China tests 300 mph train.

[Sheilbh]

Is the NIMBY phenomena limited to federal republics?

I think countries with a strong role for local government in planning decisions.  We've got it too.  The government's trying to change planning regulations, and God willing they will, but it's a bit like the Democrats imposing at will employment laws.

[Duque de Bragança]

Less NIMBY-ism in France than in Germany I'd say (e.g high-speed lines) but it still exists. Bloody plonk growers.

[Warspite]

Building high-rises in itself won't help the housing problem, since the housing problem is really the affordable-housing problem.  And most developers over here seem to prefer buying their way out of any municipal effort to devote X% of a residential development to low/middle income housing.

But the affordability of housing is ultimately a function of the supply of housing. If you have a set amount of land, and build lower density, then all things remaining equal the price of a house or apartment will be higher because there are still the same number of people chasing fewer, rather than more, units. Even if developers focus on building luxury flats, then at least you ease the pressure on the lower end of the market, which in London right now is being invaded by fairly well off middle class buyers who can't afford the type of place they would have moved into 20 or 30 years ago.

[dps]

Is the NIMBY phenomena limited to federal republics?

I'd say that as a widespread public occurance it probably is limited to countries with representative government, and that federalism lends itself to allowing stronger symptoms of the problem to develop.  But even in places that don't have representative government, I'd say that the elites make sure that the landfills and the like aren't in their backyards.