Group Names SF 2nd Greenest US City
(September 22, 2008)
How America's Largest 50 Cities Measure Up, from Portland to Mesa
SAN FRANCISCO--Forget red and blue; America's 50 biggest cities are thinking green, according to the definitive ranking of city sustainability released today by sustainlane.com, the largest online community dedicated to healthy, sustainable living. The 2008 SustainLane U.S. City Rankings--topped by Portland, Ore.--reveal which cities are increasingly self-sufficient, prepared for the unexpected and taking steps toward preserving and enhancing their quality of life. Visit sustainlane.com for the detailed report, city best practices and sustainability tools.
The SustainLane U.S. City Rankings factor in each city's ability to maintain healthy air, drinking water, parks and public transit systems, as well as a robust, sustainable local economy with green building, farmers markets, renewable energy and alternative fuels. Introduced in 2005, the City Rankings have been a catalyst for change. In fact, both the median and average scores have increased significantly across all cities surveyed since 2005.
The 2008 SustainLane U.S. City Rankings (2006 Rankings in Parentheses):
1) Portland (1)
2) San Francisco (2)
3) Seattle (3)
4) Chicago (4)
5) New York (6)
6) Boston (7)
7) Minneapolis (10)
8) Philadelphia (8)
9) Oakland (5)
10) Baltimore (11)
11) Denver (9)
12) Milwaukee (16)
13) Austin (14)
14) Sacramento (13)
15) Washington (12)
16) Cleveland (28)
17) Honolulu (15)
18) Albuquerque (19)
19) Atlanta (38)
20) Kansas City (18)
21) San Jose (23)
22) Tucson (20)
23) Jacksonville (36)
24) Dallas (24)
25) Omaha (37)
26) San Diego (17)
27) New Orleans (32)
28) Los Angeles (25)
29) Louisville (35)
30) Columbus (50)
31) Detroit (43)
32) Phoenix (22)
33) San Antonio (21)
34) Miami (29)
35) Charlotte (34)
36) Houston (39)
37) Fresno (37)
38) El Paso (31)
39) Fort Worth (46)
40) Nashville (42)
41) Arlington (41)
42) Long Beach (30)
43) Colorado Springs (26)
44) Indianapolis (45)
45) Virginia Beach (48)
46) Memphis (43)
47) Las Vegas (27)
48) Tulsa (40)
49) Oklahoma City (49)
50) Mesa (47)
The 2008 SustainLane U.S. City Rankings is a peer-reviewed benchmark study measuring cumulative performance based on 16 economic and quality-of-life categories in the 50 largest U.S. cities by population (2004 U.S. Census). The index integrates almost 2,000 data points from public and non-governmental organizations including U.S. EPA, U.S. Census, Environmental Working Group, Smart Growth America, Trust for Public Land, Risk Management Solutions, The Texas Transportation Institute, Texas A&M and the Public Policy Institute of California. The study also includes primary research conducted with more than 100 city officials and experts.
Categories of data and information analysis used for ranking purposes include:
Air Quality
City Innovation
Commute to Work
Energy
Green (LEED) Building
Green Economy
Housing Affordability
Knowledgebase/Communications
Local Food and Agriculture
Metro Congestion
Metro Transportation
Natural Disaster Risk
Planning/Land Use
Tap Water Quality
Water Supply
SustainLane Media's 2008 City Ranking will be featured at the world's first green cities and communities conference in Geneva, on October 1, 2008. The SustainLane US City Rankings methodology is now being adopted internationally; Japan is working with SustainLane to rank their own cities' sustainable practices in a special report to be released in July 2009 at Japan's Green Festival in Tokyo.
About sustainlane.com
The largest user-generated Web guide to healthy, sustainable living, sustainlane.com invites visitors to share their success stories, special insights and tested tips to drive debate and inform fellow consumers on the best ways to lead environmentally conscious lives. Published by SustainLane Media, sustainlane.com has a dedicated and growing following of like-minded users who turn to the Web site for community, advice, news, product reviews and the nation's largest local green living directory, with 17K small, local business listings. sustainlane.com was founded in 2004 and is home to the SustainLane U.S. City Rankings, the most comprehensive and credible benchmarking of the state of sustainability in America.
About SustainLane Media
SustainLane Media is the largest and fastest growing media network for companies, individuals and families interested in healthy, more sustainable living. Reaching 15 million+ unique monthly visitors, SustainLane Media's Green Ad Network is a comprehensive vertical network of top-tier green-focused Web properties, including hub sustainlane.com. The Network encompasses ten green channels, including food & nutrition, health & beauty and home & environment, and connects premium advertisers such as GM, Bank of America and Procter & Gamble with an elusive group of values-driven consumers. SustainLane Media is on track to double its reach by the end of 2008 and more than triple it in 2009, helping generate profit for rapidly-expanding green Web sites and blogs, providing valuable, original content to consumers and connecting leading advertisers to this affluent, active demographic.