Garden communities should seek to provide local job opportunities that are accessible to residents whether by walking, cycling or using public transport. Where a garden community contains over 5000 dwellings, it should also seek to provide access to one job per household within the community, or within a short distance by public transport. Providing employment and removing the need to commute long distances is key to creating character and identity in an area. It is also vital to producing healthy and sustainable communities.

Housing design should include enough space for home-working, as well as being supported by high-quality digital connections. Community hubs should also enable local working, with space for lone-working, meetings and conferences. 

Small-scale industrial floor space should be available – this should be affordable, flexible and attractive, and where possible located alongside and interwoven with residential and other land uses. A mix of uses will provide diversity, vibrancy and social cohesion. Jobs will be created in schools, retail, health and leisure as well as in business and employment areas.

Proactive marketing and strong local leadership led by the new delivery bodies set up by councils should work to attract economic activity and job opportunities into garden communities. This should in turn help to secure links to appropriate skills and training, enhancing and diversifying local employment opportunities.