AFTER THIS SUMMER OF RECKONING with climate change, cities around the world will inevitably be ramping up efforts to deal with the impact of extreme weather and build a more sustainable future for the people who live there. In some forward-thinking places, however, such efforts have already long been under way—and point the way to a greener future.
These leading-edge initiatives go beyond a program here or there to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or an emergency plan to cope with heat waves, floods and wildfires. Instead, they involve a serious reimagining of urban lifestyles and design in an era of climate challenges that’s technologically advanced yet human-focused, that aims to minimize environmental impact while enhancing quality of life, and that is economically sound while ensuring that all residents reap the benefits.
To be a city on the leading edge of sustainability, says Andy Hong, director of the Healthy Aging and Resilient Places Lab at the University of Utah, “It’s a balancing act of improving environmental sustainability and social equity while sustaining economic development.”
To do this, Hong says, legislation and action need to focus on three key areas: clean building, clean transportation and clean energy. They also have to benefit diverse communities. “Low-income and racial minority communities historically have been left out of the environmental movement [yet] have experienced disproportionate burden from environmental hazards,” says Hong. “There needs to be a lot of effort to ensure equitable distribution of benefits and resources when it comes to sustainability initiatives.”
Here is a look at five places that are getting it right in very different ways—from Charlotte, North Carolina’s leadership in building a circular economy to Singapore’s singular mix of nature and urban design to Paris’ determination to shake up the City of Lights and make next year’s Olympics a showcase of sustainability. What they have in common is this: All are leading the way towards healthier, environmentally smart futures, through practically achievable actions.
FREIBURG
A CITY BUILT TO BE GREEN
TALK ABOUT A PLACE THAT’S AHEAD OF ITS TIME. THE medieval city on the edge of Germany’s Black
