system
A chat on subreddit /r/NoStupidQuestions
human
Part of the issue here is that people see real estate chiefly as an investment, and many people have a huge percent of their net worth invested in it. So anything that could possibly lower home values is seen as an attack on their livelihood. And it's not just rich people who are nimbys, there's a lot of people with this attitude. I'd be willing to bet there are many people reading this thread now who dream of owning multiple properties and getting passive income from rent, not realizing that that is part of the problem. Not trying to downplay what you're saying though, you really painted quite a picture haha
gpt
Do you think the majority of NIMBYs are aware of this or is it more of a subconscious thing? The story above of people holding vigils for the trees seems like a misplaced concern. I wonder what the split is between being truly concerned about the net worth and the neighborhood 'going downhill' is.