The practice of secret bidding that goes on between cities vying for business to locate in their town has been going on since the 1920s- and there's one man responsible for it all.
"Today, when a private company is considering relocating to a new city, there's a carefully orchestrated process involving tax incentives, site consultants and complicated, confidential negotiations. But the site-location game wasn't always that way. Interestingly, just about every aspect of the process as it exists today can be traced to one man who started it all: Felix Fantus.
An industrial real estate salesman in Chicago, Fantus had been wooing manufacturing companies to relocate to the Windy City since 1919. In an effort to attract these factories, Fantus compiled information on land, buildings, wages, local taxes, transportation and utilities. It was a service he had been giving away for free. His son-in-law thought Fantus ought to charge for the information, and in 1939 the Fantus Factory Relocating Service - and the entire site-location industry - was born."
FULL STORY: The Man Behind the Plan
As Trump Phases Out FEMA, Is It Time to Flee the Floodplains?
With less federal funding available for disaster relief efforts, the need to relocate at-risk communities is more urgent than ever.
Rising Above: Innovative Solutions for Waikīkī’s Sea-Level Challenges
The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s award-winning Waikīkī sea-level rise adaptation project combines science, architecture, and community input to create scalable solutions for climate resilience and coastal flood mitigation.
Preparing for Climate Migration
Billions of people will have to relocate in the next decades. Are governments prepared?
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.
The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.
San Diego Votes to Rein in “Towering” ADUs
City council voted to limit the number of units in accessory buildings to six — after confronting backyard developments of up to 100 units behind a single family home.
Texas Legislature’s Surprising Pro-Housing Swing
Smaller homes on smaller lots, office to apartment conversions, and 40% less say for NIMBYs, vote state lawmakers.
Even Edmonton Wants Single Staircase Buildings
Canada's second most affordable major city joins those angling to nix the requirement for two staircases in multi-family buildings.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Borough of Carlisle
Smith Gee Studio
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)