From Spacing ― Effect of Local Ownership on Civic Health

Local business owners invest their personal and financial interests in their community’s well-being. Cities with greater local economic autonomy can more easily marshal resources in tough times. Local businesses create environments that foster social ties. These factors appear to be borne out in several recent studies, including one recently published in the Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society, which found lower rates of mortality, obesity and diabetes in communities where locally owned businesses are prevalent. (Institute for Local Self-Reliance)

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