How Do You Green a City?

One could debate the cause and effect relationship between the increasing sustainability of American cities and their recent population growth, but whether people are moving to cites because they are more sustainable or city sustainability is rising because of the benefits of increased population, the fact is that U.S. cities continue to lead in the global effort to confront climate change.

The Guide to Greening Cities, a new book by urban sustainability leaders Steve Nicholas, Julia Parzen, and Sadhu Johnston, details how cities are advancing climate and sustainability innovation and offers specific recommendations that leaders in any city can follow to replicate these best practices.

Author Steve Nicholas describes the purpose for the book as an effort to highlight urban best practices that can be replicated anywhere.

“Our main goal in writing this book was to capture and share the details about the local climate and sustainability movement that is sweeping the nation, albeit somewhat quietly,” he said. “There is so much innovation happening at the local level, so many stories being written, if not told. That’s a tremendous source of hope to me and my co-authors — and, we think, to others who want to be part of the climate solution and who love America’s cities, towns, villages and regions.”

The Guide to Greening Cities is the first book written from the perspective of municipal leaders with successful, on-the-ground experience working to advance green city goals. Through personal reflections and interviews with leading municipal staff in cities from San Antonio to Minneapolis, the authors share lessons for cities to lead by example in their operations, create programs, implement high-priority initiatives, develop partnerships, measure progress, secure funding, and engage the community.