Sustainability

The Portland Biz Journal has the news: The Rose City has been named the #1 city for sustainable living, bumping San Francisco to #2.

Portland is a role model for the nation, according to SustainLane.com, a San Francisco Web site that tracks "healthy and sustainable living."

Portland ranked No. 1 out of 50 cities in the 2006 SustainLane City Rankings, edging out San Francisco, which was No. 1 last year in the first year of rankings, when Portland was No. 2. Seattle, which ranked No. 4 last year, is No. 3 for 2006.

And what did they like about us? Let us count the ways:

• green building incentives
• carpool coordination
• car sharing
• free public transit downtown.
• being the first city in the United States to track greenhouse gases
• using renewable energy
• equipping 25 percent of the city's fleet to use alternative fuels
• the large number of farmers markers in the area.
• and Portland's sustainability plan, the sustainability management office and the ongoing collaborative research with federal laboratories, universities and nongovernment organizations.

Sustainability fans can see Mayor Potter receive a special award on behalf of the city Saturday night before the Rose Festival parade.

(Thanks to Wendy for the tip.)