The Line Between Fighting Gentrification And Plain-Old NIMBY

When does an 'anti-gentrification group' cross the line to simply stopping progress in a community? That charge has been leveled against San Francisco's Mission Anti-Displacement Coalition after the city's environmental review process was expanded.

2 minute read

August 22, 2007, 12:00 PM PDT

By Irvin Dawid


The Mission Anti-Displacement Coalition, "a handful of community organizations focused on immigrants' rights, development and social services that was formed a decade ago to resist gentrification during the dot-com boom" has been remarkably successful at blocking developments that proponents claim "would add middle-income and affordable housing to the neighborhood, in addition to cleaning it up and making it safer."

"More than 50 pending projects were halted in April 2006, when the Anti-Displacement Coalition persuaded the Board of Supervisors to force developers to examine how the projects would affect not just the environment but also the supply of industrial land and blue-collar jobs - and whether the projects were consistent with the city's policies encouraging more affordable housing."

"Through its land-use policies, San Francisco has been pushing for a richer city that does not cater to the people that are already here," coalition coordinator Nick Pagoulatos said. "The city is promoting biotech, green tech and the digital economy at the expense of industries such as printing, furniture repair, warehousing and shipping, he said.

Legal experts say the supervisors entered what appeared to be uncharted territory by adding employment and housing analysis to environmental review requirements."

"San Francisco Supervisor Elsbernd said that the coalition's interpretation of the environmental review was ‘one hell of a stretch,' and that the argument could shut down all market-rate housing development in San Francisco."

"It's a slippery slope - with an environmental review you can look at the impact on traffic, pollution, density," Elsbernd said. "But with housing and jobs, how do you quantify in any meaningful way what the impact is on the environment?"

Tuesday, August 21, 2007 in The San Francisco Chronicle

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

Red and white "Wildfire Evacuation Route" sign on signpost.

Cal Fire Chatbot Fails to Answer Basic Questions

An AI chatbot designed to provide information about wildfires can’t answer questions about evacuation orders, among other problems.

6 hours ago - The Markup

Protester at Echo Park Lake, Los Angeles holding sign that says "Housing is a human right"

What Happens if Trump Kills Section 8?

The Trump admin aims to slash federal rental aid by nearly half and shift distribution to states. Experts warn this could spike homelessness and destabilize communities nationwide.

7 hours ago - Shelterforce Magazine

Aerial of rainbow painted crosswalks at large intersection in Castro District, Sna Francisco, California.

Sean Duffy Targets Rainbow Crosswalks in Road Safety Efforts

Despite evidence that colorful crosswalks actually improve intersection safety — and the lack of almost any crosswalks at all on the nation’s most dangerous arterial roads — U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy is calling on states to remove them.

July 10 - Streetsblog USA

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Home and Land Services Coordinator

Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners

Associate/Senior Planner

Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development

Senior Planner

Heyer Gruel & Associates PA