NIMBY or YIMBY? As Australia faces a housing crisis and medium to high density housing is needed, where do you stand?

The Not in My Back Yard (or NIMBY) school of thought seems to be centered on the idea that apartment living is somehow ‘lessor’ and that apartment blocks anywhere near their free-standing homes will create traffic, overflowing schools, and reduced values of their homes.

The argument is often thrown around that Sydney will end up looking like ‘China’ (although, in our opinion the Hong Kong skyline is beautiful), and people will be packed into ‘dog box’ sized homes, living miserably forever (insert strata manager eye roll here).

Sadly, we’ve read opposition to development applications that included fear of increased crime, litter, thefts and violence, all because they include a percentage of affordable housing apartments (more on the difference between affordable and social housing in our next blog). 

This idea seems based on the outdated concept that we can all only be happy living on a block of land with a clothesline out the back, verandah on the front. But is this a fair and relevant depiction of life in modern Australia? And if it is, should it be?

On the other side of this argument, the newly formed Sydney YIMBY (Yes in my backyard) believe that abundant housing is a human right, and in turn will improve livability within suburbs, both close to and further away from the city.

Our thoughts? We recognise we’re bias. However, Urban Density is a solution, one that makes sense.

Well-built apartment buildings offer not only an opportunity for abundant housing, but opportunity to create meaningful and connected mico-communties.  Did you know that humans are wired to do two things only, survive and connect!

In a Country where we have not enough homes, building a new single dwelling on a block of land that could hold 4, 5, 6(!) homes seems wasteful. Academics are stating that when housing isn’t built, the median age of residents goes up, non-english speaking goes down. Diversity is lost and so is community

Apartment living, be it a high rise with hotel facilities and views for days, or a medium rise block with  green space or townhouses with courtyards, does not mean a miserable life of ‘strata living’. They mean enough houses, better communities and an opportunity for greater connection. Especially when you have an excellent strata manager.