The SustainLane 2006 US City Rankings

Sacramento: Capital Ideas

Sacramento has a lot going for it. Locals enjoy its proximity to two rivers, the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and the San Francisco Bay Area. These geographic blessings are also a curse: high pollutant counts and 100-degree temperatures in the summer can make easy breathing a challenge and outdoor exercise dangerous, and its neglected levees mean some parts of the city are vulnerable to flooding. But the city has a number of initiatives to address these challenges, including a light rail system, many new urban infill projects, and an impressive array of solar energy installations.

Sacramento has a number of strengths to build on. It's doing an excellent job diverting waste, has a strong rating in green building, and is a leader in solar energy.

Both of the city's biggest weaknesses, air pollution and congestion, are related to sprawl. The pollution is compounded by nearby agricultural production that relies heavily on pesticides, as well as geographic features that cause air pollution to stick around rather than blow away. Finding alternatives to car use and reckoning with the pollution caused by industrial agriculture would help create a healthier city. Several downtown mixed-use development projects in various stages of planning should take some cars off the road while creating a more vital urban center. Additional mixed-use development as well as continued investment in light rail should help the city deal with its challenges.

Sacramento: Capital Ideas