Baltimore City, called a “port town reinventing itself,” was named the 10th top city in the nation as it moves toward creating a more green environment and improving its overall quality of life, according to a new study.
The SustainLane U.S. City Rankings, by SustainLane Media, ranked the nation’s 50 most populous cities based on 16 economic, environmental and green/clean technology categories like air quality, city commuting, local food and agriculture and water supply.
Baltimore improved since the 2006 landed it the No. 11 position.
“The only thing [the researchers] didn’t include is a sense of economic well-being, which is how well the population is doing job-wise with employment,” said Elizabeth Malone, senior research scientist with the Joint Global Change Research Institute at College Park, a partnership between the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and University of Maryland, which studies global climate change and potential solutions.
Baltimore ranked highest, at No. 5, in the green economy category, as measured by such indicators as green buildings per capita.
It ranked lowest, at No. 37, for its energy and climate change policies, programs and performance, and was No. 29 in air quality.
However, the study’s authors commended Baltimore for creating more than 50 miles of bikeways with a plan to install more light rail.
“As Baltimoreans explore alternative transportation and energy options, they may find their air quality goes up too,” research stated.
The study also referred to Baltimore having a “number of firsts since our last survey,” in particular electing its first female mayor Sheila Dixon.
“Not long after, came new green building requirements, single-stream recycling, and … a dedicated commission charged with creating and implementing a sustainability plan for the city,” according to the study released Monday.
SustainLane Media is media network of individuals and families focused on healthy, sustainable living including local, green friendly businesses, and consumer-generated reviews of new green offerings in the marketplace, according to its Web site.
2008 U.S. City Sustainability Rankings showed Baltimore ranking among the top 10 sustainable cities in the nation:
1) Portland, Ore.
2) San Francisco
3) Seattle
4) Chicago
5) New York
6) Boston
7) Minneapolis
8) Philadelphia
9) Oakland, Calif.
10) Baltimore
Source: SustainLane Media
