Welcome to the 2008 SustainLane US City Rankings! You'll find extensive coverage on the greening of the 50 most-populous cities in the nation on these pages, and the most complete report card on urban sustainability in America. This report benchmarks each city's performance in 16 areas of urban sustainability, including an essential new measurement this year: Water Supply. Forged in 2005 and now in its third edition, the peer-reviewed Rankings track the unfolding story of cities working to improve their residents' quality of life. In this story, some cities are becoming more self-reliant and better prepared for an uncertain future, while others have been slow to act on opportunities to green their municipalities.
We hope you enjoy reading through our work as much as we enjoyed creating it! Get started now with a closer look at our methodology, or a review of what makes a sustainable city. Or if you'd like, simply cut to the chase and check out the Rankings. We'll be continually updating these pages with stories from the field, so check back often. Thanks for visiting, and happy reading!
If you live in Portland, you might want to think twice before complaining about the 40-plus inches of rain dumped on your head every year. It might be the only thing keeping the entire country from moving to your city by the Prius-load. Portland retained its title as SustainLane's number one city to beat this year–not surprising given that it got a 30-year jump on the rest of the country.more »
For most of the 19th and 20th century, cities, despite the hardships and suffering experienced in ghettos, were seen as places where culture and intelligence concentrated and evolved. In the latter part of the 20th century, urban decay, environmental problems, and ethnic riots created a rush for the exits and rampant urban sprawl. Cities became more dangerous and inhuman. Post-war modernist planners and architects made matters worse by creating concrete monuments to themselves, hollowing out downtowns into commercial centers that felt like mausoleums at night...more »
If you live in Portland, you might want to think twice before complaining about the 40-plus inches of rain dumped on your head every year. It might be the only thing keeping the entire country from moving to your city by the Prius-load. Portland retained its title as...more »
Columbus is a veritable Phoenix rising from ashes as the city shoots up a full 20 spots from its rank as dead last in 2006. Cities looking for sustainable inspiration need look no further than the Buckeye state. Columbus just adopted a master bike plan that will add a...more »
Ok, Angelenos, imagine this: a picturesque, 30-mile-long expanse of green, complete with parks and paths and planted with native, drought-resistant vegetation all along the Los Angeles River. Imagine rollerblading and pushing jogging strollers and barbecuing right on the banks of the historic waterway...more »
In Tennessee’s sweltering summer heat, the refugee women who tend the Sylvan Street Garden plots are covered from head to toe in bright, vibrant fabrics. Some have infants cradled to their hips with lengths of the same colorful material. But these gardens are neither in the state’s rural regions, or even in the suburbs. Instead, they’re in Nashville, smack in the middle of the James A. Casey homes – the city’s largest public housing project.more »
Submitted by Betty Mayes
City has always been my life. I was born and raised in this city we call Baltimore.
A beautiful park known as Herring Run, with its rippling stream, was part of my life from early childhood. My own children, now grown and living in their own homes in this same city, also have the same affinity for this park.more »
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Seattle is at the forefront of all things Green. Our city has worked very hard to be #1 in Energy and Climate Change Policy and Innovation, and we're proud to be among the leaders in LEED Certified Buildings and the development of a Green Economy. These rankings provide the platform for friendly competition and a baseline for success. However, for us to be successful in the fight against Global Climate Change, every city has to embrace sustainable ideas such as smart growth, innovation, and progressive policy. Seattle is committed to do its part. —Mayor Greg Nickels, Seattle
How does age of a city affect how it performs? Take a look at how pre- and post-war cities measure up to each other.
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