What Amazon Said, What Amazon Meant

In September 2017, Amazon announced that it was planning to gear upward a minute headquarters. It published a "Request for Proposal" that began:
Amazon invites you lot to submit a answer to this Request for Proposal (“RFP”) inwards conjunction amongst as well as on behalf of your metropolitan statistical expanse (MSA), state/province, county, metropolis as well as the relevant localities therein. Amazon is performing a competitive site selection procedure as well as is considering tube regions inwards North America for its minute corporate headquarters.
The RFP suggested that within broad parameters, the search was wide-open. It is amount of comments similar " All options are nether consideration" as well as "We encourage testimonials from other large companies" as well as "Tell us what is unique virtually your community." The quick overview of its requirements looked similar this:
In choosing the location for HQ2, Amazon has a preference for:
  • Metropolitan areas amongst to a greater extent than than i meg people
  • A stable as well as business-friendly environment
  • Urban or suburban locations amongst the potential to attract as well as retain strong technical talent
  • Communities that intend large as well as creatively when considering locations as well as existent estate options
HQ2 could be, but does non convey to be:
  • An urban or downtown campus
  • A similar layout to Amazon’s Seattle campus
  • development-prepped site. We desire to encourage states/provinces as well as communities to intend creatively for feasible existent estate options, piece non negatively affecting our preferred timeline
Several hundred cities heard what Amazon said, as well as sent inwards proposals. Many of those were no-hopers, of course. Still, straight off Amazon has announced its choices: New York (technicallly Long Island City) as well as DC (technically Arlington, Virginia). Wow, some actually radical open-minded out-of-the-box thinking there! It seems equally if a to a greater extent than accurate listing of criteria for Amazon's Request for proposal mightiness convey had 3 elements.

1) Should last an slow commute from one of the homes of Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon. Scott Galloway offers a useful info-graphic here:



2) Should either last close the nation's major oculus of authorities or close the nation's major oculus of the fiscal industry. Or perchance we'll simply produce both.

3) Should last i of the transcend 2 cities for amount issue of people already employed inwards calculator as well as mathematical jobs. Alan Berube at Brookings offers this useful table.
 Amazon announced that it was planning to gear upward a minute headquarters What Amazon Said, What Amazon Meant

There's nix incorrect amongst these actual criteria. Having a corporate headquarters close the residence of the CEO, peculiarly when the CEO is equally closely identified amongst the fellowship equally Bezos is amongst Amazon, is a long-standing practice. There are obvious advantages to existence inwards New York as well as DC.

But I produce wonder if the folks at Amazon convey whatever clue virtually how annoyingly cozy this looks to the several hundred other cities that took the fourth dimension to set inwards bids. Sure, places similar Columbus, Ohio, or Indianapolis, Indiana tin strength out larn a pat on the caput for existence on the "short list."  The solar daytime earlier the determination was announced, the major of Bailiwick of Jersey City tweeted: "Of course of report #jerseycity would produce goodness if it’s inwards NY but I however experience this entire Amazon procedure was a large joke simply to halt upward just where everyone guessed at the start. No existent social impact on a city, no existent transformation, no inspiring immature residents that never had this" The side past times side fourth dimension Amazon starts talking amongst cities virtually locating a facility anywhere, this procedure volition last remembered.

In the RFP, Amazon talked a good game virtually the importance of a " local authorities construction as well as elected officials eager as well as willing to piece of work amongst the company." It talked virtually a fast permit procedure for building, as well as virtually the importance of smoothly surgical operation shipping infrastructure. It Amazon becomes mired inwards the local politics, regulatory disputes, as well as traffic jams of New York as well as DC, it shouldn't aspect much sympathy from hundreds of other places across the country.

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