NIMBY psychology is coming to Adelaide!
On 29th May at 6 pm, I will be presenting on NIMBY psychology at a free public lecture at the Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre at the University of South Australia.
The lecture is free but seating is lmited so you must register to attend.
Details
Please click here for details:
https://w3.unisa.edu.au/hawkecentre/events/2013events/Wendy_Sarkissian.asp
Allan Scott Auditorium, UniSA City West campus, Hawke Building level 3, 55 North Terrace, Adelaide
5.30pm for a 6pm start
To register
To register for this free lecture, please follow the links above.
Abstract
Here is the abstract of the presentation:
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
NIMBY responses to higher density housing: It’s all in your mind
Why is there such strong community resistance to proposals for higher density housing in Adelaide’s neighbourhoods?
Aren’t people just being unreasonable and ignoring the need to make our cities more sustainable?
Isn’t Adelaide’s 30-Year Plan what we must have to be sustainable – despite community resistance?
Australian social planner and ethicist Dr Wendy Sarkissian, who has lived and worked in Adelaide for many years, believes that so-called NIMBY responses to housing density increases are both reasonable and helpful. And she’s been testing her theories in workshops in Canada, the USA and Australia. Recently, she spoke about this topic to the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University.
Dr Sarkissian argues that neighbours are resisting proposed higher density housing because humans, like all animals, are hard-wired to protect our territories. Further, the `core territory’ of home is one to which we have the strongest place attachment. It has strong symbolic as well as psychological importance.
Naturally, instinctively, we will defend our homes and neighbourhoods at all cost.
That means that unless planners, designers, governments and developers understand and respect this `instinctive’ response, the battles will continue. And unless community engagement approaches are sensitive to the deeply emotional nature of these responses, those processes will fail to support sustainability initiatives.
Proposing her “Homing Instinct” approach to housing design and community engagement, Wendy argues that two things need to change. We need housing that is more `home-like’. And we need community engagement processes that reflect greater emotional intelligence than the processes we currently employ.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
For further details, please contact me at 0402 966 284 or at [email protected]
Media coverage:
