Why Vancouver Business Owners Schedule Their Best Thinking Around Nature

By Karalee Greer | WBN News – Vancouver | February 9, 2026
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In Vancouver, some of the most productive business conversations aren’t happening in boardrooms. They’re happening along the Seawall, at Kitsilano Beach, or during a walk through Stanley Park.

For many local business owners, nature has become a deliberate part of their thinking process. Walk-and-talk meetings, solo strategy walks, and outdoor reset breaks are increasingly built into the workday—not as lifestyle perks, but as decision-making tools.

There’s research behind the habit. A well-known study from Stanford University found that walking can significantly increase creative output compared to sitting, helping people generate more ideas and think more flexibly.

Business publications have observed the same pattern in practice. Harvard Business Review has noted that walking meetings can improve focus, engagement, and problem-solving—especially when discussions are exploratory or strategic rather than transactional.

In Vancouver, the environment makes this approach unusually accessible. Long, continuous walking routes like the city’s Seawall system or the Pacific Spirit Park allow uninterrupted conversations without screens, desks, or distractions. The City of Vancouver describes the Seawall as one of the city’s most used public spaces, connecting neighbourhoods, parks, and waterfronts.

For business owners, the benefit is practical. Nature provides mental distance from operational noise, making it easier to think clearly, weigh trade-offs, and reach decisions without urgency creeping in.

In a city where work and lifestyle are closely intertwined, scheduling thinking time around nature isn’t avoidance—it’s strategy.

By Karalee Greer
Subscription to WBN and being a Contributor is Free

Tags: #WBN News Vancouver #Vancouver Business #Local Business Empowerment #Business Culture #Karalee Greer #Business Strategy