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CREATIVE IDEAS FOR MARKETING, PUBLIC RELATIONS AND WORKING WITH THE MEDIA Countering the NIMBY Mentality Education is the best antidote for the Not In My Back Yard Syndrome
Cell phone towers, retail construction, housing developments, highway extensions, skate parks, bike paths. What do all these seemingly unrelated projects have in common? No one wants them in their back yards. Yet, everyone wants the convenience they provide, which includes a clear dial tone on our Motorola, roads that get us there faster, and a place for the kids to go to "stay off the streets." So why is it that people want all these things, but don't welcome them with open arms when they come to the neighborhood? Could be they are afflicted with the NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) syndrome. At the risk of simplifying an extremely complex phenomenon, NIMBYs are people who oppose anything built too close to their homes. They want good cellular phone service, but no tower within view, and they want new stores, just no parking lots on the other side of the fence. As park districts, forest preserves, and conservation agencies know too well, they want great recreational opportunities, but not if they are going in next door. One reason people are often opposed to new construction or recreational development is because people don't like change. They are afraid that with change comes something undesirable; increased traffic from a new facility such as a recreation center, loitering delinquents near the new skate park, or vandalism as a result of bike path access. Another reason, and perhaps a more significant factor, is that people just want to be heard. They want to make their opinions known and they want those opinions taken into account when a decision is made. Today, people have fewer avenues in which to voice their opinions, so they will seize any opportunity in which they can exert their influence. Government has grown. Taxes have gone up. Businesses have merged. And the consumer has not had much say in it all. "... they want great recreational opportunities, but not if they are going in next door." One of the most vocal forces in a community is the affluent population. Face it, people with money are accustomed to having their way. When presented with a new project coming into their neighborhood, such as a proposed skate park, they will often begin by building a solid constituency that stands right between you and your goal. They will exert their considerable influence with locally elected officials as well. But no demographic group is off limits when it comes to complaining. In the course of building their case, most NIMBYs will take their message directly to the media. And there is nothing media relishes more than a good controversy. Disagreements make for emotion-laden sound bites. Crowded boardrooms make for great pictures. And if it goes far enough, no reporter can resist a good picket line. It is very difficult for a board to operate under pressure from NIMBYs and the constant, accompanying media scrutiny. So any steps taken to prevent an escalating controversy over something as beneficial as a bike trail or a recreational opportunity are steps in the right direction. Prevention is the key to diminishing the effect of a NIMBY group. And a new skate park is a good example in which to point out the importance of early planning. Most skate parks are built because there is a group of skaters who have been booted off the downtown side- May/June 2003 37 walks, the park curbs, or lake and riverfront properties. The kids - and their parents - get tired of constant hassles from police or security personnel, and approach the village or park district for help in building a skate park. The park board listens to a group of residents and answers the call. Everyone is happy. Until the plan is unveiled, placing the skate park in a neighborhood park. What appeared to be a great victory of responding to the wishes of constituents now becomes a nightmare as it violates the rights of neighbors surrounding the proposed site. Anticipating potential opposition is an important step in selecting a site for any project. Bike trails, for example, are wonderful assets in any community. They have been proven to raise the quality of life. Trails that connect housing developments to shopping areas have even been shown to boost economic development and retail sales. But not all people will welcome the arrival of a new segment of trail. When the engineering process begins for a bike trail, residents along the proposed route will likely be alerted to the fact that a trail is destined to run alongside their property. Foes of the proposed route may emerge. The usual complaints involve the fear of potential crime since a trail provides quick and easy escape routes for burglars and vandals. Another customary worry is increased noise, made by boom-box-carrying Rollerbladers. If you anticipate these objections before they occur, and before the engineers get in the field, you can help defuse the protests and neutralize the objections. You might even wind up with additional supporters before you make the project public. Ask residents who currently live along a bike trail or near a skate park to help you in your efforts to inform residents near the proposed site. They probably had similar objections before the park or trail was built. And they may be willing to write letters or attend meetings with residents in the newly proposed area and tell them about their positive experiences. Realtors will often mention the proximity of a bike trail when they put houses on the market. Solicit testimonials from them about potential increased property values of these homes. Devise a list of frequently asked questions about bike trails or skate parks, and print a brochure addressing these issues up front. Include information about the type of youth that will use the skate park and answer the questions you think you will get from residents before they ask them. The Illinois Association of Park Districts maintains research and statistics that may help you. Find newspaper articles that are supportive of bike trails, and use them to educate the residents about the powerful benefits of having one near their homes. In the case of skate parks, there are newspaper articles that illustrate how neighbor's fears about crime and a host of juvenile delinquents hanging around were not realized once the park was built. Because you are using the article to educate the public, you won't incur copyright charges. Even the plan and landscaping itself can be tailored to anticipate potential problems. Include berms and plantings to help shield the park from neighbors views. Even anticipate where a fence built along a property line might help some neighbors digest a proposed bike trail a little more easily. The best approach to a new project brings engineers, park planners, operations, and communications people all to the table to work together. Each person carries a unique perspective to the planning process in order to keep the NIMBYs at bay. Some preemptive work will definitely pay off in the long run. Agency Showcase Winners Single Category Cover
Palos Heights Parks and Recreation Single Catalog or Annual Reports
Riverside Park District
Brochure Series: A Year's Offering
York Center Park District Special Facility Brochure
Collinsville Park District Special Programming Brochure
Lake County Forest Preserve District Logo Design
Shorewood Park District Web Site Design
Palatine Park District Newsletter
Park District of Franklin Park Editor's note: The Agency Showcase winners listed in the March/April issue of Illinois Parks & Recreation was incorrect. We apologize for any inconvenience. 38 Illinois Parks and Recreation |
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