What Cities Can Learn From Companies Migrating to Downtown

The Core Values: Why American Companies are Moving Downtown report, released on June 18, 2015, provides in-depth analysis of a powerful trend of companies investing in urban downtowns.

1 minute read

June 19, 2015, 5:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Seattle skyline

dherrera_96 / Flickr

"Hundreds of companies across the United States are moving to and investing in walkable downtown locations," according to a post on the Smart Growth America website announcing the releases of the Core Values: Why American Companies are Moving Downtown [pdf]. 

The report addresses questions like: "Why are companies choosing these places? What are the competitive advantages they see in these locations? And what features do they look for when choosing a new location?"

To generate the report, Smart Growth America examines nearly 500 companies that moved to cities between 2010 and 2015. Three findings emerge from the trend: 1) an "enormous diversity" of businesses are moving to downtowns, 2) relocations have taken multiple forms (e.g., relocations, expansions, consolidations, etc.), and 3) new locations are "dramatically more walkable." 

A key takeaway from the report: that cities can learn from the decision making process of companies as they choose to locate in more urban areas and create places that set the stage for even more economic development in downtown locations.

Thursday, June 18, 2015 in Smart Growth America

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Concrete Brutalism building with slanted walls and light visible through an atrium.

What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities

How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.

February 28, 2025 - Justin Hollander

Complete Street

‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge

Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.

February 27, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Green electric Volkswagen van against a beach backdrop.

The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan

Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.

March 3, 2025 - ABC 7 Eyewitness News

View of mountains with large shrubs in foreground in Altadena, California.

Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire

In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.

March 9 - Pasadena NOw

Aerial view of single-family homes with swimming pools in San Diego, California.

San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule

The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.

March 9 - Axios

Close-up of row of electric cars plugged into chargers at outdoor station.

Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives

A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.

March 9 - UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation