Top "Green" Cities: Where Does Yours Rank?

The Green Guide has put together an interesting "Top Green Cities" list (of pop. exceeding 100,000) heading into Earth Day 2006. Remarkably, Oregon scored two of the top three: Eugene (first) and Portland (third). Criteria:

"We sent out surveys to mayors' offices in all 251 metropolitan areas with populations of 100,000 or more. By scoring survey responses in combination with information from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and other independent sources, we came up with our ranked list of the top 25 green cities in the U.S., giving special recognition to the top 10."

Seattle, which is on a sustainability PR binge thanks to Mayor Greg Nickels' "born again green" campaign to mobilize mayoral support for the Kyoto protocol, unfortunately fell from 10th last year to 24th. Part of the dilemma for our fair city is Nickels' growth and redevelopment scenario for the metro core. Raising building heights, putting in new highways and campaigning to add 50,000 new jobs and 22,000 new housing units in the next two decades may not quite jibe with express sustainability goals.

People close to Nickels tell me he's sincere and is a quick study, especially when motivated. So we'll see how it all shakes out. But right now Seattle is facing some tough decisions that will force Hizzoner to Walk the Talk, if he can.

— Paul Andrews, GreenforGood

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