This week, Amazon scrapped plans for a New York headquarters. However, it is not just in Queens where local residents don’t want a tech giant setting up a campus. As Rick Noak pointed out in the Washington Post, there is growing opposition from people in Berlin, Melbourne, and Dublin to tech firms expanding in their cities. In Melbourne, the opposition is to an Apple flagship store. They may be thousands of miles apart, but residents in these cities share some coming concerns.
Tech companies bring in small armies of workers but these are rarely recruited from the neighborhoods in question and the new arrivals drive up prices for locals. There is also often opposition to the companies on ideological grounds or simply the fact that a global corporation is taking over key parts of beloved neighborhoods. While city leaders may love the new additions, residents don’t.
Check It Out: It’s Not Just Amazon – Lots of Residents Don’t Want a Tech Giant as Their Neighbour
Build it in my backyard, San Diego could use more revenue generating businesses. Apple is building across the canyon from QualComm:
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/technology/sd-fi-apple-jobsinsandiego-20181213-story.html
Ummmm, you do realize that the Washington Post is owned by Jeff Bezos. Seems kind of odd that his news mouthpiece offers an article on why he was rejected from a neighborhood in NY. Sort of speaking out of both sides of his mouth.
What is mentioned not enough is the obvious disconnect between the residents and the politicians at all levels that aren’t following their wishes or are allowing a minority (30-40%) to scuttle a project that most deem beneficial. If that continues politicians will be disinclined to go with new initiatives and just rely on the status quo and pray.