Sustainable Cities

Individuals who are interested in green living should consider moving to a sustainable city.  What is a sustainable city?  Also known as an ecocity, a sustainable city is one that is designed to run on a minimal amount of natural resources. 

So, how are sustainable cities able to achieve such a feat?  The best way to answer this question is to study the 50 cities the organization SustainLane has determined to be the most sustainable. 

When evaluating these cities, you will discover that they possess several common characteristics.  These characteristics are discussed in greater detail below.

1. Excellent Public Transportation

Most sustainable communities do not require a car to get around.  In fact, sometimes a car could even be a hindrance. 

Consider  Washington, D.C. and New York City, two of the most sustainable cities in the United States.  The public transportation is so well-developed it’s actually faster to use a bus or a subway train to get around. 

2. Close Proximity to Office Buildings

Sustainable communities are also designed in such a way to make the jobs closer to where people live.  In some sustainable communities, people can actually walk to work.  If this is not possible, a truly sustainable city will try to make up for it by making public transportation widely accessible.

3. Utilization of Sustainable Architecture

Governments of sustainable cities will try to encourage use of sustainable architecture for both commercial and residential buildings.  For example, they may offer tax cuts for those that make sustainable additions to their homes.  Some may even use legislation to require builders to incorporate a certain amount of sustainability into their projects.

4. Public Awareness Campaigns

Sustainable communities also initiate a lot more public awareness campaigns related to environmentalism and the overall green movement.  Through these campaigns, residents learn about the importance of recycling, energy conservation and preventing pollution.

5. Alternative Energy Sources

If a sustainable city is extremely green, many of their buildings will function from

renewable energy.  Examples include wind energy, solar energy or even bio-gas, (which is a type of energy created from sewage). 

6. Agriculture

Often times sustainable communities will have farms located right within the city, so food does not have to be transported from other regions. 

7. Water Conservation

Finally, sustainable cities will find ways to use the least amount of water possible.  An example of such a technique is called xeriscaping.  This refers to a type of landscaping where irrigation is done by drawing water out of plants.

In conclusion, the above-mentioned factors are what sets sustainable cities apart from the rest.  Of course, this is not to say that non-sustainable cities aren’t trying to catch up, because many are. 

But if you want to live in a city that is truly sustainable right now, you will want to take these factors into consideration.  Also, don’t neglect to take advantage of SustainLane’s top 50 list, since this tells you specifically which cities are the most sustainable.