Do NIMBYs in Atlanta have too much power?

[reet4587]

Originally Posted by arjay57

But in the bigger picture it's critical to make sure city residents have a voice and that their input is meaningful. After all, if we don't take good care of our people and the investments they've made in the community, they may not stick around!

True. Plus, I think it's important to weigh both the input of people who have a sincere, emotional investment in their neighborhoods and the city as a whole as well as people who have primarily a personal, financial investment to protect. Giving higher validity to the concerns of home (or property) owners who fall into the latter group is where I see problems occur.

[AcidSnake]

Great post! I never thought of the NIMBYism from that perspective.

Originally Posted by arjay57

It's an extremely complicated issue. What is the nature of the project? What is the neighborhood and what are its dynamics? Who determines what the benefit is, and who it will go to? Will benefits really flow to the city overall, or just certain parts of it? What sort of recompense is there for those who will be negatively impacted? What about questions of historical, racial and environmental justice? How will things be changed 20, 50 or 100 years down the road? What are the alternatives?

One the classic examples of the "greater good" versus "NIMBYs" is the way Robert Moses proceeded in New York. In the 1930s-70s, planners like Moses believed that the only way the city could survive was to clear out huge swaths of the "cluttered" urban areas like Soho, the Village, Downtown, etc., and replace them with huge, fast-flowing freeways. They'd be elevated, and would pass right through all the huge new buildings that were envisioned. The planners believed that the future lay in the creation of vast suburbs beyond the city, and facilitating rapid auto travel to and from those suburbs.

Moses was withering in his assault on the neighborhoods, and he basically had the power to do anything he wanted. It wasn't until Jane Jacobs and other neighborhood activists came on the scene that there was any effective opposition. If the city and Moses had had their way, there'd be no more Tribeca or Soho, and there's be a massive freeway dumping right into Washington Square.

There've been countless such battles all over the place, including Atlanta. See the recent thread on I-485 and GA 400. Many insisted that the greater good necessitated tearing a gash through Midtown and Virginia-Highland. Ask the folks in Grant Park or in NPU's V or T if they think 1-20 served the greater good. See if the residents next to the Oak Grove or Gun Club landfills believe it was fair to burden their communities for the greater good.


In most cases municipalities and county and state agencies have the ultimate hammer of condemnation. If they really want to use it and have complied with the necessary requirements. But community input -- NIMBYism, if you want to call it that -- is critical. For anybody who doesn't think so, wait until your neighborhood is targeted for something you don't like!

[slambango]

Originally Posted by sk8t

How does access to rail drop a property value? I'd pay more to live next to a rail transit station for the convience.

Near is good. Too near is not.