Another distortion of market forces
What's so horrible about "expanses of open space remain private"? Is all land supposed to be public? If it wasn't for business spending the money to keep this open space open, it would probably be developed as well. That statement smacks of socialism or even communism.
Businesses will build where it's most beneficial to them. Part of that equation is how easy it is for employees to commute, the overall environment, etc. Those perceived needs actually change over time.
I live in Boulder, CO, which encourages businesses to rent in its downtown areas. The problem? Despite what the article says, these sites often have twice the per foot rental costs as suburban areas just outside the town. The net result over the past 20 years or so has been a migration of businesses out of Boulder once they get bigger than about 150 employees. Boulder is often cited for its encouragement of entrepreneurship, but the irony is that once a startup succeeds, the city tells the business to go someplace else. That's an insane policy.
