cities of green

Want to travel to some of the world’s greenest cities?

No, we’re not talking about the cities with the most roadside foliage. The cities highlighted on this list (from the fabulous environmental news site, Grist.org) are being recognized for their marked efforts towards more sustainable and ecologically sound practices. Check out Grist’s top five greenest cities:

Reykjavik, Iceland
Endeavoring to become the cleanest city in Europe, Reykjavik has hydrogen buses on its streets and heat and electricity entirely from renewable geothermal and hydropower sources in its buildings. The Icelanders are serious about green.

Portland, Oregon, U.S.
A comprehensive system of light rail, buses, and bike lanes as well as 92,000 acres of green space and more than 74 miles of hiking, running, and biking trails earns Portland high livability marks. Portland also blazes a trails with progressive green building initiatives and a comprehensive plan to reduce CO2 emissions.

Curitiba, Brazil
One survey says that 99 percent of Curitibans are happy with their hometown. With a comprehensive bus system so functional that 75% of the residents rely upon it and with municipal parks equivalent to over 580 square feet of green space per inhabitant(with landscaping provided by a flock of 30 lawn-trimming sheep), how couldn’t they be?

Malmö, Sweden
Sweden’s third-largest city is a model of sustainable urban development, an “eco-city” in the making. They are transforming many of their neighborhoods using innovative design plans to become more socially, environmentally, and economically responsive.

Vancouver, Canada
Vancuver leads the way in the effort to reduce dependency on fossil fuels, drawing 90 percent of its power from renewable sources such as hydroelectric power, wind, solar, wave, and tidal energy. The beautiful city contains 200 parks and over 18 miles of waterfront. Looking ahead, Vancouver has developed a 100-year plan for sustainability.

Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Of course, my hometown pride cajoled me into listing the Emerald City, even though it was only a runner-up on Grist’s list. A city bus fleet which includes biodiesel and hybrid buses, as well as 28 miles of shared use paths, 22 miles of on-street, striped bike lanes, and about 90 miles of signed bike routes in the city show where Seattle is headed. Grist also notes that Seattle Mayor Greg Nichols has pledged that Seattle will achieve the emission-reduction goals of the Kyoto treaty.

Grist’s list included 15 destinations – read the entire story here.