Imagine a world where city centers are smog-free and full of thriving green ecosystems, with more cyclists and pedestrians than cars. While this vision might seem straight out of a fairy tale, sustainable cities are working to achieve this idyllic urban setting.
Yet the U.S. is home to zero of the top 10 most sustainable cities in the world. New York City is the first U.S. metropolitan to make the list at number 14, followed by San Francisco and Seattle, at 16 and 19 respectively. It’s clear that America has a long way to go in terms of making its dense urban centers sustainable.
So how can the U.S. rise to the challenge? Read on to discover popular features our cities can adopt. We’ll also cover how sustainability is a risk mitigation strategy in the fight against climate change (and what this means for your home insurance cost). For a visual guide, jump to our infographic.
10. Waste management
Rather than throwing waste away only to end up in a landfill, disposal processes should be circular. While many (if not all) cities have adopted recycling programs, more aggressive urban centers have seen huge gains over the last 20-30 years. In San Francisco, recycling and composting mandates have helped the city achieve a waste diversion of more than 77%.
Energy recovery is a great solution for waste that can’t be recycled using traditional methods. This process captures fly ash burned at landfill sites and converts it back into energy.
Using technology to go paperless is another great way to promote sustainability on a city-wide scale. Many government offices have moved forms and applications online, which is both quicker and less wasteful than mailing or dropping papers off.