Australia Sydney's
Eastern Suburbs are known for their strong opposition to new development. The
NSW Government abandoned the partially-built
Woollahra railway station after overwhelming disapproval from local residents, who lobbied state politicians to stop the project. An Australian politician,
Zali Steggall, representing Sydney
Manly Beach, advocates action on
climate change, including the installation of wind turbines. Suspecting that other politicians would propose the installation wind turbines, Not In My Backyard, a
tongue-in-cheek,
online petition was set up to assess support for the establishment of
wind farms on the Manly Beach.
Canada British Columbia In
Vancouver, the city hall's licensing department rejected a
day care's expansion from 8 to 16 kids after a small number of neighbors attended public meetings in 2023 to discuss the parking issues, noise, and traffic the additional children would bring to the neighborhood. According to city projections, Vancouver has a shortfall of 14,911 licensed child-care spaces. A similar theme arose in September 2009, where residents there rallied against a wind generator in
Digby Neck. In January 2011, residents of
Lawrencetown in
Halifax County openly opposed a cellular telephone tower being built. A proposed development of downtown
Dartmouth in August 2012 was also contested by residents. In February 2013, some residents of
Lunenburg County opposed wind farms being built in the area, saying, "It's health and it's property devaluation" and "This is an industrial facility put in the middle of rural Nova Scotia. It does not belong there." In March 2013, some residents of the community of
Blockhouse opposed the building and development of a recycling plant, referred to by one business owner as a "dump." The plant would offer 75 jobs to the community of roughly 5,900 people. In the same month, the municipal councilors of
Chester approved the building of wind turbines in the area in a 6–1 vote, despite some local opposition.
China There have been successful NIMBY movements in China over the last few decades. In May 2014, in the city of
Yuhang in
Zhejiang Province, a NIMBY movement prevented the construction of a giant refuse incinerator. The victory came at enormous costs with many grassroot leaders arrested and many government infrastructures destroyed.
Ireland In 2020, there was significant opposition to the development of 650 apartments in the grounds of
St Paul's College school in the Dublin suburb of
Raheny. 650 individual objections were received against the planning submission as well as several protests held. Court challenges were taken by residents groups against the permission which was granted on the basis of not adequately addressing the EU habitats directive. Following a revised submission with a report on the effects to light-bellied Brent geese and other protected birds, the development was finally granted permission in August 2020.
Italy The
No TAV opposition to the
Turin–Lyon high-speed railway is often characterized as a NIMBY movement.
Japan Narita Airport Starting in 1966, the
Sanrizuka Struggle movement opposed the construction of
Narita International Airport. Originally the plan for the airport also included a
high speed railway line that was later scrapped. NIMBYs also prevented extension of the airport's short second runway (unusable for anything but short-haul
narrow-body aircraft) until the late 2000s, when cross-town
Haneda Airport was opened to international traffic, as additional runways on landfill were completed at an extra cost of billions of dollars; the second runway was extended to .
Odakyu Double Tracking Odakyu Electric Railway, now providing transit along a corridor with 5 million people living in walking distance of its rail and feeder bus service area, thus allowing more passing trains and faster run times as well as less crowding and congestive wait and hold of trains. NIMBY residents living near the line in the
Setagaya ward fought attempts by the railway to acquire land; Odakyu attempted to buy each piece of land individually, offering high prices. The Setagaya Residents' opposition established a long-term and remarkable NIMBY case in the courts and legislature. By 1993, after three decades of trying, it was apparent this plan was failing, and the company decided to go for a multi-billion dollar solution: tunneling two lines underground, and then adding back two new lines stacked on top, to make four tracks in each direction for 12 stations and 10.4 km, instead of acquiring the land.
Serbia There is mounting opposition to the exploitation of lithium at the
Jadar mine site by
Rio Tinto in Western Serbia. The local residents are concerned about the impact of lithium mining on the local environment including water pollution. Opposition to lithium mining has been expressed by the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts and most Serbian opposition parties and organisations . In September 2021, a series of
environmental protests began in Belgrade and other locations in Serbia. Protesters demanded the rejection of Rio Tinto's mine investment and the withdrawal of proposed changes to the Expropriation and Referendum Laws.
United Kingdom Oxford Memorial , erected near
South Park after all planning permissions for an anti-fascist memorial in
Oxford city centre were rejected The
Oxford Spanish Civil War memorial, built in 2017, is dedicated to locals who served the
International Brigades against Spanish nationalist forces backed by Hitler and Mussolini. The memorial sits outside the city centre because all planning proposals to erect the memorial in the centre were rejected for numerous reasons, with
Liberal Democrat councillors opposing all the suggested locations. The creation of the monument was also opposed by the
Oxford Preservation Trust and the London Place Residents' Association. The current placement of the memorial was the third proposed location, with the previous two having their planning applications rejected by Oxford City Council. The first proposed spot was
Bonn Square which was rejected citing that granite was not a stone native to Oxford. The second proposed location was
St Giles' which was also rejected by councillors, claiming that the close proximity of an anti-fascist memorial to current war memorials would insult the memory of people who died during the Second World War. Liberal Democrat councillor Elizabeth Wade opposed each proposed location for a monument in Oxford, although she claimed she was never opposed in principle. She described the second proposal on St Giles' near Oxford's First and Second World War memorials as "aggressive and triumphalist". Describing herself as a historian and speaking to the
Oxford Mail, she then opposed the third and current location because she believed a monument with a red flag would glorify communism, despite no red flag ever being proposed to appear on the monument. The house was to be purchased by a registered charity,
SSAFA Forces Help. Local residents objected to the proposal out of fear of increased traffic and noise, as well as the possibility of an increased threat of terrorism. British newspapers ran articles titled "No heroes in my backyard".
High Speed 2 Particularly in the time period preceding the final decision on the route of the high-speed railway known as
High Speed 2, BBC News Online reported that many residents of
Conservative constituencies were launching objections to the HS2 route based on the effects it would have on them, whilst also showing concerns that HS2 is unlikely to have a societal benefit at a macro level under the current economic circumstances. Likewise, Labour MP
Natascha Engel—through whose constituency the line will pass—offered a "passionate defence of nimbyism" in the House of Commons, with regards to the effects the line would have on home- and business-owning constituents. HS2 has also been opposed by residents of the
Chilterns and
Camden who argue that there is an insufficient business case for the line. On 17 March 2014, it was announced that Camden residents were successful in their campaign to prevent the construction of the HS1–HS2 link railway. ,
England, in 2024, protesting the
proposed expansion of nearby
Heathrow Airport, which would partially demolish the village
Heathrow Airport In November 2007, a consultation process began for the
building of a new third runway and a sixth terminal and it was controversially approved on 15 January 2009 by UK government ministers. The project was then cancelled on 12 May 2010 by the
Cameron Government. The project was adopted by the House of Commons in June 2018. NIMBYs and political protestors appealed to the courts, but lost in the UK Supreme Court in December 2020.
Coventry Airport Coventry Airport is owned by CAFCO (Coventry) Limited, a joint venture between Howard Holdings plc and Convergence-AFCO Holdings Limited (CAFCOHL). In June 2007, it had its application to build permanent terminal and passenger facilities rejected by the UK government due to public pressure.
Wimbledon, London The
London Borough of Merton did not have enough school places for local children who would be reaching school age in 2012 and 2013. Almost all local schools had expanded, but the group "Save Our Rec" (
recreation ground) (dedicated in the preservation of green areas in the local community) opposed the expansion of Dundonald School as their interest was focused on protecting one of the few green spaces left in the Borough of Merton. Those that disagreed with the "Save our Rec" group labelled the group NIMBYs. Despite efforts to protect green spaces, the expansion proceeded onto a portion of the park and the park's
pavilion.
Portland Migrant Barge In April 2023, the
UK Government announced a plan to use the engineless barge, the
Bibby Stockholm, to house around 500 asylum seekers in
Portland Harbour, in an attempt to save money housing asylum seekers. Whilst most of the controversy outside of the town of
Portland stemmed from its apparent
overcrowding, ethical issues, and economic inefficiency, many protests from the inside of the town were because of impacts on the towns tourism industry, and a possible increase in
crime and
anti-social behaviour, with some saying it puts the women of the town at risk. They were dubbed as NIMBYs by some facets of the media.
United States Research shows that conservatives and liberals are equally likely to oppose new housing developments in their localities. White neighborhoods and cities tend to favor more restrictive housing development policy. A study in
Perspectives on Politics found that "individuals who are older, male, longtime residents, voters in local elections, and homeowners are significantly more likely to participate" in local government, and that "these individuals overwhelmingly (and to a much greater degree than the general public) oppose new housing construction." Nimbys tend to be homeowners, and have been described as acting to keep home prices high in self-interest and as working against their financial interests. Some economists believe that this is due to a public misunderstanding of how the new construction of housing affects housing prices. For example, only 30-40% of Americans believe that new housing construction reduces housing prices, and meanwhile a comparable amount of Americans believe that new construction increases housing prices. Despite this apparent need for more affordable housing, opposition from NIMBY activists presents significant challenges to affordable housing developments, resulting in costly design changes, construction delays, and permit denials. However, research suggests that proactive outreach and communication by affordable housing developers and proponents through the leveraging of social marketing and positive messaging can overcome common NIMBY barriers.
California in
Skid Row, Los Angeles, 2018 Activism from both individuals and organizations opposed to new housing construction has been cited as a major reason for the state's ongoing
housing shortage and high cost of living. Many local residents (including farmers) in
Hanford, California and surrounding areas are opposed to the
California High-Speed Rail Authority building high-speed rail near farmland, citing that it will bring environmental and economic problems. Wealthy residents of southern
Orange County, California defeated a local measure that proposed to convert the decommissioned El Toro Marine Base into a commercial airport, claiming that the airport would be "unsafe" during landings and takeoffs, as well as create air quality issues. The real issue was the FAA planned the flight paths for the airport over expensive neighborhoods of south Orange County and residents feared that their property values would decrease. The airport proposal, however, was strongly supported by northern Orange County residents. The defeat of the local measure resulted in the creation of the
Orange County Great Park. For over 60 years, environmentalists, historic preservationists and long-time residents of
South Pasadena, California have been opposing the completion of the highly controversial
State Route 710 through the cities of Los Angeles (El Sereno), South Pasadena and Pasadena. In 1973, a federal injunction was granted, halting the construction of the surface freeway pending an environmental impact analysis. The
Federal Highway Administration withdrew support for the surface freeway in 2003. In 2022, California governor
Gavin Newsom declared that "nimbyism is destroying the state" and promised to hold cities and counties accountable for stopping new housing development. In June 2025, Newsom signed SB 131 into law which contains many provisions to speed up the approval process for building infrastructure, including a streamlining of the
California Environmental Quality Act and changes to the
California Coastal Commission, which have been used for decades to block the development of dense housing developments and transit. On October 10, 2025, Governor Newsom signed the
Abundant and Affordable Homes Near Transit Act (also known as SB 79) that overrides local zoning requirements within half a mile of train and certain types of rapid bus line stations. This was signed with more support from local and state level officeholders from the Bay Area than from Los Angeles whose city council had passed a ceremonial motion against it that August.
San Francisco Nimbyism in San Francisco, including several members of the
San Francisco Board of Supervisors, has led to a
suppression of new housing construction, transit expansion, bike infrastructure, and new retail stores in the city. Nimbys have cited negative impact on local communities, low affordable housing quotas, restrictions on buildings' shadows, increased car traffic, and concerns with parking as reasons for opposing projects. Those who favor housing developments argue that new housing construction makes housing more affordable, thereby reducing displacement, personal property tax burdens, and homelessness. Examples of nimbyism in San Francisco include 8 Washington housing project, 1846 Grove Street housing, 1060 Folsom housing, 1979 Mission housing, 2675 Folsom housing, 250 Laguna Honda Boulevard housing, 770 Woolsey, UCSF Parnassus Heights hospital expansion, and the Polk Street bike lane. San Francisco nimbys have also been described as "housing conservatives".
Marin County Many residents of
Marin County, an affluent
bedroom community in the San Francisco Bay Area, have for many years exemplified the idea of nimbyism through their ardent resistance to housing developments and housing quotas.
Florida A minority of residents in
St. Lucie County, Florida have vehemently opposed the construction of wind turbines in the county. The construction of the wind turbines was strongly supported by over 80% of county residents according to a 2008
Florida Power and Light (FPL) poll. Additionally, the power company proposed building the turbines in a location on a beach near a prior existing nuclear power plant owned by the company. In the 1980s, plans were made to develop a series of east/west highways to connect
Palm Beach County's suburbs with downtown
West Palm Beach. Many residents in the area opposed the plan, largely due to the highway expansion requiring the demolition of over 100 homes. however all of the proposals were later abandoned.
Illinois In 1959, when
Deerfield officials learned that a developer building a neighborhood of large new homes planned to make houses available to
African Americans, they issued a stop-work order. An intense debate began about racial integration, property values, and the good faith of the residents, community officials and builders. For a brief time, Deerfield was spotlighted in the national news as "the Little Rock of the North." Supporters of integration were denounced and ostracized by residents. Eventually, the village passed a referendum to build parks on the property, thus putting an end to the housing development. Two model homes already partially completed were sold to village officials. As of 2023 the communities along the route have no official position on the Dan Patch Corridor except
Lakeville, Minnesota, which is opposed. In 2018, Minneapolis became the first US city to end
single-family zoning, with a guiding framework called the "Minneapolis 2040 Comprehensive Plan". The plan faced years of legal challenges, and eventually required intervention from the state legislature to proceed.
New York In 1858, a group of residents in
Staten Island burned down the
New York Marine Hospital, at the time the largest quarantine facility in the United States, citing its negative effect on local property values. On
Long Island, various electrification and expansion projects of the
Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) were substantially delayed due to the protests of people living near the railroad. For example, the
Metropolitan Transportation Authority built a
third track on the
Main Line from
Floral Park station to
Hicksville station in order to increase capacity. Although most communities along the route supported
grade crossing eliminations as part of the project, there was fierce opposition for building a third track from the villages of
Floral Park,
New Hyde Park, and
Garden City, which said the construction and the resulting increased train service will reduce the quality of life in their neighborhoods. The third track project was suspended indefinitely in 2008, but new funding for the project was included in a 2016 infrastructure improvement plan announced by
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, which included measures intended to mitigate locals' concerns. Despite the promise of mitigation efforts, several local politicians denounced the governor's plan within a day of its announcement. In December 2017, the LIRR awarded a contract to build the third track. It was completed in October 2022 and a new service pattern was ultimately implemented in February 2023, concurrent with the full opening of
Grand Central Madison. In
Port Washington, New York, a dispute broke out between the town of
North Hempstead and the LIRR over a proposed yard expansion at
Port Washington station. To expand the yard, a parking lot belonging to the town would need to be reduced in size, but a local councilperson stated that the addition of the tracks "will completely ruin the character of the town." The LIRR was able to expand the yard without the agreement of North Hempstead by tearing up 140 parking spaces of its own parking lot, also adjacent to the station. Similarly, opposition has stopped any proposal to build a
bridge or tunnel across the Long Island Sound with some believing it will harm their communities with an influx of unwanted traffic as well as concerns regarding the environment and the number of homes that would be cleared as a result.
Tennessee In early 2020, in
Campbell County,
Tennessee, complaints occurred after an out-of-state company began
controlled blasting at a rock quarry in the county. Campbell County officials later passed a resolution banning the development of quarries within 2,000 feet of a public building or power grid structure. In 2009,
Norfolk Southern Railway released plans of a proposed
intermodal freight transport truck-and-train facility in
Jefferson County, Tennessee as a part of the
Crescent Corridor project in a
private-public partnership with state and Jefferson County officials. The proposed facility, if completed, would have generated 77 on-site jobs, 1,700 related-industry jobs in
Jefferson and surrounding counties, and the potential of an annual income of dollars a year. The project status has remained
stagnant since 2015, as Norfolk had no plans of constructing the facility in the short-term future, but plans on having the site property as a "long-term investment" according to a press release by the company's public relations director.
Virginia In 1994, opposition from residents and historians contributed to the cancellation of the
Disney's America theme park outside of
Haymarket, Virginia.
Washington In 1988, residents of Seattle's
Broadmoor golf course and gated community successfully opposed the construction of a
bike path between
Washington Park Arboretum and
Madison Park. ==Political implications==