Map shows the greenest cities in the United States

As urban areas in the United States grow, many cities are trying to reduce their environmental impact while promoting sustainability. News week plotted the greenest of them on a map.

The election is less than two weeks away, with early voting already underway, and the two candidates’ positions on environmental issues often seem at odds with one another.

But these “green cities” are leading the way by investing in clean energy, expanding public transportation and creating green spaces that improve air quality and promote healthy living.

Newsweek The map of “greenest” cities is based on a recent report from WalletHub.

To determine its ranking, the report compared the 100 largest U.S. cities along four dimensions: environment, transportation, energy sources, and lifestyle and politics.

Twenty-eight “green indicators” were used to assess each city’s position, which included, but were not limited to, per capita greenhouse gas emissions, water quality and employment opportunities. greens.

The cities ranked in the top 10 overall were:

1. San Diego, California
2. Washington, D.C.
3. Honolulu, HI
4. San Francisco, California
5. San Jose, California
6. Seattle, Washington
7. Oakland, California
8. Portland, Oregon
9. Fremont, California
10. Irvine, California

San Diego claims the top spot as the “greenest” city in America.

The report says this is partly because the California city leads the nation in the number of solar panel installations per capita. More than 43 percent of the city’s electricity comes from renewable energy sources, which the study found is the seventh highest percentage in the United States.

WalletHub also cited the city’s plastic bag ban and high number of organic farms per capita as factors behind its high ranking.

California cities dominate many of the highest positions on the list, with 13 Democratic-governed Golden State cities ranked among the 25.

Alex Stack, a spokesperson for California Gov. Gavin Newsom said News week: “California has taken world-leading steps to clean our air and reduce pollution in our communities. As the world’s 5th largest economy, we are proving that bold climate action is not only good for our environment: it fuels our economy.”

A September survey found that, of 11 key election issues, the Democratic candidate, Vice President Kamala Harris, led in three (one of which was the environment), while the Republican candidate, former President Donald Trump, led in the other eight.

Washington, DC comes in second

WalletHub said Washington leads the United States in the number of community supported agriculture (CSA) groups and community gardens per capita. The report notes that Washington also ranks eighth in the number of farmers’ markets per capita.

The city had the fourth highest percentage of energy from renewable sources in the country, almost 50 percent. There was also the 15^th-the highest number of alternative vehicle fueling stations, as well as the ninth highest number of solar panel installations per capita.

Additionally, the report states that the capital has the fourth lowest percentage of commuters who drive to work alone.

Honolulu, Hawaii, ranks third.

According to the study, the city had the second lowest greenhouse gas emissions and third best air quality in America, as well as the lowest light pollution.

The report commends Honolulu for designating 18 percent of the city as parkland, or 16^th-the highest percentage of all cities examined. The city also had the eighth most trails and bike paths per capita.

Finally, Honolulu got the 18^th-most green job offers per capita and a large number of community garden plots per capita.

Interested in other comparisons between American cities? News week has already mapped America’s best small towns and America’s “smartest” cities

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