These art projects could help Every neighborhood?s got them: The people who fight against taller buildings that bring more residents. But how do you explain to your neighbors that their decisions are blocking out people and projects that could make their streets more vibrant and their housing more affordable"
That?s exactly the goal of Neighbors for More Neighbors, an art project by Ryan Johnson and John Edwards. The Minneapolis artists poke fun at the not-in-my-backyard sentiment that?s empowered NIMBYs to stop change in their neighborhoods for decades. Now a YIMBY movement?yes in my backyard?has taken hold in many cities, pushing for residents to welcome more inclusive developments to their streets. A series of humorous yet attention-demanding posters are twisting NIMBY words into YIMBY action.
As Johnson told Henry Grabar at Slate, the idea is to help explain what zoning does in a more human-centric way. ?It?s just so mundane that no one is interested in getting into it. And that?s where I think art is important: You can boil down these arguments and everyone can understand.?
Posters, postcards, and stickers are available for sale at the YIMBY Store (where else") but there are also some other projects you can download for free. Especially powerful are a series of ?Check your homeowner privilege? cards, which the artists recommend people hand out at community meetings where homeowners are likely to speak out against projects that bring re...