Tech Moving into Town

Richard Florida, writing for the Wall Street Journal, on the trend of tech companies locating in walkable areas:

For as long as many of us can remember, high-tech industries have flourished in the suburban office parks that are so ubiquitous in Silicon Valley, North Carolina’s Research Triangle and other “nerdistans.” But in recent years, high-tech has been taking a decidedly urban turn.

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Venture capital icon Paul Graham notes that, for all its advantages and power, Silicon Valley has a great weakness. The high-tech “paradise” created in the 1950s and 1960s “is now one giant parking lot,” he writes. “San Francisco and Berkeley are great, but they’re 40 miles away. Silicon Valley proper is soul-crushing suburban sprawl. It has fabulous weather, which makes it significantly better than the soul-crushing sprawl of most other American cities. But a competitor that managed to avoid sprawl would have real leverage.”

Location and lifestyle are an important part of recruitment efforts, especially as younger generations are increasingly choosing lifestyle first and then finding jobs that are in line with that choice. Great companies are realizing that they have to make certain choices to recruit and retain top talent.