Where and Why 'Not In Their Backyard' Becomes a Rallying Cry

We've all heard about NIMBY politics, but what about NITBY? What would prompt some people to adopt a "Not In Their Backyard" stance?

1 minute read

November 10, 2014, 1:00 PM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


"In certain circumstances, opposition comes from people living in other areas, who are aghast that an area they don’t live in is getting so much investment," according to a post by Alon Levy, who also provides insight about how to diagnose NITBY politics: "One common thread to NITBY opposition campaigns is that NITBYs view housing as a good thing, and want it redirected to their areas. Another is that they self-perceived as ignored by the urban elites; this is common to both right-wing populists and left-wing ones."

Levy goes on to cite specific examples pertaining to subsidized affordable housing in Chicago and housing and zoning in Tel Aviv before describing some of the problems and opportunities presented by NITBYism.

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