Research has shown that many businesses, particularly those that offer more generous wages and benefits, choose to locate and stay in communities that deliver a higher quality of life to current and prospective employees.³⁹  In many cases, these quality–of-life elements — trails and bikeways, parks and recreation programs, walkable town centers, urban forests and neighborhoods free of excessive noise and air pollution — also contribute to a healthier population.

As a consequence, local communities that have focused on providing community amenities and a high quality of life have found that an economic development strategy designed to attract businesses can also have important health benefits.⁴⁰

In addition, local communities can gear their economic development programs to support and attract businesses that provide a healthy work environment for employees and customers. Some ways that local businesses can promote health include:

• Offering facilities (like secure bike parking) and incentives (such as a transportation benefit rather than “free” parking) to encourage employees to walk, bicycle, carpool or take transit to work;
• Locating their business in places that pedestrians, bicyclists and people using transit can reach easily and that minimize the need to use an auto for errands; and
• Providing employees with access to healthy food choices and places to walk or exercise, either on-site or nearby.