Can't tell New Urbanism from YIMBY? This post tries to help.
David Alpert provides an explainer post, of sorts, about the different factions of pro-development urbanism.
If someone supports more housing in a city, are they a YIMBY? A New Urbanist? A Market Urbanist? Which is Greater Greater Washington? Articles in the popular press throw around these names, sometimes rightly and sometimes wrongly. They’re not all the same, but the differences can often be subtle. Here’s a quick primer.
The terms defined by Alpert include urbanism, New Urbanism, Market Urbanism, Smart Growth, and YIMBY. Some of these groups have more defined organizational structures behind them, and some are just emerging. The differences between each are significant, but they also share some commonalities. "For the most part, members of all of these groups share a common view about supporting new housing or jobs in urban areas and near transit," writes Alpert. "Above all, they tend to disagree with neighborhood activists who mobilize to oppose changes."
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