Myths about Sustainable Cities: Disproved

Rural and suburban living has often been touted as being more environmentally sustainable. However, research has shown that urban areas have more people living in a small space, thus making it possible to use this proximity to save resources such as energy, fuel for transportation etc. This also decreases the social cost to residents by lowering factors such as time wasted in commuting and raising others such as spending time with friends and family.

Another misleading notion is that bigger cities have bigger projects targeted toward a sustainable living. This is because they have more resources to focus on green initiatives- they have entrepreneurs, they have hi-tech facilities that they can utilize toward green technologies. Examples of Seattle and New York’s green campaigns add credence to this notion. However, medium sized and small cities also have a thriving green outlook. In fact, they even have some advantages over their bigger industrial counterparts in achieving this. Smaller cities are more affordable in terms of housing and commercial rental space, thus translating to a lower cost of business. Furthermore, local government support to green start ups has a more significant impact on developing a culture of sustainable businesses. Smaller cities also have an abundance of low-cost, unused factory space that can be utilized.

Another myth is to feel that environmentally sustainable cities can only be ‘created’- they cannot be transformed especially from being highly polluted, industrial capitals to green, sustainable, thriving industries. The New York Times article, “In Arabian Desert, a Sustainable City Rises” cites the new city of Masdar as a break-through in the world’s vision of sustainable cities- as its first zero-carbon city. However, the discussion of green and sustainable cities has been around since a very long time, and there are numerous examples of transformed urban areas around the world. The following examples show that a “green” vision, political ingenuity and persistence, and the support of private institutions can revitalize a region’s economy, reduce global warming emissions, and provide a stewardship model for the world to emulate (UCSUSA 2009).

The Guardian’s Leon Kaye examines the sustainable culture of Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Columbus, Ohio (Link: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sustainable-business/small-medium-cities-sustianability-milwaukee-columbus). When Milwaukee saw its manufacturing sector decline, entrepreneurs began to turn abandoned factory space and brownfield sites into urban farms such as Growing Power. Its beer companies, such as Lakefront Brewery, have revitalized neighborhoods, use more local and organic ingredients and provide economic growth as they expand their businesses. Affected by the surrounding green projects, Harley-Davidson is slowly increasing its green efforts, including the recycling initiatives that benefit other local businesses. Additionally, the city government only puts organic fertilizer through the city’s sewage system, and the government has collaborated with the private sector to encourage solar energy utilization and green building designs.

Columbus is in the middle of America’s rust belt and belongs to a state that is highly dependent on coal for energy. However, the city is working with businesses to utilize old factory spaces and industrial sites for green initiatives, akin to Milwaukee. Entrepreneurs are coming up of ways to make all buildings energy efficient while the city has a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2% annually and, to that end, a pilot program is in place between the federal Environmental Protection Agency and local manufacturers to reduce their factories' emissions. The E3 program has since expanded and is saving businesses millions of dollars a year in energy costs while creating new jobs. The City has also enacted a Green Spot program that monitor monthly waste amounts, makes firms commit to recycled materials, and prescribes guidelines on waste and energy audits.

According to Kaye, “Both Milwaukee and Columbus benefit from local universities that have a focus on sustainability, as well as attracting local entrepreneurs who want a big city lifestyle without the high price tag. Also, the green movement is not just relegated to cities that are state capitals or old industrial centers. Smaller cities are also involved: Wisconsin towns of Middleton and River Falls are bringing together local stakeholders to find a way to meld economic growth and environmental stewardship.”

Our very own Pittsburgh also presents itself as a great example of a transforming, mid-sized, urban city. In the late 1860s, covered with black smoke and characterized by factories, author James Parton called Pittsburgh “hell with the lid off” (Parton 1868). Architect Frank Lloyd Wright said abandoning Pittsburgh was the only way to improve the city. But by the 1970s, as the city’s industrial economy declined, Pittsburgh’s leaders made “green” buildings part of their revitalization plan. In 2007, Pittsburgh was named the tenth-cleanest city in the world (Malone 2007). Today, Pittsburgh is a leader in green buildings and redevelopment of its old industrial sites- Pittsburgh has at least 24 LEED-certified buildings, ranking it fifth among U.S. cities (USGBC 2008).

Pittsburgh’s Convention Center, for example, built on a former brownfield site, is the world’s first Gold LEED-certified convention center.  Three fourth of the lighting is provided by natural daylight while sensor-controlled lights, natural ventilation, use of potable water and other efficiency measures cut energy use by 35 percent—saving the building’s owners an estimated $500,000 each year (DLCC 2009; SEA 2008).

These initiatives were first undertaken by philanthropic investments such as the Heinz Endowment and Mellon Foundation, but were quickly taken up by the City government. The City Council adopted incentives that allow green buildings to be 20 % taller than others and set up the Mayor’s Green Initiative Trust Fund in 2008 to oversee Pittsburgh’s five-year plan for green initiatives. Investing in a green economy has not only saved energy, but has also attracted businesses and created jobs. According to UCSUSA, “The Pittsburgh region expects to see 76,000 jobs related to renewable energy during the next two decades. That trend has already begun with the recent announcement that EverPower Wind Holdings was opening an office in the city, and with the startup of two solar manufacturing companies.”

Thus, the afore mentioned examples have shown that building green can reduce energy demand, curb global warming emissions, save consumers money, reduce social cost and stimulate a green economy. But more importantly, they have shown that sustainable cities need not be ‘built’- they can be transformed. This transformation is not something only reserved for rural or suburban space, nor is it something that only the biggest cities can accomplish. It is a possibility for all urban mid-sized and small cities, provided they have the will to do so.