NIMBYism – A re-examination of the phenomenon

• We examine whether people will oppose all facility types in their neighborhood.
• We examine whether people adjust motivations for resistance to appear public minded.
• We combine observational and experimental data.
• In support of NIMBY-ism, expectations are largely fulfilled.

NIMBYism is the idea that citizens will oppose the siting of facilities in their neighborhood for selfish reasons. Using a new treatment – type of facility rather than geographical proximity to a particular site – the paper explores two rarely researched manifestations of NIMBYism: that people are so sensitive to nuisances that they oppose the siting of all facility types in their neighborhood; and that people will adjust motivations for resistance to appear public minded. Results from both observational and experimental studies support the basic claims of NIMBYism.