NIMBY Then and Now: Land-Use Conflict in Worcester, Massachusetts, 1876–1900

Abstract

Although its existence is readily apparent in the published literature of a number of fields, pre-1950 exclusionary land-use conflict is largely ignored in studies assessing such conflict today. An inventory of land-use conflicts mentioned in a Worcester, Massachusetts, daily newspaper in the years 1876–1900 found a high incidence of efforts to exclude various undesired land uses. The results put in question many of the characterizations and explanations advanced of contemporary NIMBY activity.