A (very) tiny bit of econ knowledge is dangerous, isn't it.

Markets find prices, yes, but that's not applicable to what we're discussing. Maybe in some Georgist utopia we might have housing prices being priced purely at their utility.

But that's not the NIMBY complaint. The NIMBY complaint is that wherever they live is at the perfect balance where any more development would only make things worse. Game theory and equilibrium pricing have nothing to do with that because in our current regulatory system, land owners can extract rents by blocking new development.

Every time I post in this Dunning-Kruger tar pit I'm reminded of why I usually abstain.