Green Cities in the U.S.

March 18, 2010 at 1:26 pm · Filed under Blog

When it comes to environmental initiatives and sustainability, certain US cities have been deemed ahead of the curve, at least when compared to their lagging neighbors. The 50 greenest cities were signaled out by Popular Science back in February 2008. According to their research, these are the top greenest cities in America.

  1. Portland, OR
  2. San Francisco, CA
  3. Boston, MA
  4. Oakland, CA
  5. Eugene, OR
  6. Cambridge, MA
  7. Berkeley, CA
  8. Seattle, WA
  9. Chicago, IL
  10. 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). Green living had to do with the numbered of certified green buildings and finally, recycling points went to, well, cities with good and comprehensive recycling 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The list, however, seems to be outdated.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 still the greenest? Luckily, we can begin to answer these questions by looking at a new study published by the Business Courier of Cincinnati on March 11, 2010. Here are the top 10 greenest cities based on the Business Courier's research.

  1. Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton, OR-WA
  2. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
  3. Honolulu, HI
  4. Austin-Round Rock, TX
  5. Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH
  6. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
  7. Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO
  8. Pittsburgh, PA
  9. Albuquerque, NM
  10. Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY

Cities were ranked using the ACBJ’s Green City Index. Essentially, the index compiles environmental data from various resources and organizations. The index incorporates a significant number of external statistics, such as number of Energy Star rated facilities (from the US EPA) and carbon emissions data (from the Brookings Institute). Examining these lists, it's clear that places like Boston and Seattle are some of the most environmentally-friendly cities in the US. 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). With many parks, such as the Arnold Aboretum, the neighborhood is frequently cited as one of Boston's greenest and most desirable.

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