“How New Yorkers rejected Amazon's $2 billion deal” — The Verge, 2019, 4:48 — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yjX2wN3oUo

A short analysis of how activists in New York City stopped Amazon’s plans for a new headquarters in the city. We learn about the controversy surrounding tax breaks and the gentrification of a working class neighborhood. In short, the local residents were against the new headquarters because the jobs being created would not be available to them. The new jobs would primarily go to outsiders with credentials and experience in the tech sector, and with the influx of middle class workers into the neighborhood, local residents feared gentrification would occur. While most New Yorkers welcomed Amazon’s planned expansion, the people living near the site were able to defend their neighborhood through activism and political allies. An inspiring story indeed.

Why is it important for companies to consider their impact on local communities? What could Amazon have done to better support working class residents near it’s proposed headquarters? Is there a way for big companies like Amazon to avoid gentrification when expanding into new neighborhoods?

From the video’s description: Amazon announced plans in November for a $2 billion headquarters in New York’s Long Island City, also known as HQ2. Almost from the beginning, New Yorkers were skeptical. In the days after the deal was announced, there were a ton of protests. But three months later, the company is abruptly pulling out, chased out by local activists and politicians. How did it go so wrong so fast?