October 12, 2007 Boston Business Journal
Survey: Americans Warming to Power Plants
The number of Americans who support power plant development in their hometown rose dramatically over the past year, according to research conducted by The Saint Consulting Group.
The Hingham, Mass.-based consultancy said its 2007 Saint Index survey gauges current attitudes toward real estate development.
The group said their research found thirty-eight percent of American adults support a local power plant project, compared to just 23 percent in 2006 -- a 15 percent rise.
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October 11, 2007 Power Market Today
Many Prefer a Power Plant Neighbor to a Wal-Mart, Says Survey
The number of Americans who would support new power plant construction in their communities increased substantially over the last year, according to a recent survey on attitudes toward real estate development.
The 2007 Saint Index survey on attitudes toward real estate development found that 38% of American adults support a local power plant project, compared to just 23% in 2006. Where power plants and quarries were the second most-opposed land uses a year ago, even Wal-Mart, shopping malls and casinos drew more opposition as local development projects this year, the survey found. Landfills remained the most reviled local land use by Americans, matched by casinos this year.
August 18, 2007 Toronto Star
Casinos, landfills lead thumbs-down list: Survey
Casinos, landfills and aggregate quarries rank 1, 2, 3 on the list of development proposals
Canadians are most likely to oppose in their area, while single- family homes, hospitals, grocery
stores and apartments/condos, in that order, are much more acceptable, according to the Saint
Index (don't confuse Saint with saint).
The Saint Index comes from a public opinion survey of 1,223 Canadians by the Saint Consulting
Group, a new firm in town with 25 years of experience in the U.K. and U.S. It specializes in
winning zoning and land use battles for development proponents.
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August 8, 2007 RE Business Online
Survey: Public Distrust of Development in U.S., Great Britain and Canada is Rampant
By P. Michael Saint, CEO, The Saint Consulting Group
NIMBYism (Not in My Back Yard) has taken off, and public opposition to large-scale
development is rampant across the United States, Canada and Great Britain. A recent survey
shows remarkably similar opposition to the development of large-scale projects, distrust in
local politicians, and fears that the planning process is unfair. According to the survey,
conducted by The Saint Consulting Group, the most significant overall finding was that
respondents in each country are opposed to further development in their communities.
August, 2007 Retail Traffic
Big-Box Crux
Big-box retailers remain major draws for shoppers and cash cows for
developers, but that's not stopping a growing number of states from
throwing obstacles in the way of their development.
In the past two years, at least seven states have considered laws that
sought to remove authority from local communities when it comes to
approving development of big boxes such as Wal-Mart, Home Depot or
Costco, and put the authorization at the state level.
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July 21-27, 2007 The Economist
The English Paradox
MOST BRITONS WANT THEIR OWN HOMES, AND GREEN SPACES TOO
As British politicians rush to occupy the centre ground, few issues remain as salient as housing. Gordon Brown, the prime minister, has lost no time in making clear that homebuilding is a top priority.
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July 2, 2007 REM Canada
NIMBY activists rule in Canada
Public distrust of development is rampant in Canada, Britain and the United States,
where recent surveys on behalf of the Saint Consulting Group found similar opposition to
large-scale development, distrust in local politicians and fears that the planning process
is unfair.
June 23, 2007 Estates Gazette
Backyard Blues
WINDS OF CHANGE. PEOPLE MAY CHAMPION THE GOVERNMENT'S PUSH FOR GREEN ENERGY, BUT JUST HOW MANY ARE NIMBYs WHO WOULD ALSO FIGHT TOOTH AND NAIL TO STOP A WIND FARM BEING BUILT ON THEIR DOORSTEP?
On 21 May the government revealed yet another reform of the planning system. The controversial proposals will give ministers the ability to push through major infrastructure projects in just nine months.
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June, 2007 Property EU
Strong Public Distrust of Development In UK
Strong public opposition exists to property development in the UK, the US and Canada, according to a new poll conducted by the Saint Consulting Group, an international land use politics consultancy. Public distrust of development is rampant in all three countries, with huge majorities in each wanting no more development in their local areas.
June 5, 2007 Vancouver Province
Developers Face Lack Of Trust From Communities
What a surprise!
Developers in Canada are not trusted and that same distrust is found in the U.S. and the U.K., according to a survey conducted by Saint Consulting Group, which has offices in all three countries.
But the while the survey found remarkable similarities, such as opposition to large-scale developments, distrust in local politicians and fears the planning process is unfair, there were also some differences in thinking.
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June 5, 2007 The Birmingham Post
Distrust Of Development In UK, US and Canada Soars
Public distrust of development is rampant in Britain, the United States and Canada, it was claimed yesterday.
Opposition to large-scale schemes, distrust in local politicians and fears that the planning process is unfair are widespread, it is suggested.
The Saint Index, from the Saint Consulting Group, an international land use politics consultancy, found that huge majorities in each country want no more development in their local area.
June 4, 2007 Reuters UK
Public Distrusts Developers Either Side of Atlantic
Some truths it seems are universal. A new survey published on Monday shows that on both sides of the Atlantic people distrust property developers.
The survey by the Saint Consulting Group, a leading land use political consultancy, found that 83 percent of people in Britain, 75 percent in Canada and 73 percent in the United States opposed new developments on their doorsteps.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUKL0241096620070604
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June, 2007 Property EU
Strong Public Distrust of Development In UK
Strong public opposition exists to property development in the UK, the US and Canada, according to a new poll conducted by the Saint Consulting Group, an international land use politics consultancy. Public distrust of development is rampant in all three countries, with huge majorities in each wanting no more development in their local areas.
May 22, 2007 Toronto Globe and Mail
In a neighbourhood near you: NIMBYism
A POLL SUGGESTS CANADIANS ARE TORN - THEY APPRECIATE THE MALL, BUT NOT IN THEIR BACKYARD
Anyone planning on creating a commercial or retail real estate development in Canada better get ready for a fight: Canada's theme song is "Not In My Backyard," according to a recent survey.
In fact, not only do 75 per cent of Canadians oppose any new commercial and retail development in their own neighbourhoods but one in five Torontonians and an astonishing one in three Vancouverites says they have actively worked to oppose such projects, Saint Consulting Group Inc. of Hingham, Mass., found.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20070522...
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May, 2007 Shopping Center Business
The Brave New World Of NIMBYism
PUBLIC OPPOSITION IS CHANGING THE FACE OF REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT.
Opposition to large shopping center development eased slightly in 2006, but Americans remain strongly opposed to real estate development projects in their hometown, according to The Saint Index. The Index is an annual survey conducted among 1,000 adults nationwide.
April 27, 2007 Planning Resource
Captain of Consulting
A PAINFULLY SLOW PLANNING PROCESS AND WIDE DISTRUST OF ITS PRACTITIONERS EMERGE FROM A SURVEY THAT SHOWS SOCIETY IS LARGELY OPPOSED TO NEW DEVELOPMENT, NICK KEABLE TELLS VIVIEN WILSON
"Whichever way you look at it, the UK is a pretty nimby society," says Saint Consulting Group managing director Nick Keable. He has the figures to back this view, in the form of the second annual Saint UK index into public opinion on the politics of planning and development.
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April 23, 2007 Real Estate Business
Challenges Faced by Land Developers — And How to Overcome Them
Whatever it is that real estate developers propose to build these days, they will run up against some citizens who say, ‘no.’ How developers prepare for and react to citizen objectors can determine whether their projects ever get built. Understanding the citizens' motivation is a key to overcoming the opposition. Why are these citizens agitated about commercial development — even when it may fully comply with zoning laws or be embraced by the local politicians?
April 18, 2007 Ottawa Business Journal
Managing the Power of NIMBYism
For developers and municipal governments, "NIMBYism" is a force to be reckoned with.
When "not-in-my-backyard" emotions are unleashed in a given community, prospective developers can find their projects downgraded, postponed, or even derailed.
Recent proposals to expand the Carp Road Landfill is arguably a case in point.
A consulting firm for hire, new to Canada but with two decades of experience in the U.S. and elsewhere, claims it can harness the power of the people, either for or against, any proposed development - with a very high rate of success.
http://www.ottawabusinessjournal.com/288687462599668.php
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April 16, 2007 Women's Wear Daily
New Rallying Cry: Not In Our Backyard
As open space dwindles, shopping center developers are being forced to seek locations in mature communities with existing malls.
That reality creates new challenges because land costs are higher in these locales, obtaining required permits and environmental approvals is more complicated, as well as often being difficult because of community opposition. Across the U.S., increasing numbers of local residents are battling mall development, raising concerns about traffic congestion, crime, pollution and more demands for municipal services.
April 10, 2007 Daily Commercial News and Construction Record
Understand Community, Developers Told
NATIONAL SURVEY SHOWS CANADIANS ANTI-DEVELOPMENT
Developers need to be made aware of the political climate in perspective communities to avoid opposition from "Not in my backyard" (NIMBY) organisations, according to a national survey by the Saint Consulting Group.
Over 70 per cent of Canadians are saying no to development in their neighbourhoods, making it more difficult to be a developer, adds Saint Consulting president Patrick Fox.
http://dcnonl.com/article/20070410300
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April 5, 2007 National Post
Canadians' Attitudes Toward Local Planning Issues
OTTAWA -- Many Canadians love to go to casinos but most don’t want one moving in near them.
Yet, while many dread going to a hospital, it’s a development most would welcome in their community.
Those are among the findings of a survey of Canadian attitudes towards real estate and land-use developments in their communities by an international consulting firm, which concluded many developments would face heavy community opposition.
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/financialpost/homebuyers...
April 4, 2007 Novae Res Urbis
NIMBYism Alive and Well
People hate casinos, landfills, power plants and big-box stores, but welcome single-family homes, hospitals and even office towers in their backyards, according to the first national survey of Canadian attitudes toward real estate developments.
The survey by Saint Consulting Group, which recently opened its first Canadian office in Toronto, also found that contrary to recent polls claiming the public is gaga over the environment these days, the biggest sources of opposition to these developments cited was the protection of community character and distrust in local politicians, who are often viewed as too cozy with developers.
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Spring 2007 Land Development
Survey Finds Opposition for Some Development Still Strong
Even though Americans remain strongly opposed to real estate development projects in their communities, support for new housing grew in the past year, according to results from a survey conducted by the The Saint Consulting Group.
Spring 2007 Development Magazine
The 2006 Saint Index©: Survey Reveals Decreased Opposition in Some Development Sectors
According to The Saint Consulting Group's second annual survey across 14 industries and five regions, apartment/condominium, office building and large shopping center development sectors have encountered less opposition in 2006 than 2005. Saint Consulting Group initiated the Saint Index© in 2005 to assess attitudes and activism towards real estate development.
http://www.naiop.org/developmentmag/firstlook/index.cfm
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March 23, 2007 Building Magazine
Planning Reform 'On Course' Despite Delay
Michael Ankers, the chief executive of the Construction Products Association (CPA), has played down fears that the planning white paper will lead to a watering down of reform.
The publication of the white paper, which outlines the government’s response to the Barker review of land use planning, had been pencilled in for next week.
http://www.building.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=29&storycode=3083483
March 23, 2007 Building Magazine
Nick Keable On Recognising One’s Own Elbow
Labour's record of planning reform is a tale of ineffectual confusion. And now it's just got worse.
"Planning reform? Haven't we just done that? I thought we now had a faster, more efficient, more transparent and fairer planning system, or at least that's what the 200 or so planning ministers we've had since 1997 have regularly told us.
http://www.building.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=29&storycode=3083484
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March 23, 2007 Building Design Magazine
Nimbyism Is Alive and Well
More than 80% of people are against more development in their area, a survey of nimbyism has found.
The Saint Consulting Group questioned 1,000 people throughout the UK in January and February and asked their views on a range of property developments.
http://www.bdonline.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=426&storycode=3083710
March 20, 2007 The Retail Bulletin
Supermarkets— People Love Them and Hate Them
Supermarkets are rather like airports and budget airlines, with consumers flocking to them regardless of the environmental issues that they throw up, because they enjoy the convenient shopping experience and a good bargain.
Evidence of this thinking came with recent research from Saint Consulting Group that found 59 per cent of people would oppose a new store being built in their area. This is not a great surprise as the not-in-my-backyard syndrome is only human nature.
http://www.theretailbulletin.com/index.php?cat=news...
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March 19, 2007 Evening Standard
Nimby Nation
MORE than eight in 10 adults do not want any new developments near them.
The typical Nimby ("Not In My Back Yard") is aged 45-54, votes Tory and lives in the South, a survey by planning experts The Saint Consultancy Group reveals.
March 17, 2007 The Grocer Magazine
Sainsbury's Least Likely To Be Welcomed By Local Residents
Sainsbury's has topped the list of supermarkets people would least like to open in their area.
The survey of 1,000 people indicated 65% would be less likely to support a new supermarket in their neighbourhood if it were proposed by Sainsbury's.
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March 16, 2007 The Times Online
Nimbys To Man the Barricades
There may be large differences of opinion over how many new homes Britain needs each year to cope with the expected surge in the number of households — the Government-commissioned Barker review estimated more than 209,000, a controversial target to say the least. But plans continue to be laid to meet this goal. The planning White Paper, due out on March 26, will set out how the infrastructure can be created to support these extra dwellings.
A decidedly hostile reception is likely to greet these proposals; Nimbyism is becoming more entrenched, with 83 per cent of people against any more development in their area, according to a study from The Saint Consulting Group (TSCG). More than half of those questioned think their council is in cahoots with developers; close to three quarters say that they would be swayed by the stance of councillors on new housing and other developments (a view that candidates in the May local elections should note).
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/property/...
March 16, 2007 Property Week
Public's Nimby Opposition To Development Strong As Ever
SURVEY REVEALS ONE IN SIX LOCAL RESIDENTS OPPOSE PLANNING APPLICATIONS
Public opposition to residential and commercial development appears to be as strong as ever, while many people believe they are being let down by their local councils on planning, according to the world's largest consultant on zoning and land-use battles.
Saint Consulting Group's second annual poll of consumer attitudes to development shows that as many as 83% of residents want no more schemes in their area (see graph 1) and that one in six has actively opposed a planning application.
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March 16, 2007 Planning Resource
Poll Raises Nimby Issues
DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS THAT COULD GENERATE JOBS, HOMES AND OTHER LOCAL BENEFITS ARE FACING A BACKLASH FROM LOCAL COMMUNITIES AS WELL AS TRADITIONAL NUISANCE NEIGHBOURS, REPORTS LEE BAKER
The nimby brigade is on the march. This is the warning emerging from latest research that suggests eight out of ten people are against further development in their area.
Saint Consulting's survey of 1,000 people across the UK provides the first detailed insight into nimbyism. It reveals that many residents are as unhappy about offices and supermarkets as they are about landfills and recycling sites. The polling firm concludes that the property industry is failing to engage with communities.
March 16, 2007 Planning Resource
Survey Highlights Need To Tackle Public's Concerns In Early Stages
Lamenting the anti-development ethos across much of the county is nothing new. But the scale of opposition revealed by Saint Consulting's survey this week is alarming. It shows that eight out of ten people would be against further development in their areas.
Saint Consulting Group's second annual poll of consumer attitudes to development shows that as many as 83% of residents want no more schemes in their area (see graph 1) and that one in six has actively opposed a planning application.
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March 16, 2007 Planning Resource
Research Uncovers Supermarket Ill Will
Supermarket opposition has hardened over the past year, with six out of ten people now against a new store near where they live.
Latest research on public attitudes to development reveals that 40 per cent of people surveyed would "strongly oppose" a new supermarket near them, up from 33 per cent last year. A further 19 per cent would be "opposed", according to the Saint Consulting poll.
March 13, 2007 Turkish Daily News
British Public Wary Of New Planning Developments
As the government prepares to rip up planning red tape to make it easier for major retail and infrastructure projects, a survey on Monday showed that the public are unenthusiastic about local developments.
The Saint Index -- an annual survey of people's attitudes to local planning issues -- found that 83 percent of those asked did not want new developments in their local areas.
March 13, 2007 MIPIM News
No More Development In Our Back Yard, Says UK Public
PUBLIC opposition to residential and commercial development in the UK is becoming more entrenched, according to The Saint Consulting Group. Published at MIPIM, Saint Consulting’s second annual poll of consumer attitudes to development shows that as many as 83% of British people want no more schemes in their local area.
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March 13, 2007 The Financial Times
Distrust of Council and Developers
Housebuilders may be frustrated with local councils for their failure to grant planning permission for new developments, but most Britons distrust councils and developers for being in each others' pockets, according to a survey. It found nimbyism to be alive and well, with 83 per cent of respondents to a recent survey saying they wanted no more development in their local area, and 58 per cent saying that councils and developers were too close.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/a1fdb516-d109-11db-836a-000b5df10621.html
March 12, 2007 Reuters UK
Public Wary of New Planning Developments
LONDON (Reuters) - As the government prepares to rip up planning red tape to make it easier for major retail and infrastructure projects, a survey on Monday showed that the public are unenthusiastic about local developments.
The Saint Index -- an annual survey of people's attitudes to local planning issues -- found that 83 percent of those asked did not want new developments in their local areas.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUKL0845433420070312
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March 8, 2007 TriState Observer
Casino Land-Use and Zoning in Spotlight
Harrisburg, PA - The 3rd Pennsylvania Gaming Congress & Racing Forum will feature a timely presentation on "Casinos and Land-Use Fights" by nationally prominent experts in land-use politics.
P. Michael Saint, Chairman and CEO of Saint Consulting, has spent more than two decades developing specialized political techniques that help clients generate public support to ensure that they prevail in the local governmental approval process. His firm's Saint Index shows that, despite the popularity of casinos among gamblers and officials in cities that host them, a large majority of Americans say they would oppose a casino in their community.
http://www.tristateobserver.com/modules.php...
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February 3, 2007 New Jersey Daily Record
Poll: Wal-Mart least popular development
So, what type of real estate do people want most NOT to be built in their community?
The booby prize goes to: Wal-Mart. Some 68 percent of respondents in a poll conducted by Saint Consulting Group in Massachusetts were opposed to a new Wal-Mart, perhaps because of a fear of traffic congestion.
http://www.dailyrecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007702030337
February 2007 Health Facilities Management Magazine
Americans Support Hospital Building
A national telephone survey of 1,000 Americans tracking land use development attitudes shows that 71 percent of Americans would support a new hospital in their community, the second most supported land use.
http://www.hfmmagazine.com/hfmmagazine_app/jsp/...
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Februray 2007 Buildings
The Saint Index Reveals Opposition to Land-Use Development
THE SAINT CONSULTING GROUP, BASED IN BOSTON, HAS RELEASED ITS SECOND SURVEY ON LAND-USE POLITICS — THE SAINT INDEX.
Results from the 2006 survey show Americans' opposition to real estate development projects across 14 industries and five regions. Saint Consulting initiated the Saint Index to assess attitudes and activism toward real estate development.
January 9, 2007 Architectural Record
Americans Getting NIMBY With It
For the second year in a row, Saint Consulting Group, a land-use political consultancy, has issued its Saint Index, a phone survey of 1,000 randomly chosen respondents across the U.S. The survey aims to evaluate the political climate surrounding land use, and even at this early stage, researchers have confirmed the perception that Americans dig in their heels against development. In 2006, 73 percent of those surveyed opposed new development in their communities and 93 percent of respondents concurred that a candidate’s position on new development and growth is an important consideration in voting, exactly the same figures tallied the previous year.
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January 2, 2007 The Kansas City Star
Casi-NO
The bad news: 67 percent of the American population opposes construction of a casino in their neighborhood.
The good news: That’s down from 80 percent a year ago, according to the Saint Consulting Group’s annual “Saint Index,” which measures public attitudes about land-use issues.
The only categories less popular were landfills, quarries, power plants and Wal-Mart.
January 2007 Chain Store Age
The NIMBY War Cry
A year-long battle between Wal-Mart and a small-town mayor has been playing out in the pages of the Lincoln Journal-Star. The retail giant and Colleen Seng, mayor of Lincoln, Neb., first sharpened their swords when Wal-Mart announced its intentions to open a third Lincoln store in a rapidly growing neighborhood on the east side of town. Seng fired back publicly with unexpected vehemence: “You are too big and too invasive for this particular neighborhood.” (I’m paraphrasing.) “Besides, I prefer Target.” (I’m paraphrasing here, too, but you get my drift.) Seng made no secret of playing favorites. In a move that surprised even the city council, she managed through some political maneuverings to downsize the development area, making it toosmall for Wal-Mart’s minimum requirements. But for Target, it was just right.
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January/February 2007 Electric Perspectives
Nimbyists Grow Stronger
Results from the 2006 Saint Index may not be surprising, but it is worth reporting that Americans are strongly opposed—and increasingly so—to several types of real-estate development projects, including biotech laboratories,landfills, power plants, quarries, and “big box” stores (like Wal-Mart). Twice as many actively oppose developmentas support it. Further, 70 percent of Americans support using tax dollars to keep land undeveloped, and 38 percent feel that “strongly.”
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