qualityoflife

Salt Lake City’s quality of life is not measured only in sunsets, red rock and epic ski days.

It would be nice if it were, because we’ve definitely got that angle covered. There’s plenty of postcard-worthy scenery just minutes from downtown.

There’s more to it. From an economic development perspective,  the concept of “quality of life” is a host of factors — from jobs and education to healthcare and housing. It includes arts and culture and infrastructure. Crime and taxes count too.

So when we saw Y2 Analytics recent 2019 Salt Lake City Resident Survey, we were really excited to see that more than half of residents rate their overall quality of life in the City above 75! Who better to offer an assessment of quality of life than the people who are actually living there?

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The study reveals just how important economic development is to Salt Lake City residents and a majority of residents across all districts agree that there are job opportunities for them in Salt Lake City.

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Citizen polling is important. And it revealed that we can do more. Just over half said we should be doing more to recruit or attract businesses.

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We’re grateful for this feedback from this study, annual SLC Business Survey, and more like this. We love to think big but realize that small business is the lifeblood of our community. There’s nothing wrong with landing big deals and announcing major projects, but creative thinking can go a long way in our local districts. Attracting quality jobs in growth sectors is key. Since our inception in 2016, we have driven over 10,000 jobs and nearly $1 Billion in CapEx.

The Department of Economic Development is working hard to make Salt Lake City a better place to not only build a business, but also build a life. The Department’s three entities—the Business Development Division, Redevelopment Agency of Salt Lake City (“RDA”) and Salt Lake City Arts Council (“Arts Council”)—have aligned resources and streamlined processes to grow, redevelop, and nurture a city that fosters gainful job creation, thriving business districts and neighborhoods, and a diverse arts and culture scene.

While different circumstances brought each one of us here, quality of life is our common measure… it’s what makes Salt Lake City a great place to live.