Top Sustainable Cities and Why
What makes a city sustainable? To me a sustainable city depends on a number of factors including land use patterns and growth, transportation, building reuse, energy and building code adoption, and green energy production. The most sustainable city would be one with a dense, urban fabric that supported public transportation as well as bicycle and pedestrian access. It would be filled with old buildings that have been adapted to modern uses, sprinkled with taller infill buildings. Municipal codes would support a mix of uses, allowing residents to live, work, and play all in the same neighborhood. Local regulations would mandate a high level of energy performance with any new building or rehabilitation project, taking into consideration natural energy saving features found in many old buildings. Codes would also mandate building material recycling in the event of a demolition project. Urban farms and gardens would be supported as well as watershed projects like sustainable landscapes and native plantings. Last, the electric grid would be powered by solar, wind, and geothermal energy.
According to the United Nations University Institute for Environmental and Human Security the following five changes can make cities more sustainable and resilient.
Make urban transportation systems more sustainable
Add nature-based solutions
Support strong community networks
Ensure smart solutions to improve urban livelihoods
Collaborate with other cities, countries, and international bodies
Another article I found labeled sustainable cities as those that incorporated ecofriendly practices, green spaces, and supporting technology to reduce air pollution and CO2 emissions, enhance air quality, and protect natural resources. Their suggestions for cities to support sustainable practices includes:
Make it easy to get around without a car
Add EV charging stations
Provide access to public resources and green spaces
Improve water conservation and wastewater management
Support urban farming
Implement green architecture
This second list aligns well with my idea of a sustainable city. Unfortunately, neither list aligns well with most American cities. The first city that came to my mind as one of the most sustainable happens to be the most bicycle friendly—Copenhagen, Denmark. Not only does this winter city provide and support bicycle infrastructure better than anyone else, they have been investing in green technology and have an ambitious goal of being the first carbon-neutral city by 2025. According to the promo video below, all it takes to achieve the goal is vision, innovative businesses, and political commitment. There must be some truth to this catchy slogan because Copenhagen use to look just like every car clogged suburban community in the United States. They made the decision however to invest in all modes of transportation and make their city healthier and a more sustainable place to live. It can’t be a coincidence that of the top 10 happiest countries in the world, Denmark consistently ranks top 3. In comparison, the top U.S. city was number 14 in 2021.
The ARCADIS Sustainable Cities Index from 2015 measures cities based on the Triple P—People, Planet, and Profit. According to their review, Frankfurt tops the list, followed by London, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, and Rotterdam. A U.S. city doesn’t make the cut until Boston at number 15, followed by Chicago and New York at 19 and 20 respectively. A surprising ranking was Houston at number 21, a city without zoning and typically characterized as a car-centric sprawling community. Chicago was “the only inland urban area to rank with major East and West Coast cities” and achieved success “through the quality of its cultural institutions and its position as a world financial center.”
Ultimately I don’t believe a top 10, 20, or even 50 most sustainable cities list exists because it depends on what criteria is used to measure sustainability. Instead, it is all about working towards reducing overall impact through whatever technology or solutions are available in your city. It will depend in large part on the amount of politic support with a willingness to make hard decisions on the the part of the elected officials. Change does not happen easy, and reversing decades of reliance on a system that leads to negative climate impacts will take work. The cities that do make all the top sustainable cities lists have made the commitment and have reaped the happiness and sustainable benefits.
