Beyond the Backyard: Today’s NIMBY

By Al Maiorino

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“Not in my backyard” (NIMBY) is a term used to describe a person or a group of people who strongly oppose new development in their communities. Whether it’s a new housing complex, retail development, casino, or power plant, NIMBYs—as they are commonly called—will actively organize to communicate their opposition to a local project in an effort to curb development. These days, the “backyard” in NIMBY has grown so vast that residents often oppose airplane flight paths, offshore wind, and liquefied natural gas terminals.

Often it seems that NIMBY activists are simply in it to win it. They sometimes speak out without taking the time to educate themselves with accurate information pertaining to the development at hand. While NIMBY groups may protest loud and proud, their motives often seem to stem from misinformation and poor communication between project representatives and the community.

So how does a company relay factual information regarding a project to the general public? It’s simple. It hires a grassroots public affairs firm (special pleading here, that’s what we do) to enlist community support and engage conversation relating to the project. We commonly hear from a company facing strong project opposition that “we have everything under control” or “we have a public relations firm in place.” Fast forward two weeks, and it is front page news that their project has been defeated.

The fact of the matter is, many PR firms are not experienced with the grassroots techniques needed to find local supporters to speak out on projects and win a campaign. Rallying this local support is a key component to any contentious proposal. By finding these local allies and forming a supporter coalition, developers are able to build support for their project from day one.

Here are three key elements in a successful campaign to respond to NIMBY concerns.

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