The 15 Most Sustainable Cities

The NRDC reveals the most sustainable large, medium and small cities in the U.S., after an extensive evaluation based on air quality, energy production and conservation, environmental standards, recycling and many more criteria.

1 minute read

July 9, 2009, 5:00 AM PDT

By Tim Halbur

From the Scoring/Criteria section of the website:

"The ranking scheme, developed with the help of a scholar from Yale's School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, was intended as a tool for identifying, for the purpose of spotlighting, those cities that are taking the lead in addressing the major environmental challenges of our time, from global warming to clean air and water."

Seattle, WA currently tops the list, with many California cities close behind. The useful grid format of the scoring reveals the strengths of each city in factors such as transit, green building, and water quality and conservation.

FULL STORY: Rankings / CityGrid: Large Cities (250,000+)

Wednesday, July 8, 2009 in Smarter Cities

Energy Environment United States Sustainability Best Cities

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Start Learning

Advertise with us

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.