NIMBY (or the derivative Nimbyism) is used pejoratively to describe opposition by residents to a proposal for a new development close to them. Opposing residents themselves are sometimes called Nimbies. The term was coined in 1980 by Emilie Travel Livezey, and was popularized by British politician Nicholas Ridley, who was Conservative Secretary of State for the Environment.
Projects likely to be opposed include but are not limited to tall buildings, chemical plants, industrial parks, wind turbines, desalination plants, landfills, incinerators, mosques, power plants, mobile telephone network masts, schools, golf courses, housing developments and especially transportation improvements (e.g. new roads, passenger and freight railways, highways, airports, seaports).
An airport is a typical example of a development that can cause a NIMBY reaction: developers may claim economic benefits for the city, while locals may benefit from improved transport links and new jobs – but they may oppose it with objections to the noise, pollution and traffic it will generate
NIMBY is also used more generally to describe people who advocate some proposal (for example, austerity measures including budget cuts, tax increases, downsizing), but oppose implementing it in a way that would require sacrifice on their part.
Opposition to certain developments as inappropriate anywhere in the world is characterised by the acronym NIABY (Not In Anyone’s Backyard). The building of nuclear power plants, for example, is often subject to NIABY concerns.
There is also a growing YIMBY (Yes In My Back Yard) movement to encourage the installation of clean energy sources, such as wind turbines, despite the opposition these generally face from NIMBY groups.