Businesses are the economic lifeblood of our community. They bring new products, employment opportunities, economic growth and innovation, forming the backbone of the city’s economy.

The North Shore boasts a fantastic and vibrant range of local businesses that showcases the diversity of our ‘mom-and-pop’ stores to artisan wares to restaurants and cafes. 

There are two main obstacles that have a profound effect on the North Shore when it comes to keeping our businesses “local”; Housing Affordability and Transportation Options. 

Rising housing and rental prices makes it difficult to live on the North Shore. Unaffordable housing costs means that many of our workforce are forced to drive to the North Shore. With poor transportation infrastructure such as inadequate transit connections and constrained access equates to a profound negative effect on our local businesses. Our current workforce must weigh the benefit of working on the North Shore against the travel costs due poor travel alternatives and long travel times.

To tackle these interlinked complex issues, a sustainable economic development plan will need to have policies that communicate and develop our local Business Community. The City’s policies should continuously enhance communication and transparency towards our business community, especially in terms of balancing businesses’ need for housing, ensure the protection of our employment / industrial lands and championing rapid transit options on the North Shore.

Policies that support this concept include;

• The creation of a Business Retention, Attraction and Expansion Program 
• Developments that focus on Affordable Workforce Housing
• Streamline steps for establishing and creating new businesses
• Balance and protect industrial lands within housing requirements
• Maintain buffer lands for residential quality of life (eg. avoiding noise pollution)