Author(s)

Yifei Sun

Corresponding Author

Yifei Sun

ABSTRACT

NIMBY has become a more and more non-negligible issue in China in recent years, while in the US, it has evolved for more than 30 years since its appearance. This passage tries to compare the differences between NIMBY in China and the US by analyzing two cases, the maglev project in Shanghai, China, and the high-speed rail project in California, US. Several differences are found: first, these two countries share different understandings of the concept of “NIMBY” and the rationality and motives behind it. Second, the NIMBY struggles in the US and China adopt different forms. Americans have more methods of NIMBY struggles like lawsuits, while the Chinese do not. Third, the governments and societies of the two countries have very different perceptions of the NIMBY struggle. Americans find it normal and inevitable, while many Chinese find it harmful and unacceptable. And last, the officials of China and the US have different sources of pressure, due to different power structures. It is found that, for a late NIMBY country like China, there are several ways to broaden and deepen NIMBY governance.

KEYWORDS

NIMBY, High-speed rail, Comparison, Case study