Nimbyism
Nimbyism is a term referring to the propensity for people to have a 'Nimby' or 'Not In My Back Yard' attitude, where the 'yard' is an area of land that has been identified for building or development, or for the use of controversial technology. It can be used as a positive term for those who oppose development in their village or town or city, but is more commonly used in a derogatory way.
Nimbyism is an attitude often associated with small towns or rural areas which fail to identify acceptable locations for development to take place; simply hoping they will be in someone else's back yard instead.
The reason 'Nimby' is often used pejoratively is that it characterises residents who might agree that the development in question is needed in society, just that they object to its proximity to them and their homes, or that it might affect their lives in some way that they perceive to be negative.
A typical example of a project that can provoke a 'Nimby' response is an airport. Local residents may oppose airport development due to the noise, pollution and traffic that it will generate, although they (and the wider area) may stand to benefit from improved transport links, generation of new jobs, and so on. They are also likely to use, and benefit from the existence of airports themselves - but those airports are somewhere else.
Local powers such as neighbourhood planning and village green registration can be used by Nimby's to frustrate development.
The term 'Nimby' is the opposite to 'Yimby', meaning 'Yes-build In My Back Yard' for those who support the new build or development.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
- Brownfield land.
- Community rights.
- Compact sustainable city.
- Densification.
- Green belt.
- Growth and Infrastructure Act.
- Local green space.
- Local Nature Reserve.
- Location.
- National Planning Policy Framework.
- Neighbourhood planning.
- Our place.
- Property blight.
- Right to contest.
- Town planning.
- Urban sprawl.
- Village green registration.
Featured articles and news
Costs and insolvencies mount for SMEs, despite growth
Construction sector under insolvency and wage bill pressure in part linked to National Insurance, says report.
The place for vitrified clay pipes in modern infrastructure
Why vitrified clay pipes are reclaiming their role in built projects.
Research by construction PR consultancy LMC published.
Roles and responsibilities of domestic clients
ACA Safety in Construction guide for domestic clients.
Fire door compliance in UK commercial buildings
Architect and manufacturer gives their low down.
Plumbing and heating for sustainability in new properties
Technical Engineer runs through changes in regulations, innovations in materials, and product systems.
Awareness of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism
What CBAM is and what to do about it.
The new towns and strategic environmental assessments
12 locations of the New Towns Taskforce reduced to 7 within the new towns draft programme and open consultation.
Buildings that changed the future of architecture. Book review.
The Sustainability Pathfinder© Handbook
Built environment agency launches free Pathfinder© tool to help businesses progress sustainability strategies.
Government outcome to the late payment consultation, ECA reacts.
IHBC 2025 Gus Astley Student Award winners
Work on the role of hewing in UK historic conservation a win for Jack Parker of Oxford Brookes University.
Future Homes Building Standards and plug-in solar
Parts F and L amendments, the availability of solar panels and industry responses.
How later living housing can help solve the housing crisis
Unlocking homes, unlocking lives.
Preparing safety case reports for HRBs under the BSA
A new practical guide to preparing structural inputs for safety cases and safety case reports published by IStructE.
Male construction workers and prostate cancer
CIOB and Prostate Cancer UK encourage awareness of prostate cancer risks, and what to do about it.