philip
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By Donna Goodison
Thursday, June 1, 2006
Boston ranks eighth among the nation?s 50 largest cities when it comes to sustainability, according to a survey unveiled today by SustainLane.com.
Portland, Ore., topped the list.
Sustainability is generally defined as the ability of current generations to meet their needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
?We just want cities to develop healthier economies for citizens, better quality of life and to be prepared for events like rising energy prices, so that they?re more economically and more environmentally sustainable,? said Warren Karlenzig, chief strategy officer at SustainLane, a nonpartisan San Francisco-based Web site.
Boston ranked 12th last year, when the 25 largest cities were compared.
Areas of improvement included a first-place ranking in the local food and agriculture category for the Hub?s 13 farmers markets and 175 community gardens.
Boston had the third-highest rate of public transit use in the nation at 32 percent and scored fourth overall in the transportation and commuting category.
The Hub was No. 3 for planning and land use, which takes into account sprawl and the percentage of parklands.
While the city had the top East Coast rank for deriving 8.6 percent of its energy from renewable sources, it did not score as well for its green building incentives.
?I think the city looks to the state for a lot of those things,? Karlenzig said.
Boston?s poorest showings included 42nd among the 50 cities for housing affordability and 40th for tap water quality, as ranked by the National Resources Defense Council. The city placed 33rd for road congestion.
Thursday, June 1, 2006
Boston ranks eighth among the nation?s 50 largest cities when it comes to sustainability, according to a survey unveiled today by SustainLane.com.
Portland, Ore., topped the list.
Sustainability is generally defined as the ability of current generations to meet their needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
?We just want cities to develop healthier economies for citizens, better quality of life and to be prepared for events like rising energy prices, so that they?re more economically and more environmentally sustainable,? said Warren Karlenzig, chief strategy officer at SustainLane, a nonpartisan San Francisco-based Web site.
Boston ranked 12th last year, when the 25 largest cities were compared.
Areas of improvement included a first-place ranking in the local food and agriculture category for the Hub?s 13 farmers markets and 175 community gardens.
Boston had the third-highest rate of public transit use in the nation at 32 percent and scored fourth overall in the transportation and commuting category.
The Hub was No. 3 for planning and land use, which takes into account sprawl and the percentage of parklands.
While the city had the top East Coast rank for deriving 8.6 percent of its energy from renewable sources, it did not score as well for its green building incentives.
?I think the city looks to the state for a lot of those things,? Karlenzig said.
Boston?s poorest showings included 42nd among the 50 cities for housing affordability and 40th for tap water quality, as ranked by the National Resources Defense Council. The city placed 33rd for road congestion.