Kent Portney's "Our Green Cities" Blog

Updated List of Official "Sustainable Cities"

I have recently updated the list of US cities that have official sustainability policies and programs, and the list is presented below.  Just click on the link to the pdf file. The number of cities grows steadily, reaching by my count 47 major cities.  There are also smaller cities and towns, such as Stuart FL and Burlington VT that are not on the list below. I might add them just to try to be comprehensive.  Please let me know if you discover that I have missed any city that you think should be on the list.

In the next couple of weeks, I will update the "rankings" of the cities with respect to how robust their sustainability programs are.  This updated list will appear on the "ourgreencities" web site found at http://ourgreeencities.com/ .

Download 47citylist.pdf

Follow up to the Grand Rapids Conference

Norman Christopher forwarded to me this story about the conference in Grand Rapids that I mentioned back on June 28.  Take a look at the story at:
http://www.rapidgrowthmedia.com/features/sustain6307.aspx

Sustainable Cities and the Royal Geographic Society Conference

If you are interested in research on sustainable cities in the UK and around the world, the annual conference of the Royal Geographic Society, at the end of August 2007, has lots to offer.  There are numerous sessions or panels on various topics, including one three on the subject of Communities, Civil Society and Social Capital for Sustainability.  I am on one of these panels. Check out the paper topics and presenters at
http://www.rgs.org/WhatsOn/Annual+Conference+07/Programme/Programme+Wednesday.htm

My panel is URGR1(3) on Wednesday, but there are other very interesting panels.  Later this month, I will post some information about the paper I will be delivering.

One of the plenary speeches will be given by David Gibbs from the University of Hull on Neoliberalism, Ecological Modernisation and the Sustainable City. 

Let me know if you find this useful, or if you know about other conferences on sustainable cities. I'd be happy to post any information here.