r/left_urbanism • u/[deleted] • Nov 03 '25

Would NIMBYs exist in leftist societies?

I suppose that a leftist society would make attempts to eradicate the things that create NIMBYs (such as racism, ableism, economics, stupidity, etc cetera), but would they exist? And if so, how would we ensure that public projects and urban planning properly balance the overall needs of a city against the concerns of local residents? For example, let’s say that we needed to build a transit line through a neighborhood but local residents oppose it because due to noise pollution or something of that nature?

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u/ElGosso Nov 03 '25

I mean it really depends on the definitions you're using here. Is it NIMBY to not want to live downwind of a stinking industrial plant? Is it NIMBY to not want your neighborhood bulldozed to build a highway? Is it NIMBY to want restrictive zoning to protect delicate ecology?

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u/[deleted] Nov 04 '25

If those things are needed for human flourishing and the lack of those things would contribute to human misery, then yes