In the race to land Amazon.com’s second headquarters and its 50,000 jobs, experts say that writing a big subsidy check to the company probably won’t tip the scales.
Instead, what curries favor with Amazon and other tech firms are long-term commitments to education, innovation and livability. These steps come with an added bonus: They are likely to benefit their communities regardless of whether Amazon or another tech giant makes its home there.
All 20 finalists for HQ2, as Amazon calls it, have a common interest in university research, science education and accessible neighborhoods.
“These are not the most incentive-aggressive places in the country,” said Joseph Parilla, a Brookings Institution fellow. “They are the places that have the best public and private assets in addition to education and innovation.”
