Toplines and trends from the 2009 U.S. Saint Index
American Attitudes on Development
- America’s opposition to local real estate development remains strong, with 74 percent of adults opposed to new development in their community, according to the Saint Index.
- 78% of American adults oppose a landfill development in their hometown, making it the most unwanted type of local real estate project in America.
- A casino is the second most unwanted local project — 77% opposed.
- Fifty-nine percent of Americans say they are more likely to support new commercial projects in their hometown given the current economic situation.
- Wal-Mart this year fell into a tie with a mall or large shopping center as the most opposed local retail development project. Both types of development are opposed by 56 percent of adults for their community. Local opposition to a mall or large shopping center declined from 58 percent a year ago.
- Of 1,000 adults interviewed nationwide, 56 percent said they oppose a Wal-Mart development in their hometown — the lowest level in four years of Saint Index© surveys, and down dramatically from 68 percent just two years ago.
- Asked what type of development project they’d most like to see in their community, one in three Americans (31%) said, “none” — by far the most common response.
- The following uses all had drops in opposition from a year ago:
- Department Stores (-7%)
- Wal-Mart (-5%)
- Power Plants (-4%)
- Large Shopping Centers/Mall (-2%)
- Quarries (-2%)
- Home Improvement Stores (-1%)
- A nuclear power plant, while the least-favored type of power plant, would still be preferable as a local development project to a landfill, a casino, or an aggregate quarry, the survey results show.
Who Fights Development and Why
- One in five American families have actively opposed a development project, the fourth annual Saint Index found.
- The Northeast is the most actively NIMBY region of the U.S., followed by the West and Mid-Atlantic.
- The Midwest is the region most welcoming to local development, the Saint Index© found.
- The most active NIMBYs are age 46-55, college or post-grad educated, own their home, and have an annual household income of $75,000 to $99,000.
- Nationwide, the level of anti-development activism is nearly identical among urban, suburban and rural residents.
- Key reasons for opposition to a project are protecting the environment (22%) and protecting the value of a home or real estate (21%). Other reasons for opposition include fear of too much new traffic (19%) and protecting community character (18%).
- One in three Americans uses the internet (blogs, emails, chat groups) to research and stay informed on local land use issues. One in five (21%) use the internet to communicate with neighbors and public officials regarding local land use issues. Among those who have graduate degrees, earn over $100K, or are under the age of 35, these numbers are significantly higher.
- Americans are cynical about the relationship between developers and politicians. Nearly seven out of 10 Americans (69%) believe the relationship between developers and elected officials makes the land use approval process unfair.
- 7 out of 10 Americans (72%) would grade their community C or worse when it comes to deciding what does and does not get built.
- 25 percent of Americans say their local planning and zoning regulations are not strict enough.
- 87% of Americans say that a candidate’s position on development and growth is important when deciding for whom to vote.
ENERGY AND POWER PLANTS
- Opposition by Americans to power plant construction in their community is dropping. Opposition is down — and support up — for all types of power plant projects
- 53 percent of American adults oppose a local power plant project, according to The Saint Index, which measures attitudes toward real estate development projects. That is down significantly from 75 percent opposed to a local power project in 2006, and 57 percent a year ago.
- 43 percent of Americans say they support a local power project, an increase from 38 percent support a year ago, and just 23 percent in 2006.
- Wind power remains the top choice for a power plant among Americans if one were to be built near them. Eighty-two percent say they would support a wind-powered generation project if one were proposed for their community.
- 79 percent do not believe a large wind farm would be detrimental to their health and welfare. About one in ten (11 percent) do believe a large wind project could diminish health and welfare, however.
- Also enjoying more support than opposition are a local biofuel (54 percent support) or hydro power (61 percent support) project.
- 60 percent of Americans oppose building a nuclear power plant in their community —down from 65 percent opposed a year ago.
- 50 percent of Americans oppose a fossil fuel power plant in their community, down from 58 percent last year. Forty-six percent support a fossil fuel plant project in their city or town.
- A nuclear power plant, while the least-favored type of power plant, would still be preferable to a landfill (78 percent opposed), a casino (77 percent opposed), or an aggregate quarry (62 percent).
About The Saint Index©
The Saint Index© tracks attitudes toward real estate development projects in the U.S., Canada and United Kingdom. It is the only primary research tool that quantifies and tracks the politics of land use, spotlighting who actively opposes and supports real-estate related projects and why. It was launched in 2005 by The Saint Consulting Group, the global leader in land use political consultancy.
The U.S. Saint Index© survey involved interviews with 1,000 American adults nationwide, conducted during the last quarter of 2008. One thousand respondents were randomly selected from the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii. The maximum margin of error is plus or minus 3.1 percent at the 95 percent confidence rate.