Housing
As America Ages, NIMBYism Could Increase
Surveys show older people are more likely to actively oppose new development
It’s a common complaint among developers and city officials that the same vocal crowds tend to come to public meetings and steamroll local planning and development decisions, over and over again. The latest annual report from the Saint Consulting group pinpoints who those people are: Not surprisingly, older people tend to be most active in opposing new development, while younger people are more often in support.
The Saint Index recently released its 2011 results, based on surveys with 1,000 adults in the U.S. this summer, with the goal of understanding what types of projects are most likely to be opposed and why.