Springfield Ranks High As Smart City

SPRINGFIELD RANKS HIGH AS SMART CITY

July 15, 2009

for more information:Ernie Slottag 789-2235

As part of the Natural Resources Defense Council’s (NRDC) Smarter Cities Project, Springfield, Illinois has been ranked fourth overall in an evaluation of medium-sized cities because of high marks for being an efficient, responsible and sustainable city. The evaluation included environmental initiatives, transportation infrastructure, zoning, building codes and waste management programs as well as improving access to open space, green jobs, affordable efficient housing and more. Previously known as the Green Guide, this project was undertaken to create a portrait of the progress that U.S. cities are making to move toward environmental stewardship and sustainability.

To determine which cities exhibit leadership roles as Smarter Cities, information was solicited from 655 cities of different population sizes from all around the country. The responses were combined with existing research from independent sources and then ranked across nine different sustainability criteria. The Natural Resources Defense Council has launched a new website http://www.smartercities.nrdc.org/cities/springfield-il, that present the results of that research along with profiles of the top-ranking cities including Springfield, Illinois.
“We already know that Springfield is a leader in sustainability, but it is gratifying to know that others agree that we are on the right track,” Mayor Tim Davlin said. “From designing and building a new clean coal power plant to maintaining a high quality water supply, Springfield came in ahead of dozens of other mid size American cities.”

“Our efforts to develop and maintain green space within the city is a strong point that did not go unnoticed in the research. Included was our top ten listing for transportation. Once high speed rail becomes a reality, that ranking should dramatically improve because we will be saving fossil fuels by getting more automobiles off our highways.”

Smarter Cities ranked Springfield number one in air quality, number 3 in environmental standards and participation, number 4 in water quality, and number 5 in green space. Springfield was also rated in the top ten for recycling and transportation.

Smarter Cities is a project of the Natural Resources Defense Council, a non-profit, multimedia web initiative whose mission is to foster friendly competition as well as provide a forum for exploring the progress American cities are making in environmental stewardship and sustainable growth. Smarter Cities is a destination site for all who have a stake in their cities to learn about best practices and initiatives, share ideas and innovative solutions.

Annual research and analysis of factors of environmental sustainability and livability in cities is the cornerstone of the Smarter Cities Project. The 2008 Smarter Cities Study marks the fourth round of an independent investigation of cities first initiated by Green Guide, now part of National Geographic. The original Smarter Cities study was undertaken in 2005, using an interview format and online data collection. In 2006, a graduate student from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies was brought on to help create a comprehensive online survey to assess factors of environmental sustainability and livability in all cities with more than 100,000 people in the United States. No study was undertaken in 2007, the year Green Guide merged with National Geographic.

In 2008 the scope was greatly expanded to include all cities in the United States with populations larger than 50,000 to allow a more comprehensive and detailed analysis. Cities were grouped into three size categories to enable comparison between those with similar environmental challenges and constraints on social and financial resources. By expanding the scope and refining the analysis, one of the nation's most comprehensive and robust database of U.S. urban progress toward sustainability was assembled.

The Scoring/Criteria page provides a description of the sustainability and livability criteria used to compare and rank cities. The information contained in this publication is intended for general use, to assist public knowledge and discussion and to help improve the sustainability of urban environments. It includes general statements based on scientific research.

- reposted from the City of Springfields home page http://www.springfield.il.us/