Teaching sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

10 minutes

Tune In: What is a NIMBY?

20 minutes

Find Out: Understanding NIMBYism through case studies

25 minutes

Take Action: Propose a balanced solution

5 minutes

Reflection

Learning intentions and success criteria

Students will:

describe how the characteristics of places are perceived and valued differently by examining case studies that influence liveability and sustainability.

Students can:

explain the meaning of ‘NIMBYism’
identify through case studies the reasons why developments such as new housing and wind farms can spark debates about sustainability and liveability
propose balanced solutions to NIMBYism, and creating sustainable and liveable communities.

Tune In: What is a NIMBY?

Step 1

Display the two images on the first slide of the attached visual explainer to the class without giving any extra information.

Ask students what they think these pictures have in common. Allow a couple of minutes for students to consider and discuss their ideas with the person sitting next to them. If students need a hint, ask them what they think apartment buildings and wind farms might have in common. Or, how would they feel if an apartment block or wind turbine/farm was built next to or in close proximity to their home? Invite students to share their ideas.

Step 2

After discussing responses to the images, write the word NIMBY on the whiteboard (in capital letters, vertically) and find out if students have heard of this word before. If so, ask what context they’ve heard it used in. Ask students if they know what the letters stand for. Write the answer next to the acronym like this:

Not

In

My

Back

Yard

Step 3

Discuss what the term NIMBY means i.e. what does the ‘not’ refer to and ‘in my backyard’?

Highlight that NIMBY is the acronym used to describe people (‘NIMBYs’) who don’t want or disagree with something being built close to where they live because they believe it is undesirable or hazardous.

NIMBYs often want stricter land use rules so community concerns and their liveability preferences are given greater importance than those who want to build a development or project. It’s important to remember that NIMBYs may not oppose building and developments generally – it’s just that they’d rather the site(s) be far away from them (or at least ‘not in their backyard’).

Encourage students to write an explanation in their own words using the space in their Student Worksheet.

Step 4

In pairs, invite students to brainstorm a list of examples that they think may be regarded as ‘not in my backyard’, using the space provided in their Student Worksheet. Students may have local knowledge or experience with this topic, which you could tap into (if appropriate). Some suggestions include apartment buildings, wind farms, transmission lines, solar farms (large-scale solar), nuclear power plants, airports, social/public housing, safe injecting rooms, prisons, manufacturing plants, homeless shelters, etc.

Literacy opportunity: You may want to clarify that NIMBY is the acronym noun and NIMBYism is the adjective.

Extension: If time permits, you may want to cover this example about a wind turbine being erected in a person’s backyard.

Phillip Island resident erects backyard wind turbine despite community concerns

(abc.net.au/news/2022-06-27/phillip-island-man-erects-wind-turbine-backyard/101185958)

Find Out: Understanding NIMBYism through case studies

Step 1

Invite students to discuss why they think NIMBYism is related to liveability.

Try to elicit that everyone has different perceptions of liveability (what makes somewhere a good place to live), and so when a new development is proposed to be built in close proximity to people’s homes, it can change a neighbourhood and/or make local residents worry about how it might change where they live and their community. The proposal of development can make a community feel like their quality of life will be reduced or compromised – in some instances, this can be supported by evidence, and in other cases, it’s a matter of opinion. For example, an apartment building can overshadow a house’s backyard and reduce the amount of natural light it receives - this can be objectively measured using sun overshadowing calculations. However, whether an apartment building is aesthetic and ‘fits in’ with the local neighbourhood character can not be objectively measured as it is based on personal opinion.

You may want to remind students or be mindful that NIMBYism can be a contentious and emotional topic for those who are in the process of trying to stop or amend a proposed development or project in their local community.

Step 2

As a lead-on from the previous discussion, ask students in pairs to predict the liveability factors that they think NIMBYs might be concerned about and the reasons for opposing a development or project – these can be listed in their Student Worksheet. Invite pairs to share their responses – each pair could write a factor on the whiteboard.

Some factors NIMBYs might be concerned about could include:

their neighbourhood character changing
a reduction in safety/increase in risk
the aesthetics of a development
pollution levels increasing (noise and air)
the effect on traffic
the value of their property depreciating (i.e. house being worth less)
the view from their home being spoilt or obstructed
the effect on local businesses or industries
less parks or green spaces.

Step 3

Outline to students that we’re now going to look at some examples of NIMBYism through two Case Studies about housing developments and wind farms.

Before launching into the case studies, ask students if they can guess what a YIMBY is. That’s right - ‘yes in my backyard’! Outline that usually, YIMBYs refer to those who are in favour of increasing housing density as a solution to housing affordability. However, for the purposes of this activity, we’re going to use YIMBY as a position in favour of development, generally - whether it’s apartment buildings, wind farms, transmission lines, solar farms (large-scale solar), nuclear power plants, airports, social/public housing, safe injecting rooms, prisons, manufacturing plants, homeless shelters, etc.

For the origins of the YIMBY movement, see here. (theconversation.com/the-yimby-movement-is-spreading-around-the-world-what-does-it-mean-for-australias-housing-crisis-219313)

Step 4

Divide the class into small groups and allocate one case study to each to read through. When each group has read their case study, ask them to work together to complete the table in their Identifying NIMBY and YIMBY reasons Activity Sheet. Students should think about reasons NIMBYs and YIMBYs might oppose or support the topics in the case study, categorising their responses into social, environmental and economic reasons. Students can add any of their own reasons i.e. what they can infer. Encourage students to answer and discuss the questions below the table.

You may want to recap what social, economic, and environmental means to help students categorise their answers in the activity. To further support understanding, draw students' attention to the diagram on the second slide of the attached visual explainer, which shows how these three factors relate to liveability and sustainability.

	NIMBY reasons	YIMBY reasons
Social	Students can add any of their own ideas
Environmental
Economic

Should the interests of a local few outweigh the liveability benefits or needs of wider society?
Which approach is more sustainable (NIMBY vs YIMBY), in terms of the effect on liveability?
How can NIMBYs concerns be addressed while still meeting the need for more affordable housing and cleaner energy?

Step 5

Once groups have finished, come together as a class for groups to share their responses.

Extension opportunity: hold a debate between the NIMBYs and YIMBYs, using one of the case studies.

Take Action: Propose a balanced solution

Step 1

Highlight to students that planning and building sustainable communities that are liveable for all can be a complicated process. Ask the class if they have any ideas about balancing these needs, i.e. What compromises could be made? Who should make them?

Step 2

Pair students and explain that they’re going to draft an email to their state Minister for Planning or local government proposing a balanced solution to building and maintaining sustainable communities. Students could write about a solution to a local development or project in their area or about one of the development types discussed in this lesson. Students can use one of these questions as the basis for their response:

How can social/economic/environmental concerns be addressed while still meeting the need for more…? (e.g. housing, sustainable energy sources, infrastructure, social supports, etc)
How can we make sure that … (e.g. renewable energy projects like wind farms, affordable housing, etc) are both beneficial for the environment and acceptable to the people who live nearby?

Encourage students to consider both NIMBY and YIMBY perspectives, as well as liveability factors.

Step 3

If students need any further resources in addition to the case studies, you can provide them with these:

Is council NIMBYism stopping the development of affordable housing (abc.net.au/listen/programs/melbourne-mornings/nightingale-housing-nimby-housing-developments/102271720)

Living with density: will Australia’s housing crisis finally change the way its cities work? (theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/apr/16/living-with-density-will-australias-housing-crisis-finally-change-the-way-its-cities-work)

The demonisation of nimbyism is unhelpful – it’s a natural response to decades of Melbourne’s planning failures (theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/may/29/the-demonisation-of-nimbyism-is-unhelpful-its-a-natural-response-to-decades-of-melbournes-planning-failures)

Reflection

Reflect on this lesson with your students by inviting them to answer the following questions, either in discussion or on the Student Worksheet.

Are you a NIMBY or a YIMBY? Is it that simple to be one or the other? Why/why not?
Has your position changed after this lesson? Why or why not?
How do you think communities can plan for and build sustainable living while also taking into account and respecting different views about liveability and quality of life?

Understanding NIMBYism

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Understanding NIMBYism

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