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Many owners of SFH in LA are NIMBYs because they know that higher density means lower quality of life. It doesn't necessarily have to mean lower quality of lif

Many owners of SFH in LA are NIMBYs because they know that higher density means lower quality of life. It doesn't necessarily have to mean lower quality of life. But, in LA, that's what has happened most of the time. New three or four story apartment buildings next door to a SFH means less sunlight and the elimination of privacy throughout the yard. More people means more traffic jams, more wear and tear on roads, more crime, more unfamiliar strangers driving too fast on their once-quiet streets, more pollution, and higher demand on a very limited police force, parks, recreational facilities, schools/colleges, airports, open spaces, etc. The LA city government manages infrastructure and resources in a sub-par way. New resources of all types are simply not forthcoming fast enough to meet with increased demand. The city government fails to keep up with existing needs for repair of: water, sidewalk, street infrastructure under current levels of demand. And it's not only quantity: often the quality of new infrastructure (e.g. Red Line train seats) is allowed to detoriorate to a state where it's rather dirty and unpleasant.

pfranz 9y ago
Yep. A lot of people in the thread are talking about home values, housing scarcity, etc. All homeowners care about is quality of life--that's NIMBYism. Construction, even if it adds value, is a nuisance and can cause other problems. Trains can increase foot traffic and increase the accessibility for vagrants. That's the exact argument I've heard against connecting Hollywood to the beach from the people in Beverly Hills. I feel like LA city government has been doing better about sidewalk and street repair the past few years. It could be coincidence and certainly isn't exhaustive.
santaclaus 9y ago
> higher density means lower quality of life Ehh? I'd say density is correlated with a higher quality of life. More restaurants, bars, culture (museums, art openings, music), more opportunities to expand your network of friends, etc.
- mosdave 9y ago
  what if none of the things you enumerated are important to a person? what metrics are acceptable for them to use to measure their quality of life?
  - HillaryBriss 9y ago
    for those people, high density is desirable. but, for others, the drawbacks of high density, often outweigh the advantages. these are the people who go to local neighborhood council meetings and scream. also note that, in Los Angeles, the city council and the mayor can, and very often do, approve changes to zoning in accordance with the wishes of real estate developers (who usually donate to their political campaigns). it's not like LA's NIMBY homeowners are a tyrannical group with infinite power. they're very often overridden by the politicians. much of the drive behind LA's NIMBY movement is the absence of true city plans for homeowners to rely upon. the name of the game is spot zoning variances: a developer proposes a project which requires a zoning change and then pays off the local politicians with campaign contributions. homeowners, caught by surprise, react vociferously ... and then lose. that's LA's version of a "planning process". http://www.laweekly.com/news/city-halls-density-hawks-are-changing-las-dna-2152217 http://www.laweekly.com/news/city-halls-density-hawks-are-ch...
- yorwba 9y ago
  Those things are nice, but I'd like to know whether you have ever lived directly next to them (as opposed to just close enough to get to them when you want). I grew up in a scenic neighborhood in Berlin, with lots of bars and restaurants and dance clubs in former factory yards, and it was pretty annoying at times. Drunken people get loud, and you don't want them to have a midnight singing contest right outside your bedroom window. Occasionally someone would drive around the block blasting music at full volume. And so on. I think most people would much prefer to live in a quiet neighborhood, with all the action happening within walking distance just outside of it.

pfranz 9y ago

Yep. A lot of people in the thread are talking about home values, housing scarcity, etc. All homeowners care about is quality of life--that's NIMBYism. Construction, even if it adds value, is a nuisance and can cause other problems. Trains can increase foot traffic and increase the accessibility for vagrants. That's the exact argument I've heard against connecting Hollywood to the beach from the people in Beverly Hills. I feel like LA city government has been doing better about sidewalk and street repair the past few years. It could be coincidence and certainly isn't exhaustive.

santaclaus 9y ago

> higher density means lower quality of life Ehh? I'd say density is correlated with a higher quality of life. More restaurants, bars, culture (museums, art openings, music), more opportunities to expand your network of friends, etc.

mosdave 9y ago
what if none of the things you enumerated are important to a person? what metrics are acceptable for them to use to measure their quality of life?
- HillaryBriss 9y ago
  for those people, high density is desirable. but, for others, the drawbacks of high density, often outweigh the advantages. these are the people who go to local neighborhood council meetings and scream. also note that, in Los Angeles, the city council and the mayor can, and very often do, approve changes to zoning in accordance with the wishes of real estate developers (who usually donate to their political campaigns). it's not like LA's NIMBY homeowners are a tyrannical group with infinite power. they're very often overridden by the politicians. much of the drive behind LA's NIMBY movement is the absence of true city plans for homeowners to rely upon. the name of the game is spot zoning variances: a developer proposes a project which requires a zoning change and then pays off the local politicians with campaign contributions. homeowners, caught by surprise, react vociferously ... and then lose. that's LA's version of a "planning process". http://www.laweekly.com/news/city-halls-density-hawks-are-changing-las-dna-2152217 http://www.laweekly.com/news/city-halls-density-hawks-are-ch...
yorwba 9y ago
Those things are nice, but I'd like to know whether you have ever lived directly next to them (as opposed to just close enough to get to them when you want). I grew up in a scenic neighborhood in Berlin, with lots of bars and restaurants and dance clubs in former factory yards, and it was pretty annoying at times. Drunken people get loud, and you don't want them to have a midnight singing contest right outside your bedroom window. Occasionally someone would drive around the block blasting music at full volume. And so on. I think most people would much prefer to live in a quiet neighborhood, with all the action happening within walking distance just outside of it.