Study Overview

Why Green Cities?

The SustainLane 2008 US City Rankings of the 50 most-populous cities is the nation’s most complete report card on urban sustainability. The rankings explain how people's quality of life and city economic and management preparedness are likely to fare in the face of an uncertain future.

These indicators gauge, for instance, which cities’ public transit, renewable energy, local food, and development approaches are most likely to either limit or intensify the negative economic and environmental impacts of fossil fuel dependence.

Since the first SustainLane US City Rankings came out in Spring 2005, world events have made "sustainability" an even more vital concept. Hurricanes Katrina and Ike have illustrated the vulnerability of city dwellers, as well as how dependent we -- and our economy -- are on unpredictable natural and market forces. After Katrina and Rita hit in late summer 2005, destroying New Orleans and Gulf oil processing facilities, gas prices shot up. Prices dropped only to climb to record levels a year later as global political events combined with a steadily growing demand for oil in Asia.

Two-thousand-eight was another petroleum roller-coaster. The reasons ranged from ongoing limits in world supply, to "geopolitical reasons above the ground," the fluctuating US dollar, and a wide net of investors seeking higher returns on speculation in oil. Throughout 2006, biofuels became the welcome poster children of "how to keep things going with small adjustments." But in 2007, Lester Brown of the Earth Policy Institute argued that we faced the dilemma of fueling cars with corn-based ethanol for 800 million drivers, versus feeding corn to 2 billion people. Following a year of rapidly rising food prices and global rioting over higher food prices, the European Union reconsidered its biofuels production targets to include more non-food biofuel sources.

Eyeing the silver lining of biofuels, David Morris of the Institute for Local Reliance told BusinessWeek that "[i]f Americans reduce our input of sugar, we could make 2 billion more gallons of ethanol and help overcome our obesity problem" as the price of soda and other "junk foods" rises. Biofuels -- as with many techno-fixes -- came to be recognized as, at best, a partial solution, but by no means the silver bullet to meeting ever-increasing global levels of energy consumption.

Following on the heels of "oil depletion" came increasing shortages of water, which the city of Atlanta faced in the fall of 2007. Residents previously unaccustomed to water conservation (common out west) are now on the conservation train.

Neither world politics nor global water or oil supplies are expected to be stable until the end of the decade or beyond. And the carbon emission-created global warming of the Atlantic's water temperatures is influencing stronger-than-average hurricane seasons, not to mention record low summer arctic sea ice levels. So the term 'sustainability' -- defined as meeting the needs of the present generation so it doesn't compromise the quality of life for future generations -- has taken on new urgency.

Quality of Life and Clean Technologies

Besides city energy crisis preparedness and natural disaster risk, SustainLane's rankings cover quality-of-life indicators such as local food availability, tap water quality, air quality, walkability, park space and roadway congestion.

Providing an atmosphere for healthy living is only part of the picture.To illustrate the path cities need to take to maintain regional economic competitiveness, SustainLane's city rankings track the growth of complementary clean technologies providing jobs and tax base expansion. Exciting developments in renewable energy, advanced transportation, alternative fuels and green building technologies are emerging in and around U.S. cities because of city policies and practices, combined with venture capital investment and consumer demand.

Among the cleaner technologies is the low-cost -- but increasingly significant -- bicycle service industry in many cities, as well as traditional energy and water conservation outfits.

Why Rank or Focus on Cities?

The prosperity of cities and metro areas is critical because for the first time in history they represent the majority of the world's population. Unlike nations or even states, cities are sited in specific climates with distinct economic qualities and geographic features. Wind turbines, tidal energy and locally-produced biofuels capitalize on geographic differences. Local food system development and green building approaches are also the result of regional geographies and climates; food systems and architecture can be further enriched by local cultural and historic preferences and knowledge.

The local nature of every city's economy is reinforced by tax bases, school districts, elections, sporting teams, events, seasons and even the weather. Residents often identify first and foremost with their cities. And proximity to other residents and offices of local government means that many citizens are more directly engaged with their city than their state or nation.

In many cities, you can meet your city's mayor, or at least your elected city officials, without much difficulty or travel. This means cities get feedback in near real time: when a subway line suddenly needs serious repair, city management usually finds out the same day. Said Mayor Greg Nickels of Seattle, which was ranked #3 in this year's city rankings, "I've worked in local government my entire adult life, because it's a place where you can make a difference: you can roll up your sleeves every day and at the end of the day see the difference you've made."

Nickels first became interested in climate change when a city water district manager explained how the city, which relies on deposits of snow in the Cascades mountains for its year-round water supply, was increasingly at risk from a steadily decreasing annual snowpack.

That prompted Nickels to mobilize mayors from across the nation to join the non-partisan Mayors Climate Protection Agreement. By November 2006 about a year and half later, 330 mayors representing 53 million Americans had signed onto the act, urging the US and state government to meet or beat the carbon reduction goals set by the international Kyoto Protocol, while vowing to take local actions to reduce global climate change.

In 2007, "green" became a household word. With overwhelming interest and participation from cities around the nation, Seattle spun off the Agreement into the US Conference of Mayors' Climate Protection Center. As of this writing in Fall 2008, over 880 mayors have signed the Agreement, representing well over 80 million Americans.

Because of such powerful urban cultural, economic and political influences, cities are the ideal geo-political medium for sustainability-related improvements, pilot projects and awareness campaigns.

What Makes a City #1?

The SustainLane US City Rankings focus on the many ways city policies and practices differ from one another and how that affects the people living in those places. This year's #1 most sustainable city, Portland, captured the top spot with an all-around good to great performance in most every category we analyzed. Ranked below average only in affordability, natural disaster risk and water supply, Portland excels in clean technology and green building development, overall quality of life, and in sustainability planning and management.

How did Portland get the top spot? More now than ever, people in the city identify with having a high quality of life. They work hard at being involved in city policy, boards, projects and practices that impact sustainability.

Said Portland's Mayor Tom Potter, "We're definitely proud to be recognized by SustainLane for all the ways Portland's citizens and businesses are working together to create a more sustainable community. In Portland the local governments are leaders for sustainability but it's really the grassroots actions from the neighborhoods and the businesses that make this a special place. The City is buying renewable power and conserving energy, and so are tens of thousands of residents. The City has a green building policy, but it's the builders and developers and buyers who actually change the market. It's the people who shop at the farmers markets, the growers who manage their farms sustainably, the folks who choose to bike or take the bus to work, and all those day-to-day decisions that are making a huge difference."

Portland continues to use its sustainability ethos to attract businesses, residents, tourists and conventions. The city has ever-increasing currency as one of the capitals of a powerful emerging domestic economy.

Other cities are forging ahead as well, each a leader in some form of sustainability. These include Chicago and San Francisco in renewable energy and urban greening; Boston, Minneapolis, Philadelphia and Oakland in local food development; Denver, Charlotte, Phoenix and Dallas in citywide transit oriented development; Atlanta and Washington DC in green building.