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USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION
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Green Living These cities get high marks for environmental appeal
Raspberry Island on the Mississippi River in St. Paul, Minn. VISIT SAINT PAUL
By Michelle Washington
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HERE ARE MANY WAYS to
live a more sustainable existence: taking public transportation instead of driving; buying reusable products to reduce landfill waste; planting trees to help clean the air. But where you live can also play a big role in your impact on the environment. Large amounts of park space, a low percentage of driving commuters, ac-
cess to farmers markets and minimal waste per capita are traits green cities have in common. What are the most eco-friendly cities in the U.S.? It depends on who you ask. In 2020, career research company Zippia compared 99 cities based on their walkability, car ownership, commute length, tons of waste per person and acres of parkland per 1,000 people. The company used data from the U.S. Census, Save on Energy and the Trust for Public Land to compile its rankings.
Landing in the No. 1 spot is St. Paul, Minn., a port city located on the Mississippi River. “Minnesotans are some of the least wasteful people in the United States — only tossing out 12 tons of waste per person. That’s about 26 less tons than everyone in Nevada,” Zippia says in its report. “St. Paul may not be the most walkable city, with only some errands being walkable. However, average commutes are short, making St. Paul the greenest city in the U.S.”
Home to more than 308,000 people, St. Paul ranked high for its low waste per person and residents’ access to parkland. Chief Resilience Officer Russ Stark says the city, of which 16.6 percent is parkland, has emphasized access to green space with an initiative that has resulted in 95 percent of residents living within a 10-minute walk to a park — and efforts are underway to reach 100 percent. CONTINUED
