haha! i had to write the same paper in college... crazy. i wrote that local urban(downtown) municipals should offer short term tax shelters to large corporations to relocate to their neck of the woods. i then stated that condo/high rise developers would follow these large corporations there by increasing both middle income & higher income jobs locally.

My suggestion is to maintain good roads and a solid police force to keep people safe. Other than that, get the f*ck out of the way...reduce and eliminate all barriers to businesses. There is no need for corporate welfare or subsidies. Simply cut taxes and fees to the bare minimum and employers will be clamoring to set up shop in your city...providing thousands of jobs and making the area more prosperous.

Draw up development regulations that require storefronts and other new buildings to be right next to the street, i.e. no big parking lots in the front of businesses, and only a sidewalk between the storefront and the road. Basically make it walkable, "urbanish," and compact.

Areas across the country are doing this and apparently it's succeeding pretty well.

In my city, they're actually building a whole retail plaza...lemme find a link....

http://www.parkplacebarrie.com/

Some great suggestions so far. I especially like the "no big parking lot" rule, which allows people easier places to walk rather than drive. With the increasing oil costs, building shopping districts miles away from the residential areas is only proving to be counter-productive.

Cutting taxes is also good because a company would likely want to set up camp in an area where they can make the most money (probably the most obvious point I could possibly make), and a tax-free or an area of little taxes is something that can be VERY attractive.

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quote:

Originally posted by CONNERMAN2000 So now I ask the question...what would you suggest (to, say, an audience that works in the municipal government)

Local councils are normally a cesspit of failed politicians crowing like a rooster on top of their own little dung hills and corrupt business practice. With the rates I pay per annum and the substandard service they deliver, they should include at least a complimentary kick in the arse yearly from the local residents.

quote:

Originally posted by Lilith Local councils are normally a cesspit of failed politicians crowing like a rooster on top of their own little dung hills and corrupt business practice. With the rates I pay per annum and the substandard service they deliver, they should include at least a complimentary kick in the arse yearly from the local residents.

Why not file a petition to get that done?

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