SustainLane 2006 US City Sustainability Ranking

Oklahoma City: Planting a Few Seeds

In the early 1900s, Oklahoma City was a charming Victorian city with a trolley system, a significant commercial center, a railway hub, and productive industry. The discovery of oil in 1928 was a great boon for the city, that also brought an influx of rural migrants and unemployed workers during the Depression. The city continued to thrive after WWII until the 1960s, when the oil under the city dried up and property values began to decline.

As with so many other US cities, the inner core of Oklahoma City began a dramatic decline in the 1960s, which led to "white flight" to the rapidly developing suburbs in the 1970s. In response, several urban renewal projects were implemented, resulting in the demolition of old neighborhoods, the aging theater district, and historical buildings like the Biltmore Hotel. When money for the renewal ran dry, vacant lots sat empty where brownstones once stood. Redeveloping these areas offers one path toward creating a more sustainable city.

The city would benefit from better public transportation alternatives while educating the community about the importance to the economy of a strong public transit system. The expanded availability of the local food supply and support of other local businesses enabling a healthy economy would provide an economy less vulnerable to the volatility of the boom-and-bust fossil fuel industry. It might also consider creating an environmental role, which would be an excellent way to support and track sustainable projects citywide.