Best of the United States: Greenest Cities
Today, sustainability and environmentalism are often at the forefront of urban initiatives. It seems, however, that some U.S. cities are doing better than others when it comes to being green. Back in February 2008, Popular Science produced a list of the top 50 greenest cities in the United States. These are the greenest cities in the United States based on their research study.
- Portland, OR
- San Francisco, CA
- Boston, MA
- Oakland, CA
- Eugene, OR
- Cambridge, MA
- Berkeley, CA
- Seattle, WA
- Chicago, IL
- Austin, TX
The top 50 cities, and further rankings, were determined based on scores related to four major categories: electricity, transportation, green living, and recycling. Cities scored well in the electricity category when they drew energy from renewable resources, such as solar power. Transportation points went to cities with good public transportation systems (ie places where the population actually uses public transportation). A green living score was determined based on the number of certified buildings and lastly, recycling points went to cities with great recycling systems and programs.
The list, however, seems to be outdated. It was compiled over two years ago. What qualifies a green city today and are we still looking at the same criteria? Are the green cities listed above list-proof, or in other words, would they appear on a 2010 list done by another research group? The questions can be answered based on a new 2010 study done by the Business Courier of Cincinnati. According to the new research, here are the top ten green cities of 2010.
- Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton, OR-WA
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
- Honolulu, HI
- Austin-Round Rock, TX
- Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
- Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Albuquerque, NM
- Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY
Cities were ranked using the ACBJ’s Green City Index. Basically, the index collects and sums sustainability data from other reliable sources.. For instance, the index factors in LEED certification projects, water pollution, and more from credible organizations such as the US Green Building Council and US EPA, respectively. Looking at these two lists, we can determine that places like Portland, San Francisco, and Boston are some of the greenest cities in the United States. Further within these green cities, there are particularly sustainable districts and neighborhoods. For example, it’s no wonder that people look for Jamaica Plain condos (Boston, MA). The neighborhood is known for being one of Boston’s greenest, with numerous parks and plenty of outdoor green space.