SustainLane 2006 US City Sustainability Ranking
Fresno: Nature's Bounty
From beef and dairy to fruit and vegetables of almost every sort, the San Joaquin Valley produces more than 250 commercial crops. If you're eating produce right now, there's a good chance it came through Fresno.
Immigrants and migrant workers from countries all over the globe convene in Fresno, giving it a great diversity of people, food, and cultural activities. Cultures vary from Hmong (11 percent of the population) to Latino (40 percent) to communities of Armenian and Ukrainian descent.
If you're a nature enthusiast, you'll appreciate Fresno's proximity to some of the nation's most famous national parks. It's a perfect base for visiting Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon.
Fresno is faced with a conundrum. It's sited near natural wonders, but citizens have few of their own parks. Tremendous-amounts of locally produced agriculture abound, yet there are only three farmers markets. Agriculture brings in billions to the local economy, yet the air and water can be polluted with pesticides and diesel emissions from tractors and trucks. The downtown is strengthening, but there is continued sprawl.
