Quality of Life Defines our Community

The Business View – June 2019 / From the Publisher

What is quality of life? Every community boasts that they have a superior quality of life. Here in our great city, we can boast a great deal about the advantages of living here. But quality of life is not measured just by great weather and a low cost of living. Those are certainly important things, and so are many other factors.

After all, it can mean different things to different people. It also includes things like plentiful jobs, good education, healthcare and housing. Then there are the arts and culture, infrastructure – and let’s not forget low crime and reasonable taxes. Mobile has a lot to offer in all these areas, and we must work together to continue to improve our quality of life amenities to remain competitive in the talent attraction and economic development business.

If you were to go online and look up “quality of life,” you’ll find it simply means everything that makes a place worth calling home. We all live in Mobile for different reasons. Some of us were born here and never left. Others migrated here for family, friends or career, and some are just passing through.

A continually improving quality of life keeps us competitive and helps us to attract and retain population, boosts our national and international recognition, and ensures we’re seen as a desirable place to live, work and raise a family.

So what are the items on our quality of life wish list? The good news is many of those items cross generations. Not surprisingly, most young people are looking for the same amenities as empty nesters, such as walkability and bike-friendly roads, diversity, a thriving restaurant scene and shopping, to name a few. There is a lot of discussion these days about millennials, but it’s important to remember these amenities are not just for them but for everyone who lives here.

Increasing our quality of life is not just the work of the chamber or our local city and county government. All of us as citizens have a part to play. I’m convinced the best approach to improving it is by taking on one project at a time. I challenge all of us to pick the project that we’re most interested in, roll up our sleeves and get involved. It could be in our neighborhood or our closest park, or grand projects like the Three Mile Creek initiative. It could mean supporting a favorite arts organization or adopting a local school. We’re blessed in our area with a fantastic quality of life, but working together to continue to improve it will position us for future population growth and in turn an ever-increasing standard of living. All it requires is commitment and persistence.

Click here to read The Business View – June 2019

Additional information is on the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce’s website at www.mobilechamber.com, on Facebook at @MobileChamber and Twitter at @MobileChamber.