We've all heard the adage "Think Global, Act Local". Well, investing in local talent, buying from local distributors and setting up shop in the city - instead of out in a suburban campus - are among the top ways that businesses can both reduce their carbon footprint, contribute to urban revival and improve their bottom line all at the same time.
That's according to Steven Pedigo of the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City. In a recent edition of Inc. Magazine, Steven shares five ways businesses can increase their competitiveness while re-energising their local community:
1. Hire Locally
2. Buy Locally
3. Invest in your employees. Spend more on training and increase employee retention.
4. Collaborate with other local businesses
5. Set up shop downtown
For an interesting example of business collaboration -- and government support -- check out this example from Park Hill Corridor in Louisville, Kentucky USA.
Sanjeev Sanjal of the Sustainable Planet Institute agrees that vibrant urban communities are good for the Earth. In an interview with Gaia Discovery, Sanjeev argues that "walkability" should be a key criteria in the design of any urban environment.