Top 10 Green Cities
We wanted to present the Top 10 Green Cities in the U.S., but that would have become a whole project in itself. We'll put that in our future projects file. In the meantime, here's what Cy Yaokam of Urban Quality Communications in Michigan found for us. You might want to consider traveling to these cities to learn and bring back new green, sustainable and healthy ways to improve the Twin Cities.
Top 10: America's Most Environmentally Friendly Cities
Environmental News Network - September 2000
www.enn.com/features/2000/09/09112000/Topten_30455.asp?P=1
Of all American cities, ENN has found that some stand out for their unique qualities - their gifts of nature as well as the spirit of their inhabitants. Here, we list their top 10 in alphabetical order:
- Austin, Texas
- Burlington, Vermont
- Charlotte, North Carolina
- Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Madison, Wisconsin
- Portland, Maine
- Portland, Oregon
- San Francisco, California
- San Diego, California
- Seattle, Washington
America's 10 Most Enlightened Towns
Utne Reader, 1997
http://cafe.utne.com/towns/index.html
We're looking for something deeper here than the usual "Best Places" tabulation of hot job markets, low taxes, booming real estate, temperate climate, and the absence of freeway congestion. Cities can rank quite high in these categories and can still be dreary, soulless places. We set out to find towns that are making a special effort to foster connectedness and contentment among all the people who live in them. We chose communities that we think are dealing creatively with the challenges they face, places that can provide inspiration and practical ideas about how to improve life in your own hometown. See the web site for discussion groups and the top 50 cities.
- Ithaca, NY - A Gritty Upstate City where the Grassroots are Green
- Portland, OR - Sprawlbusters
- Durham, NC - Bullish on the Future
- Burlington, VT - The People's Republic of Vermont
- Madison, WI - The Heartland's Progressive Hotbed
- Arcata, CA - Green Town in the Redwoods
- Portland, ME - Beyond the Waterfront
- Iowa City, IA - American Eclectic
- Providence, RI - Bright Lights, Bright City
- Chattanooga, TN - The Sustainable Blue-collar Town
- Bonus: Toronto - A Big City that Works
America's Healthiest Cities
Natural Health, April 2001
Some cities are healthier - and more desirable - than others. So, for the second year in a row we've separated the stars from the duds. We rated the 50 largest urban areas according to a list of 37 criteria in the following categories: Amenities, Physical Health, Environment, Happiness. Here are the top 10:
- Honolulu, Hawaii
- Minneapolis, Minnesota
- San Francisco, California
- Colorado Springs, Colorado
- San Diego, California
- Denver, Colorado
- Baltimore, Maryland
- Seattle, Washington
- Boston, Massachusets
- Tucson, Arizona
Green Map System Charting Sustainable Living
www.greenmap.org, 10/01
This local-global collaborative has produced Green Maps charting the natural and cultural environment in hometown communities all over the world. Here are ten, arranged east to west, that focus particularly well on sustainable living in the U.S.
Rhode Island's Greenways Map - See the state without a car
Stop Fronting - discover Brooklyn's real waterfront
LoMap, Lower Manhattan's Youth Green Map
Pittsburgh Regional Green Map
Mid Michigan Green Map - A five-county collaboration
Milwaukee Green Map
www.wisconline.com/greenmap/milwaukee/
Sustainable Woodbury MN Green Map
Portland OR's Sabin Neighborhood Green Map
Berkeley Green Map - (Out of print, but 100 green businesses!)
Santa Monica/Ballona Wetlands Green Map