There have been reports recently that residents of a community in Shanghai opposed the construction of a care home for the elderly near the community, because it might have a negative effect on their house prices.

It's a typical social conflict that reflects the "not-in-my-backyard" attitude. People understand the necessity for such public facilities as nursing homes for the aged or waste collection stations or nuclear power plants, but oppose their construction near to their neighborhoods because they worry about the pollution, health risks and asset depreciation they might cause. It reflects the inevitable clash between individual and public interests that are arising nowadays.

With social and economic development and the eroding of people's sense of the public good, such "not-in-my-backyard" incidents are likely to become more frequent. To solve these conflicts between interests and risks, the authorities should make the decision-making and implementation processes fully transparent in order to make the distribution of interests and risks fair and equal. Communication and the timely release of information before the construction of controversial public facilities are the key to their acceptance by the public, and individuals whose interests have been undermined should receive adequate compensation.