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Missing Middle: NIMBY Reactions In Arlington, Virginia
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Volume 33, 2026Abstract
This United States housing market is currently characterized by a crisis of affordability associated with persistent shortages across multiple price points. Missing Middle refers to a zoning approach that permits the construction of mid-sized housing types within areas originally reserved for single-family development. This paper draws from the existing literature on “Not In My Backyard” (NIMBY) reactions to housing development to identify the types of NIMBY sentiments that drove the opposition to Missing Middle in Arlington, Virginia. Drawing on Arlington’s data on the public feedback, this study finds that the majority of public comments reflect concerns about the potential impacts of increased housing density on daily residential life. These findings are aligned with existing literature linking proximity to housing development with adjacent-use NIMBY sentiments. By upzoning all single-family districts, Missing Middle may attract disproportionate adjacent-use sentiments. The findings suggest that, in contexts of stronger local opposition, policymakers may consider more piecemeal rezoning approaches to more effectively assess and respond to local opposition.