If you are looking for an example of what a smallish city (a little under 60,000 people) can do to develop a green economy and to pursue sustainability, take a look at Dubuque, Iowa. Dubuque, like many other US cities, has struggeled with the loss of employment that has come with this nation's decision to de-industrialize its economy. With the firm guidance of Mayor Roy Buel and a very supportive city council, Dubuque has decided to invest heavily in building a green and sustainable economy. This has included attracting IBM into the city, both to provide jobs and to make major contributions to the city's effort to manage energy resources. Check the city's sustainability web site for more information.
There was a recent story on PBS' Newshour, a story presented by Miles O'Brien, that highlighted these efforts. Of course, O'Brien isn't particularly well versed in the broader issues of sustainable cities, but the report does a nice job of presenting the facts. It also discussed some of the potential downside to this particular kind of sustainable development where a city tries to attract a high profile "anchor" employer -- in this case IBM -- with significant financial incentives. The essential issue, not framed very well in this story, is whether the city might have been better off job-wise if it had decided to invest the SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY in existing local and locally-owned green businesses. To view the PBS story, go to the Newshour web site.