37. Fresno, CA

In SustainLane’s last rankings, we noted that this ethnically-diverse, central Californian agricultural metropolis was awash in irony: it’s surrounded by natural beauty, but enjoys few parks of its own; it has a huge amount of locally-produced fruits and vegetables, but just three farmers markets; it relies on a billion-dollar agricultural industry, but finds its air and water polluted by the same. Since then, however, Fresno city leaders have stepped up to the plate with the 2007 adoption of an aggressive, comprehensive sustainability plan that calls for “in and up” growth, mixed-use, transit-oriented development. Many of FresnoGreen’s tenets are still in the development stage, but some of the goals are concrete: the plan calls for a 75 percent diversion of solid waste by 2012, the retrofitting of all existing city buildings to meet green building standards by 2011, and the development of a 6,000-acre greenbelt with recreational trails. Our favorite goal of all? The blueprint calls for all Fresno residents to have a clear view of the Sierra Nevada Mountain range by 2025.

(Photo by Steve Ryan)

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