Yimby or Nimby? [yes in my backyard or no in my backyard]

Read the passage below and consider the following scenario: A Composting Conundrum: Meet Alex, a passionate environmentalist who has recently moved to a suburban neighborhood with dreams of living a sustainable lifestyle. One of Alex's main goals is to promote composting in the community as a way to reduce waste and nourish the soil ,thus minimizing the environmental impact. However, little does Alex know that the neighborhood is divided into two distinct groups: YIMBYs (Yes In My Backyard) and NIMBYs (Not In My Backyard) when it comes to composting. Excited about the prospect of fostering a green movement in the neighborhood, Alex sets up a small composting bin in their backyard. They attend community meetings and propose composting workshops, hoping to inspire others to join the eco-friendly cause. Some people do join, recognizing the potential benefits and are eager to participate in the workshops. On the other hand, a group of neighbors staunchly opposes the idea of composting in the neighborhood. They express concerns about potential odors, pests, and the fear of attracting unwanted wildlife. They are worried that composting might ruin the aesthetics of their well-manicured gardens and decrease property values. Tensions and divisions in the community grow, with Alex working tirelessly to bridge the gap. Facilitator prompts the group:

• Share your initial reaction after reading the scenario above.
• Where we locate industry or infrastructure and how we deal with the boundaries of private and public space are things that impact our homes and communities. Can you think of any examples of infrastructure projects that have impacted you or people you know? Share with the group.

Continue reading to deepen the framing and conflict: Often, less desirable and more dangerous infrastructure gets put in communities that have less political power. As we move to a greener, more climate resilient future, we need to build infrastructure, and as we do, decisions have to be made.

• But what are the boundaries of our communities? And how do we protect the world from the dangers of climate change while at the same time minimizing disruptions and inconvenience to individual communities? And finally, how as a society do we provide clean energy for all and at the same time fairly distribute the costs of burdens of public infrastructure projects?

• Two blocks from the house your family owns and lives in, or [YIMBY]
• Fifteen blocks away in a poorer neighborhood where most of the residents are people of color. [NIMBY]

 

Read the following for context:

Facilitator prompts the group in the following exercise: For each of the questions below, spend two minutes journaling/free-writing your responses:

• How are you thinking about issues of community in your life? How do these values show up for you?
• Where and how do you experience the public domain in your life? Where does it come into conflict with your needs?

Now, identify one “greater good for community” that you are willing to give up something for. What is it? On the spectrum below, plot yourself in terms of how much you would be willing to give up for it. (1, not a lot, 10, a lot). 1----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------10

• Why did you plot yourself where you did?
• What is one thing can you do to make yourself move a bit further towards 10?

In this exploration we deepened our understanding of the value of community and had the chance to think about the many different issues that go into building new infrastructure, and how those impact community building. Through the activity and Jewish anchor we had the chance to test out where we stand on living by our values, and to consider the relationship between private rights and property and how those might bump against the public, common good. We ended with an opportunity to identify a “greater good” that we might be willing to give something up for, and how far we’d be willing to go. Facilitator prompts the group:

• After engaging in the conversation above, what is one place where you can give–in either time or money – to a public good or common space in your community?

In this exploration we deepened our understanding of the value of community and had the chance to think about the many different issues that go into building new infrastructure, and how those impact community building. Through the activity and Jewish anchor we had the chance to test out where we stand on living by our values, and to consider the relationship between private rights and property and how those might bump against the public, common good. We ended with an opportunity to identify a “greater good” that we might be willing to give something up for, and how far we’d be willing to go.

Facilitator prompts the group:

• After engaging in the conversation above, what is one place where you can give–in either time or money – to a public good or common space in your community?