'NIMBY', WHICH means 'not in my backyard', is a well-known phrase in economics, which looks at the clash between heavily-consumed public goods and services with private property.
It has come to the fore as influential property owners living in the mid-Hope Road triangle have sought to have a Digiel tower removed from their area. It is a clash that will not disappear as long as the society wants greater access to goods and services that can safeguard and improve their lives, but which will impact adversely on those citizens who live near to these publicly-used assets that benefit others.
It focuses on what are called externalities, which are the spillover effects of market produced goods and services. These concern how third parties get affected by what others have done through a market transaction.
POSITIVE BENEFITS
When these produce positive benefits, such as community clean-ups that lead to less graffiti, garbage, and greater safety for all by newly-painted pedestrian crossings, they can renew these communities, including those who did not participate in the clean-ups. When they produce negative externalities, such as loss of full night's sleep, due to a loud dance session being held in close proximity, then the conflict comes out into the open.
NIMBY, however, is more than just a negative externality, as the persons who are objecting invariably also benefit from these goods and services. What they are really objecting to is not the goods and services, but the location of these goods and services in their own neighbourhood hence the term 'not in my backyard'.
It plays itself out daily in the selection sites for cemeteries; funeral homes; prisons; public dumps; dams; major thoroughfares; and now cellular sites. It is highly likely that most of these persons objecting to this tower have a cellular phone and would desire efficient service through accessible towers.
RADIATION EMISSIONS
They just do not want it in their community, given the unproved rumour of radiation emissions, whether these effects are slight or large.
Remember a few years ago, when the same neighbourhood got Linstone Crescent blocked off from the heavy traffic that diverted during this area.
Most persons don't want to be in close proximity to heavily used public-goods that disturb their comfort zone. They don't want the cemetery, prison or public dump for the adverse effects on their property values. Neither do they want the dams and major roads (due to the loud noises they cause), and the cellular site is just adding to the list.
Do they use these services in other areas or take traffic short-cuts through other neighbourhoods of course. But you can't blame them as the siting of such goods invariably reflects political/class influences and some neighbourhoods have more influence than others.
