What a Conference for YIMBYs Looks Like

The advocacy group Better Boulder held the YIMBY 2016 conference earlier this month.

1 minute read

June 23, 2016, 5:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


YIMBYs

Suzanne Long / Flickr

Josh Stephens reports from the scene of the first YIMBY conference, held earlier this month in Boulder, Colorado. Stephens begins the article by giving a brief history of the rise of NIMBYs and YIMBYs—the latter has been attracting more media attention lately as the political movement grows in response to the growing housing crunch in communities around the country.

And, Stephens notes, Boulder provided "a fitting venue" for the first convening of YIMBYs, "given that the Boulder/Denver metro area has experienced one of the nation’s highest rates of in-migration over the past decade."

As for the event itself: YIMBY 2016 was hosted by Better Boulder, and featured "a pep rally, brainstorming session and call to arms" for the event's 150 activist-attendees, "all with the goal of making cities more affordable, equitable and even greener."

Stephens describes the YIMBY political ethos in more detail, especially as it manifested during the event, and addresses some of the tricky intellectual turf at play in the event's proceedings. For instance, white liberals populated the event, "though many attendees acknowledged a need to connect with minority and disadvantaged communities." Furthermore, "the uses and contradictions of capitalism hovered ominously in the background all weekend long."

Blogger Erica C. Barnett was also on hand at the event—providing a dispatch in the form of a storified stream of tweets.

Tuesday, June 21, 2016 in Next City

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

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 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight