YIMBYs’ support for Old Town project sets a dangerous precedent - Chicago Tribune Commentary
As Chicago weighs sweeping rezoning along the Broadway corridor, it’s critical to recognize the forces shaping these decisions. The YIMBY movement, an online community of activists who often don’t live in the affected neighborhoods, regularly rallies behind large-scale developments. Their advocacy can tilt zoning outcomes toward developer interests while undermining true affordability. The article below, highlighting cases like Old Town Canvas, shows how YIMBY support can sideline local voices and offer developers blank checks.
PUBLISHED: September 4, 2025 at 5:00 AM CDT
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On Reddit, a dedicated Chicago YIMBYs discussion forum has amassed around 5,000 members. Originally a space for dialogue about housing affordability in Chicago, this forum has turned into a potent platform for political organizing. The group’s members regularly mobilize to attend city planning and zoning hearings, advocating for the construction of new residential developments across the city.
At times, their activism extends beyond meeting attendance. In a thread posted to the Chicago YIMBYs forum Aug. 4, members strategized ways to support a proposed five-story apartment building in the Humboldt Park neighborhood. “I’m not in that ward but live in west town how do we support,” one user said. Another replied, “I’m not there either but whenever I see one of these, I write the alderman.”
The Chicago YIMBY movement — “yes in my backyard” — also has targeted developments at 2006 S. Blue Island Ave., 3102 N. Western Ave., 4404 S. Greenwood Ave. and 1501 N. Ashland Ave. The movement mirrors larger national trends. With rents rising and middle-market housing stock decreasing, the YIMBY ethos, which is centered around the belief that dense, large-scale housing developments will ease demand and lower prices, is gaining traction.
In their haste to see new units added to the market, YIMBYs unquestionably support new development regardless of who builds it or who is likely to live there. Ironically, this blanket support has led the affordability-minded YIMBYs to become vocal allies for luxury buildings backed by private developers. Go figure.
This alliance was on full display at a February Plan Commission hearing in which YIMBY advocates argued vociferously on behalf of the controversial Old Town Canvas project. The project, which entails the construction of a 36-story skyscraper in the historic Old Town neighborhood, is the brainchild of developer Nick Anderson’s Delaware-incorporated Old Town Triangle Partners LLC. If it reflects his previous projects; it will be an expensive and luxurious place to live.
At the February hearing, YIMBY advocates parroted standard talking points, building the illusion of broad grassroots support for Old Town Canvas. Conspicuously missing from YIMBY testimony was any serious discussion of affordability or acknowledgement that commercial real estate developers generally build in the name of profit, not public good.
Data, too, confirms that new developments such as Old Town Canvas will not address affordability concerns. The 2023 American Community Survey found that the median cost for rent and utilities in Chicago apartments built since 2010 was more than $2,200, whereas the cost was $1,982 for apartments built between 2000 and 2009 and less than $1,500 for apartments built before 2000.
YIMBY proponents pointed to Old Town Canvas’ 70 dedicated affordable housing units as proof that the project would address unmet community needs. But in reality, the project offers 20% affordable housing and 80% unaffordable housing. Is that really something to celebrate?
In their blind support of new development, YIMBYs also overlook how hastily designed, profit-driven projects will affect critical neighborhood infrastructure. Despite planning to house over 500 residents, Old Town Canvas will have a single ingress/egress point. Every ride-share, moving van, delivery and resident vehicle entering the tower will be funneled through a single entry and exit point.
YIMBYs, many of whom don’t even live near the proposed development, sidestepped or ignored the concerns of actual residents. It’s easy to support a project such as Old Town Canvas from the comfort of a neighborhood miles away, but far more difficult when a development threatens to undermine the livability of a community you call home.
It’s hard to quantify the value of YIMBY support for projects such as Old Town Canvas, but members of the city’s planning and zoning bodies were clearly influenced by YIMBY testimony. Attorneys for the developer were able to quickly secure zoning changes for the development — which highlights the malleability of development safeguards. Elected members of the City Council are either too indifferent to notice the curious, regular rotation of YIMBY advocates or too dependent on aldermanic privilege to care. They just go along with whatever the local alderman wants. In this case, Ald. Brian Hopkins, 2nd, flip-flopped. He opposed the plan right up until the first critical vote.
At best, YIMBYs may earnestly believe they are acting in the best interests of the city and average Chicagoans. Unfortunately, they have become foot soldiers for developers whose interests lie in turning a profit, not benefiting the community.
The right course of action is to carefully evaluate and vet developments such as Old Town Canvas — and their so-called proponents — not issue them a blank check.
Corinne Svoboda is a native Chicagoan who has proudly resided in Old Town for the past 48 years.