I have seen huge problems in Tennessee zoning causing massive traffic issues where I grew up. It’s honestly very bad — maybe we should start by fixing the infrastructure first.
Concerns about property values, congestion, and other impacts are valid, but are plainly less important than preventing homelessness. Or not having medical care. Or not having good drinking water. Etc.
It's possible that the NIMBYs in this case are right, especially if the proposed new "affordable housing" isn't really affordable at all, etc.
But in general NIMBYism is essential for keeping things exactly as they are: it lets people feel good about "wanting" better things for society, without having to make material decisions which are inevitably imperfect and zero-sum.
https://bendyimby.com/2024/01/01/housing-supply-and-demand/
Agree with everything else about NIMBYs.
There are many impacts. But collectively if all taken seriously, it means we can't build anything. Or the costs to build just get really high. And then we don't have enough housing and the housing we do have is either very costly or in undesirable areas.
Something must give, and it really might impose costs on locals. But the alternatives ensure housing scarcity and its many ills.
The infrastructure is just an excuse. The roads they're talking about are some of the least busy in town.
Also you're never going to "just one more lane, bro" your way out of traffic. You need:
* To put more things people need day to day closer to where they live, so they can walk, bike, or still drive, just not so far. Zoning prevents this in much of the US.
* To build alternatives for the people who are able to use them, like bike infrastructure, transit and so on.
But you have to start somewhere, and you can't wait until everything is 'just right' before you build homes. The real world doesn't line up like that, it works in fits and starts and you do what you can where you can.