With so much attention on the overall health of the planet, the uptick in civic leadership on the environment by so many mayors around the world is certainly a measure of encouragement. In the United States of America alone, the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement is in essence, a petition to the federal government and pledge by 700 small and big city mayors to ratify the Kyoto Protocol and surpass global benchmarks.
Sage city leaders from Asia to Europe have also made up for the monumental failure of national officials to heed the dire forecasts of the global scientific community. As a result, many urban areas have led the charge in singular fashion on the reduction of carbon emissions that not only meet, but surpass, the Kyoto Protocol. Other positive developments that serve municipal populations at large, from bicycle paths to public transportation, park space to green waste management programs, make these twenty destinations great places to not only live, but visit.
Keep in mind however, that designation as a “green city” does not imply eco-perfection in any way. It simply illustrates positive and often, exceptional, measures undertaken to reduce negative urban effects on the environment.
20. Kampala, Uganda
Surprise, surprise. Despite the inevitable suspicion, Kampala has been a recent stalwart on environmental policy. Yes, the capital of Uganda has to contend with some syndetic obstacles, such as overpopulation, disease outbreak and sanitation. Still, bylaws to reconcile urban agriculture within the city and national food system have had impressive results. New measures to tax traffic congestion, eliminate noxious taxis and introduce a modern public transportation will hopefully serve as a model for other major urban centers in Africa and Asia.
Sydney has bold plans to become a green and global city by 2030. The campaign has become a lynchpin in Lord Mayor Clover Moore’s administration, with splashy aims to develop an integrated inner transport system, green networks and activity hubs within close proximity to residential areas. City-wide energy and water efficiency is another vital goal in the plan, which in totality, comprises almost 70Mb of documentation on the city of Sydney’s website.
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With grand ambitions to attain “global sustainability”, Cape Town looks to be a green host of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, when without a doubt, the eyes of the globe will be on the beautiful coastal city. Accolades from the travel and tourism industry rain down on Cape Town with enviable regularity and perhaps have some influence in the overall green direction of the city, as leaders seek to have 10% of homes under renewable energy consumption by 2020.
17. Bogot?, Colombia
Another potential shock to many, the metropolis of Bogot? has had to battle negative associations with cocaine cartel crime and violence for decades. Again, spartan civic leadership was at the forefront of a crusade to reduce vehicle congestion, rebuild infrastructure to promote pedestrian safety, implement a modern public transportation network and rejuvenate park space. With superb bicycle paths and goals to eradicate personal vehicle use at peak hours, Bogot? is a green pioneer in South America.
Vancouver has been a vanguard in the realm of methane expropriation. The city has a network of pipelines and wells that trap the greenhouse gas at landfill sites in order to redirect it for commercial use. Education programs foster the development of sustainable and energy-efficient construction projects in growth areas of the city. Many older edifices in Vancouver have undergone vast upgrades in recent years that respect future environmental concerns and minimize energy requirements. Needless to say, Vancouver is one of the most beautiful metropolitan areas in North America and a surfeit of parks and recreation space helps the city adhere to green provisions.
15. Montreal, Canada
Already quite cycle-centric, the city of Montreal has plans to add 100 km of new paths by 2009 and a self-rental bicycle program in the downtown core. With green space galore and a superb public transportation system that includes hybrid biodiesel-electric buses, Montreal is a pleasure to explore. For the residential population, renewable hydroelectricity is the energy source of choice and is relatively inexpensive. City inhabitants also recycle and compost more than proximate counterparts.
San Francisco inhabitants are among the most savvy in America when it comes to the environment. Long a bastion of progressive liberal expression, this should come as no surprise. The fact that almost half of the population commutes by way of public transportation, bicycle or on foot, is an emblematic statistic. San Francisco also has a ban on non-recyclable plastic bags.
The small city of Heidelberg in Baden-W?rttemberg, Germany has some big plans to be green, real fast. Incredibly, the populace of 150,000 has had a choice since 2000 to procure electricity from renewable resources. The municipal administration of the pictorial town has made significant investments in green technology and sustainable energy as a result.
Copenhagen confirms the staunch bias that Scandinavia is avant-garde in the realm of social and environmental policy. A livable, complete, yet not inexpensive city, Copenhagen has big bets on wind energy and was the recipient of the European Environmental Management Award in 2006. Denmark’s capital city is also among the most bicycle-hospitable in Europe.
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11. Oslo, Norway
Another capital in Scandinavia has made notable strides on the way to green status. Oslo city bureaucrats have taken up the challenge of sustainability and energy independence with atypical zeal. From electric cars to “eco-zones”, landmark principles in urban ecology and development to bicycle and pedestrian mobility, Oslo is a world pioneer.
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