22 Cities Take on Climate Change

With global problems as huge as climate disruption, most of us know that we need to do more than stay on top of recycling and waiting for laws to be passed. At ISC, we think cities will play a critical role in protecting our climate for future generations.

So for Earth Day 2010, we counted down to April 22nd on Facebook and Twitter by sharing examples of how cities are improving the quality of life of their residents while saving money and protecting the environment at the same time. Here's the full list:

April 22—Happy Earth Day!

Cleveland is creating employee-owned, sustainable cooperatives that provide green jobs and a living wage to workers in impoverished communities.

April 21

In 2000, residents of Burlington, Vermont developed a 30-year sustainability action plan that continues to change the face of the city through such initiatives as bringing youth onto boards of directors, the adoption of an open space protection plan, a rewrite of zoning laws, a no-idling campaign and ordinance change, bringing healthier and local food into schools, and an anti-racism action plan.

April 20

In spite of its cold and snowy winters, Minneapolis was named best bike city in the U.S. in Bicycling magazine's May 2010 edition. Why? Because the city has made bikeability a priority.

April 19

Guangzhou, China opened a bus rapid transport system in February (giving faster and more efficient service than an ordinary bus line) and already ridership levels are second in the world.

April 18

With a new sustainability officer and environmental commision, Newark is serious about tackling its environmental legacy, starting with cleaning up the Passaic River.

April 17

Countdown to Earth Day, day 17: Operating a typical gas-powered mower for 1 hour produces as much smog-forming hydrocarbon as driving a car 200 miles. So Louisville, KY is offering rebates on air-friendly lawn equipment and promoting air-friendly landscaping.

April 16

Battling traffic congestion, long commute times and the erosion of community life, Denver takes on most ambitious plan for expanding public transit in the United States.

April 15

Philadelphia borrows from nature to manage its stormwater, protecting watersheds from runoff pollution.

April 14

Atlanta’s Livable Centers Initiative and Connect Atlanta Plan are spurring smarter and more sustainable growth by driving investment towards compact, livable communities.

April 13

Richmond, California's award-winning job training program helps workers upgrade their skills to secure higher paying "green collar" jobs.

April 12

In Seattle and surrounding King County, the In Motion program is asking people not to drive alone to reduce the number of cars on the roads. Instead, social media outreach tailored to specific neighborhoods encourage people to walk, bike, take the bus, or carpool. In just five years, drivers have reduced their miles by 1.3 million.

April 11

San Francisco has a new strategy to reduce congestion in its downtown (and allow busses to get through). How? They will curb circling and double-parking by encouraging people to park one or two blocks away in city-owned garages by charging more for the premium downtown spots.

April 10

Can urban farming save Detroit? People are turning abandoned lots into community gardens, involving kids, producing 100 tons of produce a year, and—most importantly—bringing fresh, healthy food to every corner of the city.

April 9

New York City's heavily used standard buses are the slowest in the country, but building more subway lines is too pricey. The solution? A new "Select Service" bus rapid transit system with dedicated lanes.

April 8

Miami has taken on the most ambitious zoning revision in the country, rewriting its code to reflect the physical landscape (rather than basing it in use). Dubbed Miami 21, the new code considers factors such as neighborhood character or walkability rather than just development.

April 7

Kansas City has set a goal of replacing 1 million incandescent lightbulbs with flourescents—the equivalent of removing 13,250 cars from the streets.

April 6

Portland is reducing vehicle traffic, developing rundown neighborhoods, and increasing local jobs by investing in streetcars.

April 5

Boston commits $63 million to overhaul 4,300 public housing units to make them energy efficient. How will they pay for it? With the savings generated by the improvements.

April 4

Austin doesn't want to build new power plants—so they go out of their way to help businesses and homeowners build green. Between 1982 and 2006, they shaved their peak energy use by 700 megawatts alone.

April 3

Toronto pipes cold water from deep under Lake Ontario for its drinking water supply—and on the way to the pumping station, they use the cold of the water to cool the city's air conditioners.

April 2

Babylon, New York allows residents to green their homes at little or no cost. The town covers the cost of the work, and the homeowner pays it back over time in monthly installments that are structured to be less than the projected savings on energy costs—so the retrofits pay for themselves.

April 1

Chicago pushes one of the world's most far-reaching city plans to deal with carbon emissions—with a plan to reduce emissions to 25% below 1990 levels in 10 years (and the green roof on City Hall is pretty cool, too).