38. El Paso, TX

If the biggest room in the world is the room for improvement, then this high desert city on the Rio Grande has space to spare. El Paso initiated curbside recycling in 2007 and saw a significant increase in residents’ participation, diverting just over five percent of their solid waste that year. The city also started a green building program to encourage businesses and residents to build sustainably, and it’s conducting energy audits on all municipal buildings. In addition, a downtown revitalization effort should breathe new life into the former mining town. El Paso has made noteworthy strides in many important areas, but still has a great opportunity to create an overall plan for sustainability. Such a plan could pave the way for a vibrant and thriving border community and nicely complement the rebirth of the city’s center.

(Photo by Zereshk)