Green Cities in the U.S.

Posted by Rolf Joho on April 13th, 2010 filed in Global Warming


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. 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.

  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. Cities with frequently-used public tranpost systems fared quite well in the transportation cateogry. 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The list, however, seems to be outdated.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 does it mean to be a green city today, and should we still measure using 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. 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. In essence, the index compiles general sustainability data to create an aggregrate rating for each of the cities considered. For example, the index includes data on the number of LEED certified projects (procured from the US Green Building Council), air quality data (procured from the US EPA), and much, much more. Examining these lists, it’s clear that places like Boston and Seattle are some of the most environmentally-friendly cities in the US. And even within these green cities, there are even greener neighborhoods and districts. 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 constantly cited as one of Boston’s greenest and most desirable.


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