Plentiful Parks

Parks are the “lungs of the city,” architect Frederic Law Olmsted famously said about New York’s Central Park. From the 500-year-old Giardino della Guastella in Milan to Vienna’s Stadtpark, parks provide both a place for harried city residents to take a deep breath, relax, and connect with nature, and a cooling counter to the heat-island effect created by all that asphalt.

Public green space improve the quality of life of urban dwellers and serve as a buffer against flooding.

Efficient Public Transportation

Whether they’re high-tech or humble, transit solutions that allow people to get around quickly and easily without a car are a key element to a green city. The most sustainable transit systems utilize clean technologies and reduce CO2 emissions.

Some cities have sleek and shiny metro systems, while others provide bus-only lanes. The best public transit systems meet the needs of the population with reliable service and convenient routes.

Quality Public Space

Amid all the skyscrapers and busy roadways, a good green city has places that are built (or renovated) to human scale, places where people can safely walk and happily gather.

Whether it’s New York’s High Line, an old railway bed converted into an aerial walkway, or a popular pedestrian-only shopping area in Copenhagen, such places not only encourage getting around on foot, but reduce the need for large private dwellings by creating communal space for people to enjoy.

Bike Lanes

While the density of cities makes them great in theory for getting around by bike, heavy traffic (and angry drivers) can make cycling unpleasant and even dangerous without designated lanes.

The most bike-friendly cities create separated bike paths, provide safe parking, offer charging stations for e-bikes, institute bike-sharing programs, and allow cyclists to bring their bikes on buses and trains for longer trips.

High-profile Green Buildings

Showcase developments that seek to be the biggest, tallest, fill-in-the-blank-iest green buildings may get flak for their aesthetics or be seen simply as “window dressing” for governments and corporations seeking green credibility.

But as long as they’re not all a city’s doing, prominent, striking eco-friendly structures such as the San Francisco Federal Building or the green roof on Chicago’s city hall provide very visible symbols of green intentions and draw attention to the latest technologies.

Comprehensive Recycling and Composting Programs

Yes, recycling is the classic individual environmental act, but it’s not much good without an entity to provide conveniently placed bins and reliable collection.

The greenest city initiatives are going further than gathering cans and bottles, by adding electronics and food waste to the list of items recycled and composted, and by instituting larger-scale programs to recycle water for park and agriculture irrigation.

Mixed-use and Infill Development

Good planning is key to a green city. While other metropolises sprawl further and further out, Hamburg, Germany has turned an obsolete harbor into a walkable mixed-use neighborhood with office, retail, entertainment, and residential space. Similarly, Atlanta’s Centennial Yards is bringing office, retail, and residential space to the city’s downtown area which already houses a multi-purpose arena and stadium.

Such projects recycle existing space that’s already woven into the urban fabric, making them easy to get to and get around.

Green Leadership

Not every city official is going to be a “knight on a shining bicycle” as London Mayor Boris Johnson has been called. But government officials can be heroes in their own right for promoting wind, solar, and hydroelectric power, requiring solar installations on new and renovated buildings, and revitalizing city parks.

An active citizenry provides leadership from the ground up to prod or encourage politicians to develop great green projects.

Smart Energy Policies

Buying renewable energy and mandating efficiency measures are two ways a city can use its economic clout to help build a market for greener products while lowering its own environmental impact (and, often, operating costs). Norway’s sophisticated trash program allows the city’s waste to be burned and converted to energy to heat the city.

Over 100 U.S. cities and counties have partnered with the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for Cities certification program to institute actionable plans to reduce carbon emissions and create sustainable waste, transportation, energy, and water systems.

Good Green Fun

Going green shouldn’t be all work and no play. The best green cities celebrate their eco-friendly lifestyles with farmers’ markets full of local tasty treats, bars and restaurants serving the best organic fare, intriguing exhibits by ecologically minded artists, and music festivals that offer bike valet parking and solar-powered stages.