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The Top 2008 U.S. Green Cities
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 The top 2008 Green Cities as ranked by CountryHome.com and Popular Science can provide some useful information if you are looking to relocate to a green environmentally friendly city. More and more cities are taking on the challenges of the 21st century when it comes to more green belts, energy conservation and sustainability. Residents in many cities all across the U.S. are pushing for city governments to get out of the dark ages and get into the green.
Tax based incentives to have large manufacturing plants locate to a metropolitan area are becoming a thing of the past. What city governments face nationwide are energy conservation programs, increasing pressure to return urban blight to urban community gardens (Detroit is a master of this program), among other green initiatives. There are many lists of the greenest cities to live in. I picked these two as they are from popular culture mainstream sources. If you are looking for a green city to live in, let these two lists contribute to your decision on where to relocate.
CountryHome.com Top 25 Green Cities In The US
CountryHome.com analyzed cities based on items such as official city energy policies, utilization of green power, number of certified green buildings, and the availability of fresh food grown local to the city.
- Corvallis, OR
- Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton, OR
- Bellingham, WA
- Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA
- Boulder, CO
- Eugene-Springfield, OR
- Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN
- Bend, OR
- Santa Barbara-Santa Maria, CA
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA
- La Crosse, WI
- Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA
- Fort Collins-Loveland, CO
- St. Cloud, MN
- Salem, OR
- Madison, WI
- Iowa City, IA
- Ames, IA
- San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA
- Salinas, CA
- Bremerton-Silverdale, WA
- Duluth, MN
- Pittsfield, MA
- Medford, OR
Popular Science Top 25 Green Cities In The US.
Cities ranked according to their use of renewable energy sources for electricity from the power grid as well as encouraging its citizens to install their own home solar systems like solar powered hot water heaters. Cities are also ranked according to how much commuters use public transportation and carpooling as well as air quality. Another category is based on how many buildings in a city are deemed "green" by the U.S. Green Building Council in addition to the number of green spaces like parks and green belts. And the last category that Popular Science ranks on is how thorough is the city's recycling program and how in tune are residents to green/environmental issues.
- Portland, OR
- San Francisco, CA
- Boston, MA
- Oakland, CA
- Eugene, OR
- Cambridge, MA
- Berkeley, CA
- Seattle, WA
- Chicago, IL
- Austin, TX
- Minneapolis, MN
- St. Paul, MN
- Sunnyvale, CA
- Honolulu, HI
- Fort Worth, TX
- Albuquerque, NM
- Syracuse, NY
- Huntsvilla, AL
- Denver, CO
- New York, NY
- Irvine, CA
- Milwaukee, WS
- Santa Rosa, CA
- Ann Arbor, MI
- Lexiington, KY
Cities all across the U.S. and the world for that matter are definitely putting green initiatives on their tables. Here is a list of a few of the initiatives out there: city vehicle fleet converting to hybrid plug-in's, city buses on natural gas, gas powered city cabs being replaced with alternative fuel cars, plastic bottle bans for city workers, plastic bag bans in grocery stores, discounts for bringing your own bags in grocery stores, continued efforts to recycle plastics, aluminum and paper, increased use of telecommuting programs, and installing light rail systems like the City of Phoenix.
Stay tuned for next year's list.
Article by Dale Stouffer. Dale has a Masters in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of New Orleans and Bachelor of Science in Environmental Policy Analysis and Planning from the University of California, Davis. This Article is designed to be of general interest and should not be considered legal advice. The specific information discussed may not apply to you. Before acting on any matter contained herein, you should consult with your personal legal adviser.
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