Comments

I agree with sacbella that PS's list of fifty green cities lacks substance and thoroughness. The 1.5 million residents in Philadelphia Pennsylvania use less than half the amount of energy that the average American uses, because of our walkable mixed-use communities and comprehensive network of trolleys, subways, light rail and buses. In 2006, SustainLane's top ten green cities included Portland Oregon at number one and Philadelphia at number eight right behind number seven, Boston, Massachusetts. I can almost forgive Popular Science for skipping DC because of it's unique ambiguous status, but how could they miss Charlotte, NC, and Philadelphia Pennsylvania. Philadelphia has the largest urban park in the world and is described by our world renowned Pennsylvania Horticulture Society as a city within a park. Our new mayor has a clear vision to build on Philadelphia's assets to become the Greenest City in America. With a great network of local farms, community gardens, and the Philadelphia Orchard Project creating food production throughout the region, Philadelphia is a model that deserves not only recognition, but also replication. By failing to use due diligence in their research Popular Science has missed one of the most important stories of our time. Europe's economy is soaring past the USA, because their development is not as dependent upon cheap oil and suburban sprawl. In America, our oldest cities and towns have truly sustainable land use plans that are not dependent upon the dangerous and pollution emitting automobile. America's oldest cities are the most sustainable.