Yes to the City: Millennials and the Fight for Affordable Housing

The Yes in My Backyard (YIMBY) movement is gaining momentum worldwide, driven by the high costs of urban housing and income inequality. Max Holleran's book, Yes to the City, explores the movement's origins in San Francisco and its current cadre of activists pushing for new apartment towers in places like Boulder, Austin, and London. YIMBY groups bring together an unlikely coalition, from developers and real estate agents to environmentalists, and argue that advocates for more housing must carefully weigh their demands for supply with the continuing damage of gentrification.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 216 pages
Publication date: 07 May 2024
Publisher: Princeton University Press

A captivating narrative of the burgeoning Yes in My Backyard urban movement has emerged, driven by the exorbitant costs of urban housing and the widening income inequality gap. Influential activists are taking matters into their own hands, advocating for increased construction and denser cities to address affordability concerns. Max Holleran's insightful book, "Yes to the City," delves into the origins and evolution of the "Yes in My Backyard" (YIMBY) movement, tracing its journey from its San Francisco roots to its current presence in cities like Boulder, Austin, and London. Holleran highlights how urban density, once associated with overcrowded slums, has become a rallying cry for millennial activists who are locked out of housing markets and struggle to afford high rents. The book provides a detailed account of YIMBY activists' campaigns for construction, new zoning rules, improved public transit, and even candidates for local and state office. Holleran explores the diverse coalition of individuals involved in YIMBY groups, ranging from developers and real estate agents to environmentalists. He also delves into the contentious battles between market-driven pragmatists and rent-control idealists, emphasizing the need for advocates of more housing to carefully weigh their demands for supply with the ongoing damage of gentrification. Yes to the City sheds light on a significant shift in housing activism over the past twenty years, reshaping conversations about urban growth.

Weight: 344g
Dimension: 154 x 234 x 15 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780691259116