So, nimbyism works. The decades long ground
war to besiege town halls with petitions, traffic surveys and legal challenges
has, I know this is hard to accept, been incredibly effective in halting the
cause of new homes.
New research published by the Institute for Government confirms what we've all known for a long time. Essentially areas with high levels of home ownership tend to have lower levels of growth in new housing stock. Nimbys organise, mobilise and very often win – the findings suggest the nimby-effect could have prevented up to one million homes being built between 2001-2011.
The report identifies a number of policy factors which give in-built advantage to nimbyism: weak or absent regional planning coordination, limited local fiscal autonomy and development control (any change of land use is subject to planning permission). Clearly a shift in power is required.
Nimbys have fought an aggressive war over decades - fuelled by rising home ownership, a sense of entitlement to ever-increasing house prices and a fear of what is new. Powerful people with vested interests have created a distorted view about what localism means and who it should serve. There has, for too long, been only one narrative in town. Despite that fact that every home was once a new home.
The only antidote to the nimby is the yimby (yes in my back yard). Ipsos Mori polling suggests 80% of us believe there is a housing crises. This 80% is a disparate bunch: the well-housed, the badly-housed and the homeless. But it is nonetheless a yimby coalition in the making – already being induced by positive campaigns like Yes to Homes.
Nimbys have not proved to be great neighbours. The rise of the yimbys promises the coming of more progressive conversations in our communities. Change only happens when enough people talk about it and demand it, not just of politicians but of each other. The keys to solving the housing crisis are in our hands.
New research published by the Institute for Government confirms what we've all known for a long time. Essentially areas with high levels of home ownership tend to have lower levels of growth in new housing stock. Nimbys organise, mobilise and very often win – the findings suggest the nimby-effect could have prevented up to one million homes being built between 2001-2011.
The report identifies a number of policy factors which give in-built advantage to nimbyism: weak or absent regional planning coordination, limited local fiscal autonomy and development control (any change of land use is subject to planning permission). Clearly a shift in power is required.
Nimbys have fought an aggressive war over decades - fuelled by rising home ownership, a sense of entitlement to ever-increasing house prices and a fear of what is new. Powerful people with vested interests have created a distorted view about what localism means and who it should serve. There has, for too long, been only one narrative in town. Despite that fact that every home was once a new home.
The only antidote to the nimby is the yimby (yes in my back yard). Ipsos Mori polling suggests 80% of us believe there is a housing crises. This 80% is a disparate bunch: the well-housed, the badly-housed and the homeless. But it is nonetheless a yimby coalition in the making – already being induced by positive campaigns like Yes to Homes.
Nimbys have not proved to be great neighbours. The rise of the yimbys promises the coming of more progressive conversations in our communities. Change only happens when enough people talk about it and demand it, not just of politicians but of each other. The keys to solving the housing crisis are in our hands.
Comments