SustainLane 2006 US City Sustainability Ranking
San Francisco: Still a Shining Example
Long admired for its innovative sustainability efforts, San Francisco has had particular success in the development of solar energy, recycling and large-scale composting, integrated pest management, bike transportation, green buildings, and local food systems.
Now that the city's sustainability plan is almost a decade old, new challenges are evident. Housing affordability (#49 out of the 50 cities) has become the most pressing issue. Since the dot-com boom drove up prices during the late 1990s, many lower-income and middle-class residents have been priced out of the housing market, and prices have not yet stabilized. Many Bay Area workers are forced by high home prices and rents to drive in from locations as far-flung as the Sierra Nevada foothills, three hours away.
The city's strong public transportation system has been slowly losing ridership. Traffic is getting bad again, with congestion ranking #47 on a metro area basis. Finally, San Francisco's earthquake risk poses a threat to the city's transportation system as well as its power and water supplies.
Despite such challenges, San Francisco remains a standard-bearer for turning ambitious sustainability plans into reality.
