Move to One of the Top 5 Most Eco-Friendly U.S. Cities

Posted on June 23rd, 2010 by Paulina Aguilera

Looking to move to a greener city? As our finite resources dwindle, the number of cities employing sustainable practices rises. Here are the top greenest cities to move to with the nation’s highest standard of green living:

5. Denver, Colorado

The mayor of Denver recently mandated that all the cities future buildings are to use green concrete. They also have the nation’s greenest arena with the Pepsi Center. The arena uses 100% renewable energy, special parking spots for hybrids, and ample containers for patrons to recycle with. Plans are in the works for the Denver Zoo to become the country’s first LEED Gold Certified zoo! Moving to Denver already sounds like a good idea.

4. Chicago, Illinois

Chicago leads the nation in the most LEED certified buildings. The city recently planted half a million trees and has taken out extra traffic lanes in favor of greener medians. Chicago has an extensive list of various incentives given to homeowners that engage in green living practices and renewable energy. For families with low-income, Chicago is the perfect place to consider for relocation. It has retrofitted certain housing projects to cut down on energy costs and also helps facilitate solar panel use to a demographic traditionally left behind in the green living renovation.

3. Boston, Massachusetts

Boston has launched an aggressive initiative for taxis in the city – by 2015, all taxicabs must be hybrids. Bostonians are also in the process of developing a way to generate power from their famous fall leaves, as well as finding an energy efficient use of discarded cooking oil from local restaurants. In addition, Boston plans on using the city’s trash to further power homes. Be part of this change and move to Boston.

2. San Francisco, California

San Francisco was the first city in the nation to ban the use of plastic bags in grocery stores back in 2007. The city also has a successful composting program that goes into fueling trucks and cars that run on alternative energy. If saving some gas money is something you’re interested in, then moving to San Francisco sounds like a good plan. Most recently, this year, San Francisco’s Mayor has pledged $150 million dollars to greenify some of the city’s homes.

1. Portland, Oregon

Without a doubt the nation’s leader in sustainable practices, Portland was the first city to implement a Global Warming Action Plan back in 1993 when “green” was just another color. About a quarter of the city’s workforce use public transportation, carpool, or bike their way to work every day. There are 35 buildings in the city that have been certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. Most importantly, over 50% of Portland’s energy comes from wind farms, hydroelectric dams, and other sources of green energy!

Move to where the grass is greener – choose a green city to make your new home in and watch as your carbon footprint diminishes with the help of your new city’s sustainable practices!

Related Articles:

1. Trouble Breathing? Move to One of These Top 5 Cities with Clean Air!
2. Eco-Friendly Dish-Washing: The Ultimate Guide to Greening the Way You Wash Dishes
3. Sell Your Car and Relocate: Top Cities that Support Car-Free Lifestyles

Tags: eco friendly, green, relocation

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010 at 10:46 am and is filed under Local. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.