Why Is America a Nation of ‘No’?
America has become NIMBY Nation, and Massachusetts, where even plans for a two-bit apartment building will draw warnings of environmental doom, is its spiritual heartland.
Navigating NIMBY Wars in the Social Media Age
Patrick Fox helps developers navigate the rocky shoals of local politics and potential hazards on the route to approval. He’s now distilled his experiences into a new book.
BPDA Board Balks at Mission Hill Apartment Plan
Development approval for 218 apartments on a vacant Mission Hill property hit a delay last night as Boston officials reacted to opposition from neighborhood residents.
Infrastructure Used to Raise ‘Significant Hurdles’ for Housing
Officials in some Boston suburbs are turning to water and sewer infrastructure in their quest to obey the letter, but not necessarily the spirit, of the MBTA Communities law.
Baker Finally Puts His Foot Down – But in the Right Place?
In response to some local officials’ blatantly NIMBY reactions to the MBTA Communities zoning reform, the state is cutting the budgets of their communities’ public housing authorities.
Study: White, Male Homeowners Overrepresented on Land-Use Boards
Massachusetts boards that oversee local land use and construction are typically dominated by white male homeowners, a recent study from Boston University researchers found.
Don’t Let Towns Ban Gas Hook-Ups
A proposal is moving through the State House to let Cambridge and several of the wealthiest Boston suburbs ban natural gas use in new buildings. It’s the wrong idea at the wrong time and could hurt housing production where it’s needed most.
How Much Does NIMBYism Cost? Industry Group Claims Answer
A new report from the National Multifamily Housing Council hints at the costs created by the kind of strident local opposition that’s bedeviled new apartment and condominium projects across Massachusetts.
Amherst Nixes Apartment Moratorium
The Amherst Town Council rejected a resident petition Monday that would have slapped a six-month ban on new apartment buildings over three stories.
How About a Little Public Shaming on Cape Cod?
If the Cape’s housing crisis could be solved by words of warning and good intentions, there would already be thousands of new apartments across the Cape. It’s time for leaders who see what’s going on to start calling out the culprits.
Trump Admits Dark Truth Behind NIMBYism
The president has exposed an unpleasant truth lurking just beneath the surface – and occasionally right in the open – about decades of resistance in Boston’s suburbs to the construction of new housing.
Why Does Massachusetts Need Zoning Reform? Just Look to Salem
When Marc Draisen, one of the more mild-mannered public servants out there, has taken to calling their actions “shameful,” you know the NIMBY minority on the Salem City Council has stooped to a new low.
