43. Colorado Springs, CO

It’s no surprise that Colorado Springs—nestled at the base of Pikes Peak on the edge of the southern Rocky Mountains—was declared Number One in Money Magazine’s “Best Places to Live” survey in 2006, in the big city category. We here at SustainLane are sure we’d love to take in the mountain scenery, but Colorado Springs needs to address a few key sustainability concerns. It can start by working to get its near 80-percent of drive-alone work-commuters out of their cars and onto public transit, and by increasing the availability of local, nutritious food for its residents. This isn’t to say the city hasn’t made some good strides: while it doesn’t have an overall plan for sustainability, city council did include promoting “sustainable policies and practices’ in its 2008 strategic plan. It also completed a greenhouse gas inventory, and now has the opportunity to create a plan to reduce its carbon footprint. Colorado Springs Utilities intends to meet the state’s renewable portfolio standards; near-80 percent of the city’s electricity is currently generated by coal. By 2020, at least ten percent of the city’s power will be renewable.

(Photo by Mac9)