Upzoned Will Elon Musk's Data Centers Actually Help Memphis?
Nov 5, 2025
Asia Mieleszko, editor at Strong Towns and host of Stacked Against Us, joins to explore the implications of Elon Musk's data centers in Memphis. They discuss the allure of 'shiny object urbanism' and why cities often chase flashy projects without considering long-term sustainability. Asia emphasizes the risks of cities becoming overly reliant on single large taxpayers and the pitfalls of rapid approvals that limit community input. They suggest that incremental development could be a more effective strategy for fostering resilient urban spaces.
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Big Tax Revenue, Few Local Jobs
- Data centers promise big tax revenue but deliver few local jobs and heavy utility demand.
- That creates fiscal and infrastructure imbalance that may not translate to lasting community wealth.
Pros-And-Cons Framing Hides Options
- Framing projects as simple pros-and-cons narrows choices and enables one-sentence longer pro lists to win votes.
- That framing privileges big bets over systemic, long-term solutions for cities.
Measure Value Per Acre
- Data centers are massive land uses that produce little local employment despite huge footprints.
- Cities should measure value-per-acre and question whether those footprints are the best use of scarce land.
