Unless you've been on a social media diet, if you're a place-lover or city-nerd, you kinda sorta know last week was D-Day for cities vying for some Amazon love...and boy are cities chomping at the bit - 238 to be exact - all over, not only those in the U.S., but also plenty of contenders from our lovely neighbors to the north, Canada. Clearly, the media's been abuzz with who will win over Amazon's heart (ahem, second headquarters). No doubt, the promise of 50K jobs and $5B+ of investment is a big part of why cities - of all shapes, sizes, and inclinations - are chomping at the bit to lure the likes of Amazon - talk about a debutante!

But Amazon's inquest for its new headquarters feels decidedly different than the heretofore economic development playbook status quo. They aren't just looking for who can make them an "offer they can't refuse" - they are purposefully looking for a city that they can "settle down with" for the long term - and for that to happen, cities need to offer more than just incentives or subsidies. In order for Amazon to bring this new city back "home" (to the board) and get their blessing, it's gotta have the whole package - and today, "quality of place" is a key part of what corporations like Amazon are expecting from their existing and new homes.

As Charlotte on Sex in the City once said, "Where is he?" - Well, for Amazon, this is who is he (or she)!:

A city within a metropolitan region with over 1M in population (i.e., populous "dateable" workforce)

Stable, business-friendly environment (i.e., potential for long-term, committed relationship)

Urban or suburban locations with the potential to attract and retain strong technical talent (oh, come on, we're all looking for someone with that "je ne sais quoi")

Communities that think big and creatively when considering locations and real estate options (yes, let's jump out of that airplane together - or disrupt an industry or two)

Playing the Field But Looking for the One...The New Needle in a Haystack...

So picture this. You sorta know you're a catch. But you're tired of the bar scene. So your friends convince you to put a profile up on Tinder. You swipe right. You swipe left. Admittedly, willy-nilly. Something in her or his eyes. And then there's like matches! Now what? Or, if you're as old as I am, you spend way too much time crafting your profile (think, clever RFP), and then amazing - you get responses. But um, like there's way too many. Honestly, I'm not trying to be trite. This is not all that different from how cities choose winning proposals...and tenant reps decidedly struggle to quantify the "soft amenities" that corporates are looking for from sites. I know E-harmony seems a bit old-skool (relatively), but there's clearly something to be said about using data to inform who's "right for you" - think about it, you don't think twice about Amazon (or Netflix, Spotify, etc.) recommending new books or gadgets for you based on your previous purchases, viewing history, or reviews. In fact, you count on it - and are often creeped out about how "right" they are. So shouldn't large corporates - ahem, like Amazon themselves - be using similar tech to guide one of their most important, costly decisions ever?

And we - all modesty aside - strongly believe we are the only ones positioned to help the likes of Amazon harness the power of urban design data and predictive analytics to "cut through the noise" and implement a quantitative approach to help sift through all those would-be-suitors and find their perfect match, without, yes, having to kiss many frogs.

So today, we're previewing our modern-day, data-geeky version of a Jewish "Yenta" to show how the likes of Amazon can use State of Place to wade through of all the proposals, new websites, attractive slogans and "indecent proposals" - to objectively evaluate who truly "measures up." We thought it would be fun to see how an admonished "Goliath" (i.e., Denver according to the New York Times) would fare compared to a well-known and endearingly cheered underdog (you know you love them, Detroit).

Let the (Data-Fueled) Battle Begin!

Here's what we did:

Collected data (via Google StreetView) on 290+ built environment features (crosswalks, curb cuts, vehicle lanes, sidewalks, etc.) on four blocks outlined by Detroit in their RFP and a sampling of three blocks in one of the neighborhoods that Denver likely proposed in theirs.

Calculated "David" and "Goliath's" State of Place Index (using our proprietary algorithm to aggregate the raw data into a scale from 0-100). The Index creates a benchmark of the current quality of place of each area's existing conditions. (Are you a 90 or a 50...this is the conversation starter - or not.)

Generated the State of Place Profile, which breaks down the Index into ten key urban design amenities that most Americans are looking for today from their homes and workplaces. The Profile provides a deeper dive into what amenities each site has and helps determine if there is a proper fit. (Do you both like to go hiking on the weekends - or are you more of the urban/social type and they're more the relaxed/Netflix and chill type?)

Ran a Sim-City style analysis that quantifies what the State of Place Index would be if Amazon were to choose Detroit (based on development proposed in their RFP) vs. Denver (based on a similar set of changes). Here's where it gets interesting - so if the city became its best self, what would that do to its initial score? (Classic ugly duckling turns into a swan story - only we can predict and quantify it!).

Denver, the Goliath