OurGreenCities.com featuring Dr. Kent Portney, Ph.D. from Tufts University announced their 2011 ranking of the 54 largest cities plus Pittsburgh ranked by their city government’s sustainability efforts. The Sustainability Score summarizes the number of sustainability-related programs and policies each city has adopted and implemented.

The criteria used to evaluate cities is below:

Smart Growth Activities

   1. Eco-industrial park development

   2. Targeted or cluster green economic development

   3. Eco-village/urban infill or transit-oriented housing project or program

   4. Brownfield redevelopment (project or pilot project)

Land Use Planning Programs, Policies, and Zoning

   5. Zoning used to delineate environmentally sensitive growth areas

   6. Comprehensive land use plan that includes environmental issues

   7. Tax or fee incentives for environmentally friendly development

Transportation Planning Programs and Policies

   8. Operation or sponsorship of public transit (buses and/or trains)

   9. Limits on downtown parking spaces

 10. Car pool lanes  (HOV or diamond lanes) on city streets

 11. Alternatively fueled city vehicle (green fleet) program

 12. Bicycle ridership or bicycle sharing program

Pollution Prevention, Reduction, and Remediation

 13. Household solid waste recycling

14. Industrial recycling

 15. Hazardous waste recycling

 16. Air pollution reduction program (i.e. VOC reduction)

 17. Recycled product purchasing by city government (adopted policy)

 18. Superfund (non-brownfield) site remediation

 19. Asbestos abatement program

 20. Lead paint abatement program

 21. Pesticide reduction program

 22. Urban garden/sustainable food system or agriculture program

Energy and Resource Conservation/Efficiency

 23. Green building program

 24. Green affordable/low income housing program

 25. Renewable energy use by city government

 26. Energy conservation effort (other than Green building program)

 27. Alternative energy offered to consumers (solar, wind, biogas, etc.)

 28. Water conservation or protection program

Sustainable Indicators Project

 29. Indicators project active in last five years

 30. Indicators progress report in last five years

 31. Does indicators project include “action plan” of policies/programs?

Organization/Administration/Management/Coordination/Governance

 32. Single government office or official, or nonprofit agency, responsible for implementing sustainability programs

 33. Sustainability an explicit part of a citywide comprehensive/general plan

 34. Involvement of city council

35. Involvement of mayor or chief executive officer

 36. Involvement of metropolitan or county-wide planning council

 37. Involvement of the business community (e.g. Chamber of Commerce, Sustainable Business organization)

 38. General public involvement (public hearings, visioning process, Neighborhood groups or associations, etc.)

 For more information about the ranking please visit http://ourgreencities.com/.