Issues > March/April 2005 (#107) > The Top 10 Green Cities in the U.S.: 2005

The Top 10 Green Cities in the U.S.: 2005

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Honolulu, HI

Honolulu (pop 372,000) ranks very high in clean air and water standards. In fact, the American Lung Association put Honolulu in second place (behind Santa Fe) on its list of top 25 cleanest cities for year-round small particle pollution. The Hawaiian capital was also rated the most livable, sustainable large city in the world by the United-Nations-endorsed International Awards for Livable Communities in 2004. This rating came in recognition of Honolulu's excellent energy program, which slashed energy use and converted city vehicles to biodiesel, its many sustainable tourism programs, and the fact that the city has become a pioneer in land-use management by establishing urban growth boundaries. The city has moved aggressively to protect shoreline areas, preserve public view plains and support island agriculture by advancing an initiative to save 83,000 acres of agricultural land. And all that shoreline offers excellent opportunities for hiking, surfing, diving and snorkeling.

Madison, WI

Madison has many fine points, but stands out most as a bike-friendly city. The first municipality in the nation to implement curbside recycling of newspapers in 1968, Madison (pop 208,054) ranks in the top third of affordable cities, has excellent air quality according to the EPA and has several impressive renewable energy incentives. Although only seven percent of Madison's residents commute using the bus, ten percent commute walking or biking, owing to the city's extensive system of over 100 miles of bikeways. In fact, there are over 150,000 bicycles in Madison, which puts the ratio of bikes to cars in the city at 3:2. And Madison was named one of the 20 best walking cities in 2005 by Prevention Magazine. Downhill skiing and snowboarding are popular at nearby Cascade Mountain and Tyrol Basin and there are many cross-country trails in parks close to the city.

Minneapolis, MN

Minneapolis (382,618 pop), the larger of the twin cities, devotes 15 percent of its city land to parks and preserves, not counting the thousands of nearby lakes. Those lakes help account for Minneapolis's comparatively high water quality ranking—sixth out of 25 U.S. cities examined—in a 2004 drinking water survey by Organic Style Magazine. Minneapolis ranks in the top third of affordable cities, and its integrated public transit system and bike-friendly-status allow 23 percent of its population to commute without a car. A successful solar-electric rebate program offered by Minnesota State's Department of Commerce encourages businesses and residents to hook solar systems up to the city's grid. Lakes within and around Minneapolis make canoeing popular and a trip into the Iron Range up north offers excellent bird- and wolf-watching as well as ice-fishing, skating and cross-country skiing.

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