Cities Going "Clean"

When you think of the typical city profile, what comes to mind? Cabs, skyscrapers, crowds, but something we don't always consider is pollution. Smog, garbage, and grime are covering cities and making them down right disgusting. Fortunately, there are a few cities known for just the opposite. Portland, Oregon rolls in as number one cleanest city in America. This city is designed with preservation of land in mind. It is centered around a city-like urban area that is limited by a circular boundary. Developmental expansion is not permitted outside of the center, for fear of compromising the agricultural farm land and natural space. Number two on the list is the newly-transformed San Jose, California. Tired of being known for its massive chemical leak in the early 80's, San Jose has turned over a new leaf and even taken a lead in environmental movements. This city has since gone above and beyond national regulations on pollution and is now a model city nationwide. Ranked third cleanest city in the country, Buffalo, New York, has a new form of clean energy. Clean hydroelectric energy generated by Niagara Falls powers this factory-free city. Buffalo is currently working on a wind-farm off the shores of Lake Erie that will launch its clean energy levels off the charts! More and more cities are striving to "get clean" these days. Cities once known as urban disasters are making the slow (but necessary) transitions into cities we can be proud of.
Ellen Studer
BestWeekends.com