15 Green Cities 51
by Grist 19 Jul 2007 5:08 PM
These metropolises aren't literally the greenest places on earth -- they're not necessarily dense with foliage, for one, and some still have a long way to go down the path to sustainability. But all of the cities on this list deserve recognition for making impressive strides toward eco-friendliness, helping their many millions of residents live better, greener lives. If your favorite green city didn't make the list, tell us why it deserves recognition in the comments section at the bottom of the page.
1 Reykjavik, Iceland
Remember the grade-school memory device "Greenland is icy and Iceland is green"? It's truer than ever thanks to progress made by Iceland and its capital city in recent years. Reykjavik has been putting hydrogen buses on its streets, and, like the rest of the country, its heat and electricity come entirely from renewable geothermal and hydropower sources and it's determined to become fossil-fuel-free by 2050. The mayor has pledged to make Reykjavik the cleanest city in Europe. Take that, Greenland
2 Portland, Oregon, U.S.
The City of Roses' approach to urban planning and outdoor spaces has often earned it a spot on lists of the greenest places to live. Portland is the first U.S. city to enact a comprehensive plan to reduce CO2 emissions and has aggressively pushed green building initiatives. It also runs a comprehensive system of light rail, buses, and bike lanes to help keep cars off the roads, and it boasts 92,000 acres of green space and more than 74 miles of hiking, running, and biking trails.
3 Curitiba, Brazil
4 Malmö, Sweden
5 Vancouver, Canada
6 Copenhagen, Denmark
7 London, England
8 San Francisco, California, U.S.
9 Bahía de Caráquez, Ecuador
10 Sydney, Australia
11 Barcelona, Spain
12 Bogotá, Colombia
13 Bangkok, Thailand
14 Kampala, Uganda
15 Austin, Texas, U.S
Portland, USA
Consistently ranked as the most sustainable city in the USA, Portland in Oregon has been thinking about its impact on the environment since the 1970s. Long before anyone else the city had enacted strict land-use regulations, an urban growth boundary and began plans for sustainable development. Even 30 years ago Portland was thinking green, the fact they demolished a huge highway in order to build a waterfront park proves it! Portland's forward thinking is renowned worldwide and the city have produced the '20 Minute City' plan aiming to provide residents with everything including school, shops and work within a 20 minute walk of home. Through such initiatives, Portland plans to fulfill all its energy requirements with renewable sources by the end of this year!
Cities blazing a green trail
By Matthew Knight for CNN
April/2010
#1 Portland, OR
#2 Reykjavik, Iceland
#3 Vancouver, Canada
#4 Copenhagen, Denmark
#5 Malmö, Sweden
#6 Chicago, IL
#7 Curitiba, Brazil
#8 Frieburg, Germany
#9 Masdar, Abu Dhabi
Popular Science's Top 50 Green in USA
1. Portland, Ore. 23.1
* Electricity: 7.1 Transportation: 6.4 Green Living: 4.8 Recycling/Perspective: 4.8
America’s top green city has it all: Half its power comes from renewable sources, a quarter of the workforce commutes by bike, carpool or public transportation, and it has 35 buildings certified by the U.S. Green Building Council.
2. San Francisco, Calif. 23.0
* Electricity: 6.8 Transportation: 8.8 Green Living: 3.5 Recycling/Perspective: 3.9
3. Boston, Mass. 22.7
* Electricity: 5.7 Transportation: 8.7 Green Living: 3.4 Recycling/Perspective: 4.9
4. Oakland, Calif. 22.5
* Electricity: 7.0 Transportation: 7.5 Green Living: 3.1 Recycling/Perspective: 4.9
5. Eugene, Ore. 22.4
* Electricity: 10.0 Transportation: 4.7 Green Living: 2.9 Recycling/Perspective: 4.8
6. Cambridge, Mass. 22.2
* Electricity: 6.1 Transportation: 7.5 Green Living: 3.9 Recycling/Perspective: 4.7
7. Berkeley, Calif. 22.2
* Electricity: 6.2 Transportation: 8.4 Green Living: 2.9 Recycling/Perspective: 4.7
8. Seattle, Wash. 22.1
* Electricity: 6.2 Transportation: 7.3 Green Living: 4.7 Recycling/Perspective: 3.9
9. Chicago, Ill. 21.3
* Electricity: 5.4 Transportation: 7.3 Green Living: 5.0 Recycling/Perspective: 3.6
10. Austin, Tex. 21.0
* Electricity: 6.9 Transportation: 5.9 Green Living: 3.3 Recycling/Perspective: 4.9
11. Minneapolis, Minn. 20.3
* Electricity: 7.8 Transportation: 7.4 Green Living: 2.8 Recycling/Perspective: 2.3
12. St. Paul, Minn. 20.2
* Electricity: 8.0 Transportation: 4.0 Green Living: 3.5 Recycling/Perspective: 4.7
13. Sunnyvale, Calif. 19.9
* Electricity: 7.3 Transportation: 6.8 Green Living: 2.2 Recycling/Perspective: 3.6
14. Honolulu, Hawaii 19.9
* Electricity: 6.0 Transportation: 7.8 Green Living: 2.6 Recycling/Perspective: 3.5
15. Fort Worth, Tex. 19.7
* Electricity: 8.3 Transportation: 4.6 Green Living: 2.4 Recycling/Perspective: 4.4
16. Albuquerque, N.M. 19.1
* Electricity: 7.6 Transportation: 5.5 Green Living: 2.4 Recycling/Perspective: 3.6
17. Syracuse, N.Y. 18.9
* Electricity: 7.0 Transportation: 4.9 Green Living: 2.6 Recycling/Perspective: 4.4
18. Huntsville, Ala. 18.4
* Electricity: 6.2 Transportation: 4.1 Green Living: 3.6 Recycling/Perspective: 4.5
19. Denver, Colo. 18.2
* Electricity: 5.9 Transportation: 5.2 Green Living: 3.0 Recycling/Perspective: 4.1
20. New York, N.Y. 18.2
* Electricity: 2.8 Transportation: 10.0 Green Living: 3.4 Recycling/Perspective: 2.0
* CATEGORY LEADER: Transportation
More than 54 percent of New Yorkers take public transportation to work, beating the next-best metropolis, Washington, D.C., by 17 percent.
watch for this. just saw it via rabbit ears on njn2.
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by Grist 19 Jul 2007 5:08 PM
These metropolises aren't literally the greenest places on earth -- they're not necessarily dense with foliage, for one, and some still have a long way to go down the path to sustainability. But all of the cities on this list deserve recognition for making impressive strides toward eco-friendliness, helping their many millions of residents live better, greener lives. If your favorite green city didn't make the list, tell us why it deserves recognition in the comments section at the bottom of the page.
1 Reykjavik, Iceland
Remember the grade-school memory device "Greenland is icy and Iceland is green"? It's truer than ever thanks to progress made by Iceland and its capital city in recent years. Reykjavik has been putting hydrogen buses on its streets, and, like the rest of the country, its heat and electricity come entirely from renewable geothermal and hydropower sources and it's determined to become fossil-fuel-free by 2050. The mayor has pledged to make Reykjavik the cleanest city in Europe. Take that, Greenland
- Skinny 8-01-2010 11:46 pm
2 Portland, Oregon, U.S.
The City of Roses' approach to urban planning and outdoor spaces has often earned it a spot on lists of the greenest places to live. Portland is the first U.S. city to enact a comprehensive plan to reduce CO2 emissions and has aggressively pushed green building initiatives. It also runs a comprehensive system of light rail, buses, and bike lanes to help keep cars off the roads, and it boasts 92,000 acres of green space and more than 74 miles of hiking, running, and biking trails.
3 Curitiba, Brazil
4 Malmö, Sweden
5 Vancouver, Canada
6 Copenhagen, Denmark
7 London, England
8 San Francisco, California, U.S.
9 Bahía de Caráquez, Ecuador
10 Sydney, Australia
11 Barcelona, Spain
12 Bogotá, Colombia
13 Bangkok, Thailand
14 Kampala, Uganda
15 Austin, Texas, U.S
- Skinny 8-01-2010 11:49 pm [add a comment]
Portland, USA
Consistently ranked as the most sustainable city in the USA, Portland in Oregon has been thinking about its impact on the environment since the 1970s. Long before anyone else the city had enacted strict land-use regulations, an urban growth boundary and began plans for sustainable development. Even 30 years ago Portland was thinking green, the fact they demolished a huge highway in order to build a waterfront park proves it! Portland's forward thinking is renowned worldwide and the city have produced the '20 Minute City' plan aiming to provide residents with everything including school, shops and work within a 20 minute walk of home. Through such initiatives, Portland plans to fulfill all its energy requirements with renewable sources by the end of this year!
- Skinny 8-01-2010 11:51 pm [add a comment]
Cities blazing a green trail
By Matthew Knight for CNN
April/2010
#1 Portland, OR
#2 Reykjavik, Iceland
#3 Vancouver, Canada
#4 Copenhagen, Denmark
#5 Malmö, Sweden
#6 Chicago, IL
#7 Curitiba, Brazil
#8 Frieburg, Germany
#9 Masdar, Abu Dhabi
- Skinny 8-01-2010 11:57 pm [add a comment]
Popular Science's Top 50 Green in USA
1. Portland, Ore. 23.1
* Electricity: 7.1 Transportation: 6.4 Green Living: 4.8 Recycling/Perspective: 4.8
America’s top green city has it all: Half its power comes from renewable sources, a quarter of the workforce commutes by bike, carpool or public transportation, and it has 35 buildings certified by the U.S. Green Building Council.
2. San Francisco, Calif. 23.0
* Electricity: 6.8 Transportation: 8.8 Green Living: 3.5 Recycling/Perspective: 3.9
3. Boston, Mass. 22.7
* Electricity: 5.7 Transportation: 8.7 Green Living: 3.4 Recycling/Perspective: 4.9
4. Oakland, Calif. 22.5
* Electricity: 7.0 Transportation: 7.5 Green Living: 3.1 Recycling/Perspective: 4.9
5. Eugene, Ore. 22.4
* Electricity: 10.0 Transportation: 4.7 Green Living: 2.9 Recycling/Perspective: 4.8
6. Cambridge, Mass. 22.2
* Electricity: 6.1 Transportation: 7.5 Green Living: 3.9 Recycling/Perspective: 4.7
7. Berkeley, Calif. 22.2
* Electricity: 6.2 Transportation: 8.4 Green Living: 2.9 Recycling/Perspective: 4.7
8. Seattle, Wash. 22.1
* Electricity: 6.2 Transportation: 7.3 Green Living: 4.7 Recycling/Perspective: 3.9
9. Chicago, Ill. 21.3
* Electricity: 5.4 Transportation: 7.3 Green Living: 5.0 Recycling/Perspective: 3.6
10. Austin, Tex. 21.0
* Electricity: 6.9 Transportation: 5.9 Green Living: 3.3 Recycling/Perspective: 4.9
11. Minneapolis, Minn. 20.3
* Electricity: 7.8 Transportation: 7.4 Green Living: 2.8 Recycling/Perspective: 2.3
12. St. Paul, Minn. 20.2
* Electricity: 8.0 Transportation: 4.0 Green Living: 3.5 Recycling/Perspective: 4.7
13. Sunnyvale, Calif. 19.9
* Electricity: 7.3 Transportation: 6.8 Green Living: 2.2 Recycling/Perspective: 3.6
14. Honolulu, Hawaii 19.9
* Electricity: 6.0 Transportation: 7.8 Green Living: 2.6 Recycling/Perspective: 3.5
15. Fort Worth, Tex. 19.7
* Electricity: 8.3 Transportation: 4.6 Green Living: 2.4 Recycling/Perspective: 4.4
16. Albuquerque, N.M. 19.1
* Electricity: 7.6 Transportation: 5.5 Green Living: 2.4 Recycling/Perspective: 3.6
17. Syracuse, N.Y. 18.9
* Electricity: 7.0 Transportation: 4.9 Green Living: 2.6 Recycling/Perspective: 4.4
18. Huntsville, Ala. 18.4
* Electricity: 6.2 Transportation: 4.1 Green Living: 3.6 Recycling/Perspective: 4.5
19. Denver, Colo. 18.2
* Electricity: 5.9 Transportation: 5.2 Green Living: 3.0 Recycling/Perspective: 4.1
20. New York, N.Y. 18.2
* Electricity: 2.8 Transportation: 10.0 Green Living: 3.4 Recycling/Perspective: 2.0
* CATEGORY LEADER: Transportation
More than 54 percent of New Yorkers take public transportation to work, beating the next-best metropolis, Washington, D.C., by 17 percent.
- Skinny 8-02-2010 12:03 am [add a comment]
watch for this. just saw it via rabbit ears on njn2.
- bill 8-02-2010 7:41 pm [add a comment]