YIMBYISM THEN AND NOW

Abstract

The upsurge in anti-regulatory rhetoric known as YIMBYism has deep historical roots in laissez-faire liberalism. Contemporary YIMBYism lacks empirical validation; embraces a categorical fallacy; embodies moral failure; exemplifies the arrogance of policy expertise; reveals the maturation of neoliberalism; and provides an object lesson in the dominance of power politics in the production of truth in the contemporary moment.