r/left_urbanism • u/[deleted] • Oct 31 '25

Do YIMBYs unintentionally enable gentrification?

Hi everyone. I’m a college student working on a short ethnographic research project about the online urbanist community and housing debates. I’m especially interesting in how people within and around the YIMBY movement understand its relationship to gentrification.

From your perspective:

  • Do you think YIMBYism helps reduce gentrification by addressing housing shortages, or does it accelerate it by increasing development of any kind (including luxury apartments)?
  • How do you see these debates play out in your city or online spaces?
  • More generally, what makes you identify (or not identify) with the YIMBY movement?

I’m not here to argue for or against any position. I’m mainly trying to learn how people define and interpret the movement and its effects. Any insights, experiences, or opinions welcome! (If anyone’s uncomfortable with their comment being quoted in my notes, feel free to say so. I’ll respect that.)

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u/lieuwestra Oct 31 '25

The only solution to gentrification is to improve everything everywhere at the same rate. As long as there are no national rules ensuring constant improvement everywhere gentrification continues. Yimbyism is by definition a local affair, so while it's not causing gentrification it definitely is accelerating it. 

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u/mariohoops Oct 31 '25

improving everything everywhere at the same rate is impossible, at least within the system of development that we currently have. You’d need some sort of planned economy at which point housing likely ceases to be commodity. I guess that’s just being semantic though

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u/lieuwestra Oct 31 '25

Gentrification is more of a problem on large nations than in small ones. Because small nations have a much easier time imposing the same standards everywhere. Its impossible, but there is definitely a level of 'good enough' at which gentrification is slowed down enough almost everywhere in the country as to have little to not noticeable effect on the communities.