The Covid-19 pandemic has left offices empty across America. Given their cost, it may be temping for corporations to imagine an office-less future. But that’s unlikely to happen. In fact, questions about where a company places their offices matters now more than ever. Consider the backlash surrounding Amazon’s recent search for a second headquarters. Companies need to be more sensitive to the impact they have on America’s economic geography. They should stop accepting subsidies when they chose new locations; they should look beyond the superstar cities such as San Francisco and Boston; they should invest in the communities where they are based and they should appoint a chief location officer to manager site selection and management. Business schools need to also step up by making site selection part of the curriculum for MBA students.
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The Covid-19 pandemic has seen tens of millions of Americans engage in a gigantic experiment in working from home — one that looks to be more permanent than anyone might have imagined. Corporation after corporation has announced that they won’t be reopening their offices until mid-2021, at least. Some commentators are even predicting the death of the office and the end of cities.