Right-NIMBYism is the generally correct belief that you can keep your city exclusive by blocking new housing.

Left-NIMBYism is the mistaken idea that you can keep your city affordable and attainable by blocking new housing.

March 28, 2026 - 16:33 UTC

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The Motherfucker forgot to tell us, "there are currently 109 federally recognized tribes in the state and over 40 self-identified tribes or tribal bands that have applied for federal recognition. California has the second-largest Native American population in the United States." So, slide over, pal
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I live where NIMBY was invented. It's one thing to oppose a nuclear power plant atop the San Andreas Fault, another entirely to oppose needed housing.
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Every nuclear power plant that isn't built or that is shut down is more fossil fuel smoke choking people's lungs.
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Definitely a good discussion here.
I do support the expansion of nuclear power, its current safety record is only bested by geothermal, which Sonoma County went on to develop into an even bigger power source.
All power comes at some cost.
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I've personally come to the conclusion that left-NIMBYism is just right-NIMBYism that is lying about things.
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And lying to themselves.
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Left-NIMBYs are basically "the Democratic Party left ME" guys with overengineered explanations.
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All of the new 5 over 1 buildings in my city are unaffordable.
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If all of those new "unaffordable" buildings hadn't been built, where would the people within those buildings be instead? Would they magically evaporate? Or would they instead go seek housing in older, already-existing buildings, outbidding the less-wealthy folks?
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That’s why Goldilocks is a saint
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Trust that a substantial part of left-NIMBYism is also motivated by the concept of exclusivity, just with a different class of exclusion in mind
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Resident approval by committee.
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There is also boomer lefty NIMBYism of the Sierra Club variety which is still stuck in the 1970s believing that “development” is the greatest environmental threat. Not climate.

The ones that fetishize non native landscape trees planted by developers a generation ago.
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Falls Church council member Justine Underhill explains this really well. I don't know if there's any amount of facts and logic that will convince many of these people, but if there is this video has it.
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Left-nimby is an oxymoron.
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Would Left nimbyism be the idea that when you get to the point of stacking humans on top of each other, it's time to depopulate?
Is depopulation a nimby stance?
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It's always obvious when folks haven't bothered to actually *listen* to so-called "Left NIMBYs."
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"Left NIMBYs" believe that supply side housing policy needs to be paired renter protections at minimum. Ideally, however, it needs to also accompany action re 1) algorithmic rent fixing platforms 2) $ laundering 3) whole home AirBnBs 4) private equity/speculation 5) vacant homes
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Left NIMYism is also the belief that you can be an environmentalist by blocking housing near you in favor of trees and driving your Subaru into the mountains each weekend to hike. (Limiting neighbors conveniently keeps easy parking available for your Subaru too.)
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This is why the Sierra Club is one of the, if not *the*, earliest instance of modern left-NIMBYism. Hard to overstate how much their brand of “environmentalism” has warped the housing debate and beyond
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Left Nimbyism is an Oxymoron but some people are Morons (this is why it's so important to have a Coherent political philosophy and make sure all your views are Consistent)
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Honestly, the left does not think that. They simply make themselves practice how my mother raised us boys: selective inattention.
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Yeah right nimbys are evil but at least they have a theory of the world that is basically accurate
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www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurecommerce.com%2Fthe-senses%2Fyou-cant-unionize-if-theres-no-store&ved=0CBYQjRxqFwoTCLD84pGNxJMDFQAAAAAdAAAAABAF&opi=89978449
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Berkeley NIMBYism is the most nauseating thing on the planet. “In this house we believe that upzoning ruins neighborhood character“
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To some extent, but a lot of left NIMBYS also want to exclude certain people from certain places, it’s just different people.

See: all gentrification discourse
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Median Marin County voter on display there
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I did not know there was left and right NIMBYism. The things you learn. If I could address both sides of politics then, stop blocking homes. I am afraid this game that says you are allowed to move in and your home is allowed to be built, but no one should be allowed to move in after you is wrong.
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I’ve come to realize that if you want to identify a left-NIMBY from afar the presence of a sign like this is a pretty strong indicator they will also one day have a “no to plexes” sign next to it.
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What if I don't want NIMBYs in my backyard?
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That's NNIMBYsIMBY
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It's sad that so often we face a choice between factually accurate degenerate evil and fairy tale decency.
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Honestly the fairy tale decency is mostly a facade. 'In this house we believe'... as long as none of that stuff might move in near me.
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On X, of course
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Just blows my mind how people who are decent progressives on most issues turn into frothing reactionaries on this one. I have a friend who keeps trying to explain to me that building more housing in Seattle isn’t helping anyone.
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She seems blind to the idea that Seattle is in such a deep housing hole that a LOT of building is needed to make an impact. Another one told me more housing won’t help because the homeless all have MH/SUD problems and want to live on the streets.
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