In My Backyard or in My Country? Exploring the Social Acceptance of Controversial Infrastructure

Prisons, nuclear power plants, and waste-to-energy facilities are examples of controversial infrastructure. The literature and the empirical evidence show that the social acceptance of local communities for controversial infrastructure is higher in sites currently occupied by similar infrastructure than in new sites. However, it is unclear if this higher acceptance remains after the controversial infrastructure has been closed. To fill this gap in knowledge, this study investigates the nuanced dynamics of social acceptance of “new” nuclear power plants in local communities surrounding “closed” nuclear power plants. In particular, this study analyzes the long-term social acceptance of controversial infrastructure through the lens of the theory of social representations. Structured interviews with 437 interviewees across local communities reveal higher social acceptance for new nuclear power plants at the local level (i.e., around closed sites) compared to the national level, driven primarily by greater acceptance among generations that directly experienced the operational phase of the plants. This higher acceptance is explained through the key processes of anchoring, objectification, cognitive polyphasia, and collective memory. Accordingly, this research highlights that social acceptance is influenced not only by technical knowledge or proximity but also by deeply embedded symbolic and historical meanings tied to past experience. Particularly, older generations exhibit sustained support due to direct exposure to the economic and social benefits of nuclear infrastructure, with limited manifestations of NIMBY syndrome. However, such acceptance is generational: while older residents anchor nuclear power to lived experience, younger generations mirror the national trends. These findings underscore the need for policymakers to engage with the symbolic and historical meanings of infrastructure. Indeed, leveraging past experiences in previously occupied sites and acting within the temporal window of collective memory can foster credible and context-sensitive development strategies.