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.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.
Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.
MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.
Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie