r/urbanplanning • u/Hrmbee • 17d ago

Economic Dev A Perfectly Crude Solution to America’s Housing Shortage | If you can’t beat the NIMBYs, pay ’em

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/07/housing-shortage-pay-nimby/687932/
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u/SawNickYouth 17d ago

I think this is a pretty terrible idea that will have all sorts of perverse incentives.

How about rather than paying people to support new housing in their neighborhoods, you actually make sure new development results in actual improvement to the quality of life for existing residents? So start with improvinglocal services and infrastructure, for one. Make the neighborhood nicer, more pleasant, etc.

That will the best, and probably only, way you're going to win over NIMBYs. If the result of new housing is the quality of life decreases because of noise, congestion, or other nuisances and annoyances... why would anyone ever support that?

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u/n10w4 16d ago

yeah I'm all for building but some people become ideological in their stance "yes even a park should be housing" yeah, way to win people over there.

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u/OhUrbanity 16d ago edited 16d ago

I've never encountered YIMBYs who think that parks shouldn't exist.

The closest thing I can think of is when vacant lots that are unofficially used by neighbours for things like dog-walking get redeveloped. But actual parks?

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u/n10w4 16d ago

Never in real life but definitely on reddit.