMBYs?

by Elaine Cogan

Elaine Cogan offers strategies for dealing with NIMBYs when they show up at your meetings. Includes Sidebar, “Some Observations on NIMBY-ism,” by long-time planner, Perry Norton.

Insights

The “Multi-Family Housing Blues”

by Bob Mulder

A planning commissioner recounts what happened when a multi-family housing project was proposed in Raleigh, North Carolina.