Top 5 Eco Cities In The US
By Pippa Sorley
Filed Under The Big Picture |
The United States was recently rated as the 39th greenest country in the world according to a recent Yale study titled the Environmental Performance Index, an embarrassing score that paled in comparison to other countries including Costa Rica (5th), Columbia (9th) and Slovenia (15th). The U.S. has a long way to go in achieving environmental and social sustainability and it is important to recognize the importance of the role cities play in that equation. As more and more people migrate from rural to metro areas, it is essential that cities develop innovative plans to accommodate the influx, while also diminishing the damaging effects of population overload. With the federal government of the US refusing to participate in the Kyoto Protocol and surrendering leadership on so many environmental issues, American municipal governments are taking climate change into their own hands. Since 2006, more than 230 Mayors have signed the US Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, which fosters the goals of the Kyoto Protocol.
There are a plethora of environmental rating systems out that measure various criteria to decide the “greenness” of a city, from urban congestion and water quality to energy policy and land use. We have extrapolated information from a cross section of different reports. It is often difficult to compare cities that face such dramatically different challenges. For example, how can a resource-starved area like Arizona be measured against the agriculturally-rich basin of California? And how can a city of 12 million like New York City be compared to Eugene, Oregon with a mere population of 137,000? To be fair, five U.S. cities with populations of more than 300,000 have been selected, and not only their environmental policies, but also their commitment to social responsibility through community programs and low-income housing have been taken into account.
5 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS (population 559, 000)
![](http://www.econsciousmarket.com/eco-times/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/boston-americaa-walking-city-by-paul-keleher.jpg "Boston,\")
Boston is known to many as “America’s Walking City.” Because of its compact size, the city is ideal for walking or bicycling. According to a 2003 Prevention magazine report, the city has the highest percentage of on-foot commuters of any city in the United States. In 2000, almost 14% of Boston commuters walked to work - the highest of any major US city. According to SustainLane’s rankings, Boston leads the way in terms of land use planning and public transit, but like San Francisco, falls short in the affordable housing department, coming in at 42nd out of the 50 largest U.S. cities. With a recent $2 million grant to develop green affordable housing from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, this dilemma promises to improve.
One of Boston’s most innovative projects is the development of a revolutionary energy plant that will convert thousands of tons of discarded foliage into power and fertilizer. The plant will collect yard clippings and use anaerobic bacteria to feed on the grass, which will then produce enough methane to create 1.5 megawatt hours of power. This is exactly the kind of innovation our Bostonian forefathers would be proud of.
4 CHICAGO, ILLINOIS (2,862,000)
Since Mayor Richard Daley’s administration began in 1989, one of America’s largest cities has evolved into one of the greenest. Approximately half a million trees have been planted in Chicago in recent years and the city boasts 7,300 acres of parkland. Four of its city projects have received a Platinum rating, the highest LEED rating by the USGBC.
Chicago’s Green Roof program is perhaps this city’s most notable and innovative initiative to date. More than 300 gardens and green roofs have been constructed or are underway, covering more than 4 million square feet on public and private buildings, helping to conserve water, improve energy efficiency and filter rainwater. The city is also two years away from producing 1.5 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity from cogeneration - the simultaneous production of heat and electricity that produces one third the CO2 of a traditional coal-fired power plant. Chicago has also taken a lead in taking a stance on animal rights by banning foie gras. Foie gras is already banned in many European countries, and is not permitted in sustainable agriculture according to certified organic guidelines.
3 SEATTLE, WASHINGTON (571,000)
In 2005, Seattle’s Mayor Greg Nickels was the first to sign the US Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, a move that has since inspired 230 other mayors to follow. The city ranks as the leader of innovative city planning, energy and climate change policy and its environmental knowledge base. Aptly known as the Emerald City, Seattle was a pioneer in implementing local green initiatives such as mandatory recycling and retrofitting its municipal diesel vehicles with cleaner-burning mechanisms that will reduce particulate pollution by 50 percent.
Through its renewable energy investments and carbon offset programs, the city-owned utility company is the first in the nation to reduce its polluting emissions to zero. The city has also recently proposed a 20 cent “green fee” on all disposable shopping bags at the city’s grocery, drug and convenience stores and called for a ban on styrofoam containers in the food service industry. If adopted by the city council, both waste prevention measures would take effect January 1, 2009. By preventing the manufacture of 184 million bags a year, Seattle will cut greenhouse gas production by nearly 112,000 tons over a 30 year period.
2 SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA (744,000)
San Francisco created and implemented a Sustainability Plan over ten years ago that reduced its ecological footprint through solar energy installations, recycling programs, and large-scale composting. The program was way ahead of its time. San Francisco continues to lead the country with green initiatives and eco activism.
As recently as last month, the city proudly claimed the largest municipal solar program in the US. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors is the first in the country to pass the historic Sweatfree Ordinance, which ensures that tax dollars spent on city purchases will be used to support fair trade practices. The city also recently approved the Solar Energy Incentive, which will provide rebates to individuals and businesses who install solar panels on their homes and buildings. This legislation allocates $4.5 million in funding for solar rebates, including $1.5 million in funding for low-income residents and non-profits. However, when it comes to housing affordability, San Francisco’s score plummets. The city was ranked number 49 out of 50 cities when rated for low-income housing, resulting in sky-high rent and housing prices that have forced thousands of Bay Area workers to commute from great distances.
1 PORTLAND, OREGON (533,000)
According to SustainLane’s 2006 City Rankings, Portland leads the nation when it comes to green building, eco transportation programs, energy and climate change policies, air quality, water quality, and green economy initiatives. Half of the city is powered by renewable sources, and a quarter of its workforce commutes by bike, carpool or public transportation.
Portland leads the country by way of integrating sustainable architecture into its infrastructure with at least 35 buildings meeting the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED standards. The city has also taken measures to protect surrounding farmland and open space by limiting new development, making it the country’s Smart-Growth leader. As a result, residents enjoy access to 92,000 acres of trails, parks, and public gardens.
Naming the Top 5 cities in the US is a major task. This is simply one take on it. We’d love your input. Please let us know what you think of this list, as well as what genius initiatives you see happening in your own cities and towns, in the Comments section of this post.
Posted on July 10, 2008 |
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22 Responses to “Top 5 Eco Cities In The US”
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I had no idea about so many of the initiatives you mentioned here. Chicago’s green roofs initiative is literally a dream come true for me. I used to ride the F train from Manhattan to Brooklyn everyday and daydream that all those flat gray roofs below would be transformed into green gardens and bird sanctuaries.
Thanks Pippa Sorley!
When we consider rising energy costs, a poor economy and increased costs of all goods we must ask if cities can be green. We could argue that vertical distribution make delivery of food and fundamental goods to dense areas easier than remote areas. However, a city, by definition, is a place that does not produce its own resources. With perhaps the exception of neighborhood and backyard gardens, goods are largely imported thus making dense cities dependent on outside sources for most goods.
What will happen when city dwellers power bills are three times their rent or mortgage payment? Couple that with the rising costs of delivered goods due to fuel? Consider the massive layoffs which have already begun. City living is not for the unemployed.
Having a job is expensive. It requires living in an expensive place (in or near a city), commuting travel, clothing for work, meals out, and it prevents one from having the time to cook, grow food, build, harvest water, and solve basic issues around how to live - all things that if handled locally and by individuals would be very “green.”
Oddly, this lifestyle would create health for the planet but the GNP would dive as it’s concern is not for health of a population, but rather the movement of money - this movement of money is largely what cities are about.
Whoo-hoo! Wear it Beantown! Rip City all the way! The Celtics may have won the battle that is the NBA finals, but the Blazers have won the war that is environmental responsibility.
Ahem. While I’m proud of Portland, I like that each of these cities is taking a different tack. Environmental initiatives are most effective when they’re approached like a stock portfolio: diversify! Municipalities need to share with each other and learn from each other’s mistakes as well as their successes.
Ms. Sorley’s right that different cities have different environmental concerns. There are universals of course: conservation for one (the rain barrel in Portland is no less effective than the one in Phoenix.) But as technologies improve so too will they become more adaptable. Solar power for Portland? Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon, and for the rest of our lives. (Seriously, it’s an unlimited resource.)
wow, i really appreciate the fresh perspective of this article. I look forward to learning more in the EcoTimes to come!
What a great way to get inspired by people and cities who are trying to shift the paradigm!!! Love it…. Great Article!
I just had the chance to spend the weekend in Portland - It is true - this is an amazing city
They allow Chickens through out -
While these cities might really be very green, far too often people see that the city has a “Sustainability Plan” and automatically assume that they treat the environment better than your average city. The fact is way too many of these types of plans are just feel-good tactics to make city government look good meanwhile truly sustainable cities are largely or completely ignored because they don’t make a huge deal about it and call the media in to come look for the world to see. I wish people would start with real solutions instead of political BS. It would help the economy out quite a bit, too.
woo! Go Portland! We are teh hawtness!
Hi Willy - I would love to learn about the truly sustainable cities you mention, as I’m working on another post that will be focusing on exactly those: those communities that may not yet be known but are truly walking the talk. If you have any insights, please let us know!
I moved to Greenville South Carolina from Boulder to be part of a more sustainable lifestyle. Living in a warm climate with a long growing season and rain watering my patio garden pots is a first step for me. My boyfriends Birthday gift last year was a scooter, we take it out quite a bit even if rain is suspect. Every saturday morning it goes to the local farmers market . We buy all of our seafood 1/2 mile from our house and it comes from the SC coast. Considering moving to the ocean so I can catch my own fish!!!
Portland??? This city doesn’t even separate it’s street drains from it sewage system. Therefore, whenever it rains (like everyday), the rain water overflows the sewage treatment plant and dumps raw sewage into the Columbia River. The people downstream, in Longview, Wa. love them, for this.
Chicago may be green but Wood River, IL is not.
YTB International has commissioned a Statue of Liberty Replica made entirely out of foam. which costs an obscene amount of money. What a waste of money. Everyone knows that foam is bad for the environment. So why are these people allowed to get away with this and get tons of press on it? This needs to be stopped IMO. They are supposed to donate this after the convention to some town but they really don’t want it.
http://www.abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=6108647
http://www.thetimesonline.com/articles/2008/05/15/news/top_news/doc9e79ecff04443e9d8625744900808796.txt
http://statesmanjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080611/COLUMN0101/806110425/1066
“YTB Travel has the goal of becoming the world’s biggest travel company by 2011 And to celebrate this goal they have build the largest replica of the “Statue of Liberty” in history to be unveiled at the 2008 YTB convention.
The replica is being built by Beryl Martin A Griffith, Indiana company. Frank Brummett, mgr. Beryl Martin says “She’s made of foam and we Carve her out, spray her with plastic and she’s good to go.” “She’s 130 feet and weighs about 50,000 pounds,”
* The Lady Liberty look-alike has a nose that’s four feet long.
* It is only 13 feet shorter then the real “Statue of Liberty”
* The sculpture will take center state in St. Louis at YTB convention in August.
* Details the original down to the nails, nose, hands, etc.
* Will take 48 semi’s to move it and reassemble it in St. Louis in Aug”
YTB HQ
1901 East Edwardsville Road
Wood River, IL 62095
618-655-9477
Wow, how interesting. I really had no idea of these initiatives going on at the city level. I especially inspired to see the mayoral consensus taking place in spite of the US’ shameful departure from KYOTO. Well written!
Thanks,
D
Boston? What!? Are you people freaking insane? Every last drop of water in Boston is poisonous. The soil is toxic and dead. There is thousands of gallons of chemicals and fertilizer dumped in the Charles every day. The roads are bumper to bumper SUV’s as far as the eye can see, and you gave it props for people walking to work? The train is the slowest method of transport in the city, and it costs over $100 a month to boot - how else would people get to work?
I think you mean Colombia…
No, he means Columbia. It’s a river in the Pacific Northwest, not a country in South America.
First off, this is an awesome article, thanks for furthering the discussion. Though, competition must remain healthy…
Second, my guess is that the Venerable Mayor Daly will make sure that within a few short years Chicago will be number one of everyone’s list. Trust me, when that guy decides he wants something, he gets it.
Third, the biggest problems in America in this regard, especially when it comes to stacking up against other countries are two: urban sprawl and public transportation. We’ve developed this “king of the hill” theory, where everyone wants their own castle, fence and plot of land. It’s like an oligarchy of isolationism. Beyond the obvious results of destroying the community fabric and furthering the materialistic “keeping up with the Jones’” feel, the amount of water it takes just to get to these absurdly separated homes makes this scenario untenable. By 2013, several dozen states will have severe water shortage issues…this is only a few years away people! Then, as a result of this sprawl, it’s not effective to create public transit methods that can get all these dispersed people to a series of civic locations. Now, we’re pretty much forced to drive our own cars, alone. It’s no wonder Americans are so depressive: humans are gregarious by nature, yet the consumerism mindset has framed us as monarchs locked in a castle tower. Remember, it’s lonely at the top.
I have been meaning to write in about the fantastic article written on “The top 5 eco cities in the U.S.” I was inspired by these featured cities and wonder why more are not jumping on this bandwagon. I was a bit shamed by my city not making the list and have been opened to the possibilities within reach for big cities. There are so many inovative ways to become green. The international article was also outstanding and I was embarrased by the U.S. once again.
This article certainly got me thinking about what I can do locally to get on this list. I look forward to reading more in the EcoTimes.
Thanks for the fantastic info!
Portland’s sewage problem is being dealt with. Believe me, it shows up on my water bill. Huge, huge, huge pipes running underground to trap the rainwater.
[...] Sorley of eCo Times, intrigued, inspired and even disgruntled readers with her announcement of the Top 5 Eco Cities In The US. Though I was indeed excited that my hometown of Boston made the list, it is undeniable that even [...]
i’m surprised seattle is on the list. I walk to work on a daily basis, and this place IS NOT eco in any way, as i can tell.
Then again, these lists tend to be completely wrong…and in this case, it is.
“Green” is a color. None of those cities are that color, they are mostly the color of portland cement.
The greenest cities would be the ones with the least concrete, I think. Like Bonny Doon, CA is surely a lot greener than San Francisco. Have you ever flown over SF? Try looking at the satellite photo on google.