SustainLane 2006 US City Sustainability Ranking

Arlington, Texas: City at a Crossroads

Arlington's come a long way since being founded in 1875 as a railroad stop between its larger neighbors Dallas and Fort Worth. Itcould use some rails today as it faces the challenges of growing a public transportation infrastructure and the consequences of automobile-induced sprawldevelopment. Fortunately, Arlington leaders and members of the community have already started to plan: In its 2025 Vision Plan, which identifies several key areas for improvement, improving mobility made the shortlist, as did reducing poverty, reversing declining home values, and preventing the loss of retail dollars to surrounding communities.

Unlike most cities we studied, Arlington still has undeveloped land. The city might consider turning some of that land into parks--its ratio of city land to parks is slightly below average. Where it does develop land, creating incentives for building green would help Arlington make significant progress toward reducing waste, energy consumption, and water consumption while promoting healthy regional economic development. Piggybacking on The University of Texas at Arlington's business incubator would be the perfect way to support local clean tech businesses aimed at the emerging green building, water purification, and renewable energy markets. Mixed-use and higher density developments would be another compelling way to help get residents out of their cars and into local businesses.