flexiblefullpage -
billboard - default
interstitial1 - interstitial
catfish1 - bottom
Currently Reading

The YIMBY movement emerges as valuable advocate for affordable housing

Building Team

The YIMBY movement emerges as valuable advocate for affordable housing

Accustomed to opposition, developers now see support for major projects.


By Peter Fabris, Contributing Editor | July 13, 2022
Affordable Housing
Courtesy Pixabay.

Over the past few decades, developers grew accustomed to nothing but staunch opposition to dense affordable housing project proposals.

Within the past 10 years, though, in some areas such as California, Chicago, Seattle, and Portland, Ore., a new YIMBY (Yes, In My Backyard) movement has sprung up to support affordable housing development. In fact, some of these advocates, often wearing t-shirts and buttons inscribed with the YIMBY slogan, show up at public hearings and city council meetings to express their view.

Some of those embracing YIMBYism lobby state legislatures to enact pro-housing initiatives. With so many people struggling to find a home or pay rent, it is perhaps no surprise that this grassroots movement has emerged.

The new public support for even large high-rise projects is a welcome change for developers and may be improving the equation for construction of more housing for middle class and working class people.

Related Stories

| Oct 13, 2022

Boston’s proposed net-zero emissions code has developers concerned

Developers have raised serious concerns over a proposed new energy code by the City of Boston that would require newly constructed buildings over 20,000 sf to immediately hit net-zero emissions goals.

Education Facilities | Oct 13, 2022

A 44-acre campus serves as a professional retreat for public-school educators in Texas

A first-of-its-kind facility for public schools in Texas, the Holdsworth Center serves as a retreat for public educators, supporting reflection and dialogue. 

Building Team | Oct 12, 2022

Real estate development practices worsened impact of Hurricane Ian

A century ago, the southwest Florida coast was mostly swamps and shoals, prone to frequent flooding and almost impossible to navigate by boat.

Market Data | Oct 12, 2022

ABC: Construction Input Prices Inched Down in September; Up 41% Since February 2020

Construction input prices dipped 0.1% in September compared to the previous month, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Producer Price Index data released today.

Hotel Facilities | Oct 12, 2022

Global hotel chain citizenM opens its first Chicago property and its fifth of the year

citizenM, a global chain of affordable luxury hotels, has opened its first Chicago property—its fifth opening of 2022.

Building Team | Oct 11, 2022

Associated Materials® Celebrates the Company’s Rich History, Which Began 75 Years Ago with the Founding of Alside

Since its inception in 1947, Alside® has been a leader in innovation and continues this very commitment to excellence – in people, products and services.

Multifamily Housing | Oct 5, 2022

Co-living spaces, wellness-minded designs among innovations in multifamily housing

The booming multifamily sector shows no signs of a significant slowdown heading into 2023. Here is a round up of Giants 400 firms that are driving innovation in this sector.

Fire and Life Safety | Oct 4, 2022

Fire safety considerations for cantilevered buildings

Bold cantilevered designs are prevalent today, as developers and architects strive to maximize space, views, and natural light in buildings. Cantilevered structures, however, present a host of challenges for building teams, according to José R. Rivera, PE, Associate Principal and Director of Plumbing and Fire Protection with Lilker.

| Oct 3, 2022

The College of the Holy Cross completes a $110 million performing arts center

In Worcester, Mass., a one-hour drive from Boston, the College of the Holy Cross has completed its $110 million Prior Performing Arts Center.

Resiliency | Sep 30, 2022

Designing buildings for wildfire defensibility

Wold Architects and Engineers' Senior Planner Ryan Downs, AIA, talks about how to make structures and communities more fire-resistant.

boombox1 - default
boombox2 -
native1 -

More In Category


Giants 400

Top 75 Engineering Firms for 2023

Kimley-Horn, WSP, Tetra Tech, Langan, and IMEG head the rankings of the nation's largest engineering firms for nonresidential buildings and multifamily buildings work, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report.



halfpage1 -

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021