> So if you ask a very small area “do you want more housing or less?” a lot of people will say that they think the local harms exceed the local benefits, and the division will basically come down to aesthetic preference for more or less density. But if you ask a large area “do you want more housing or less?” the very same people with all the same values and ideas may come up with a different answer because they internalize a much larger share of the benefits.
That seems so simple, and I dont know why it never occured to me.
It's literally in the acronym NIMBY. As in: yes, I want it, just not in my backyard.