Op-Ed: “Not in My Backyard” Is a Risk to New Development

Over the course of my career, I seem to have developed a knack for finding industries that face heavy public opposition. From my time in the Army, when I spent months in Afghanistan supporting a Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT), to working with renewable energy developers across the country, to now working alongside data center developers and operators, there has been one consistent thread: NIMBYism.

Over the past year, I have been following several community groups and have noticed a troubling trend. This is no longer just an issue facing a handful of industries. The “not in my backyard” mentality is beginning to permeate nearly every type of development.

And the numbers suggest this is more than anecdotal. In renewable energy, the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia Law School found that by the end of 2024, at least 459 counties and municipalities across 44 states had adopted severe local restrictions on renewable energy development, a 16% increase in just one year. The Center also identified 498 renewable energy projects facing significant opposition across 49 states, a 32% increase from the previous year's report.

Just this week, several new projects were announced in my area: a metal fabrication manufacturer, a facility that will manufacture toilet paper and paper towels, much-needed commercial development, and new housing. Every single one was met with some level of opposition.

Years ago, many of these projects would have been welcomed as investments in the community because they brought jobs, tax revenue, new services and economic growth to what was once a rural area.

What’s Changed to Push Resistance

Why have so many communities seemingly become anti-growth and anti-development?

The more I have thought about this, the more I have come to believe there is no single answer. There are several different groups driving resistance and their concerns are not always easy to address.

The “Why Now?” Group

First, there is the “we’ve lived here for X number of years without this” crowd. These are people who may have spent their entire lives away from major industrial or commercial development. They use the products, infrastructure, and services these industries provide, but they have rarely had to see where those things come from.

The “Why Here?” Group

Second, there is the “but why here?” crowd. Many moved away from cities and industrial areas specifically to escape development and congestion. Unfortunately, as communities grow, development eventually follows.

There is an interesting tension here. A 2026 Pew Research Center survey found that 55% of Americans prefer communities where homes are larger and farther apart, even if schools, stores, and restaurants are several miles away. Among rural residents, that figure climbs to 70%. People value space and the character of the communities they chose to live in. The challenge is that those same communities still need housing, infrastructure, services, power, and economic development as their populations grow.

The “Never Again” Group

Third, and perhaps most importantly, there are communities that have been burned by developers before. In my opinion, this group represents one of the greatest challenges to future development because their skepticism may be completely justified. Maybe a developer came into town and overpromised and underdelivered. Maybe they provided inaccurate information, burned local contractors, failed to live up to commitments made to local government, or simply disappeared once construction was complete or never built anything at all.

Whatever the circumstances, those experiences create scars. The next developer who enters that community inherits the distrust created by the one who came before them.

Access to (Mis)information

Social media has given everyone a platform, and information, accurate or otherwise, can spread throughout a community almost instantly. A complicated discussion about infrastructure, water, power, taxes, or economic development can quickly be reduced to a screenshot, a headline, or a “trust me, bro” source that gets shared hundreds or thousands of times.

When I talk with people and read comments about proposed developments, I sense that many communities have become jaded.

Two comments come up repeatedly:

“There are so many of these, so fast.”
“Why is this just now happening?”

The reality is that much of this development is neither new nor sudden. It has been happening across the country for decades. The difference is that today we are more connected than ever, and people have greater visibility into what is being proposed around them.

Data centers provide perhaps the clearest current example. A 2026 analysis from Carbon Direct identified at least 46 AI data center projects across 20 states that were delayed or canceled following community opposition between January 2024 and May 2026. Those projects represented approximately $170 billion in announced investment.

That is no longer just a public relations problem. It is a development risk.

So, how do we fix it?

I do not pretend to have all the answers, and developers cannot solve every concern or convince every opponent. But I do believe there is a path forward, and it starts with transparency.

Transparency in Real Estate Development

Transparency builds trust, and trust is what is missing in many of these conversations. Too often, communities feel as though companies are bullying their way into town, buying influence with elected officials, and forcing projects through before residents fully understand what is happening. Whether that perception is fair or not, developers cannot afford to ignore it.

Community meetings are necessary, but they should be the beginning of engagement and not the end of it.

Developers should spend time in the communities where they intend to build. Meet people where they are: at parks, sports fields, churches, local restaurants and bars, schools, and community events. Support the local Little League team. Sponsor a community event. Hire local businesses when possible.

Most importantly, show people that you are not simply developing in their community. You are willing to become part of it.

This is becoming much bigger than opposition to renewable energy or data centers. Increasingly, it feels like resistance to development itself.

If we want to continue building the infrastructure, housing, manufacturing, energy, and technology our growing communities depend on, the development industry cannot simply become better at building projects.

We must become better at building trust.

Brian Chen is an energy and data center expert for Stewart National Commercial Services’ Energy and Infrastructure Group. He is a frequent speaker and panelist at commercial real estate conferences and events. Connect with him on LinkedIn and learn more about the Energy and Infrastructure Group.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Stewart Title Guaranty Company or its affiliates. Any content provided is for general informational purposes only.

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