Google the phrase “top ten most sustainable cities” and the search engine returns more than 4.2 million results. You will be impressed to know that I looked at every single Web hit and the City of Grand Rapids isn’t readily among them.
Okay, I only looked at a handful of hits but everyone knows most of the results are just bread pudding. I certainly looked at enough to get a preliminary picture of the state of sustainability measurement and reporting in America today.
What I expected was several distinct groups competing to rate cities on 'green' or 'sustainability' scales of one kind or another. I expected some comparable and some conflicted indicators, and substantial variability in the results. Instead I discovered remarkable uniformity and agreement on what sustainable cities are and do.
SustainLane, a San Francisco-based think tank, appears to have the most-respected and best-publicized list of the nation’s top ten most sustainable cities. The group's 2006 rankings rate Portland, OR as the overall sustainability leader, followed by the cities of San Francisco, Seattle, Philadelphia, Chicago, Oakland, New York, Boston, Denver and Minneapolis.
Green Guide, a consumer research and information newsletter, also is a respected source. It rates the nation's Top 25 “green cities,” with Eugene, OR at the head of the class. Austin, Portland, St. Paul, and Santa Rosa, CA round out the Top 5.
Whether 'sustainable' cities and 'green' cities are the same thing is debatable. My personal opinion is that, while certain aspects overlap, the two designations are distinctly different. Unlike the idea of being 'green,' the concept of sustainability stretches beyond environmental indicators to include social and economic criteria in development decisions.
Too Small to Run with the Big Dogs
The Green Guide and SustainLane like many of the same cities. But the guide puts Honolulu at the top for “livability and sustainability" while paying less attention to policy and practice – the city, for example, depends on imported oil for 89 percent of its energy – and giving more weight to current livability and real conditions – clean air, for instance, and naturally occurring freshwater.
SustainLane analyzes performance in 12 different categories to compile their annual report card. The survey reviews a range of factors, including the availability of clean air and water, reliance on local foods, and the extent of green building in urban revitalization. The group tracks growth in emerging industries such as renewable energy, measures job growth in sustainable businesses, and charts progress toward a comprehensive sustainability policy.
Grand Rapids claims remarkable success in many of these categories. So not seeing the city in SustainLane's Top 50, I fired off an email to say they were missing one of the nation's rising stars in the global sustainability movement.
I called their attention to the fact that GR has more high performance LEED buildings per capita than any city in the nation. I said the Green Building Council ranks the number of energy efficient buildings in GR fifth among U.S. cities, beating out perennial favorites like San Francisco. I said the civic conversations going on here about sustainable design, manufacturing, and management are among the most thoughtful and advanced in the country.
Warren Karlenzig, SustainLane’s chief strategy officer, promptly replied. Our list is restricted to the 50 largest cities by population, he said, and that excludes Grand Rapids. So while the cities high in the rankings might have more advanced sustainability initiatives, those found lower on the list such as Columbus, Oklahoma City, and Detroit are likely just getting started.
Tell it to the World
Few people would argue Portland's number one ranking. The city is at the forefront of mass transit, urban planning, policy innovation, green jobs, and other chief indicators. It’s good when a rating system selects the intuitive choice.
But why rank or focus on cities? Why not counties, wider metropolitan areas, or even regions? Part of the answer is clear: more than half the world’s population now lives in cities. Cities are now the predominant human habitat. Cities once were viewed as some sort of anomaly in the fabric of nature. In fact, each city constitutes an ecosystem; and as far as where people choose to live, cities are the mainstream alternative.
The other part of the answer is that cities are real places, subject to local environmental, fiscal, and cultural conditions that can be observed and measured, and that affect people on a daily basis. Cities are large enough to be complex, dynamic systems yet small enough for individuals and projects to make a difference. Cities are “the ideal geo-political medium,” according to SustainLane.
Warren Karlenzig mentioned that SustainLane maintains a database of best sustainability programs and practices on their Website. The catalogue contains effective and promising ideas pioneered in cities of all sizes from all over the country.
Karlenzig invited civic leaders in Grand Rapids to contribute to the knowledge base. The city should seize the opportunity. After looking at many of the entries on the site, I can tell you that our local work is every bit the equal of, and in several instances is superior to, what's happening elsewhere in the country.
The lesson here is that Grand Rapids is ready to take its place among the sustainability leaders. We just need a few more people. Current rankings aside, the city is without a doubt positioning itself to advance sustainable development practices at the local and regional level. We just need to grasp all the opportunities we can to publicize our successes to a broader audience.
Photos:
Ready access to vibrant green space, such as the Great Lawn in Millenium Park, is top priority of Chicago's sustainability movement.
San Francisco, CA is known for is ability to attract attract top talent and nurture high tech companies, key indicators of a sustainability city.
An extensive mass transit system is a key reason why Portland continually ranks as a sustainability leader.
The new David D. Hunting YMCA, an energy efficient building, in downtown Grand Rapids (photo by Brian Kelly)
Photographs by Andy Guy - All Rights Reserved