Skip to content

Green Revolution Sweeping Through U.S. Cities

Neil Peirce of the American Prospect sums up sustainable practices in several American cities,

Neil Peirce of the American Prospect sums up sustainable practices in several American cities,

A “green revolution” is burgeoning in America’s cities and towns.

If the new, green, urban alchemy has an epicenter, it’s Chicago. A big share of the credit goes to Mayor Richard J. Daley and his allies. There’s a green roof on City Hall and greenery along roadway medians stretching out into the neighborhoods. Asphalt schoolyards have been converted to grass, vacant lots turned into community gardens, greenways and wildlife habitat nurtured.

Out across the nation, there’s fast-growing demand for public transit to save energy and transit-oriented development to curb sprawl. The move for major regional rail systems has now reached far beyond New York and Chicago, Boston and San Francisco to traditionally auto-dependent cities like Dallas, Denver, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, Albuquerque, Houston, and even Los Angeles.

Photo is of the green roof on Chicago City Hall’s: FrancisDre/Flickr

Photo of Jason Varone
Jason Varone battles the streets everyday during a 9 mile commute on his bicycle from downtown Brooklyn to the Upper East Side. In addition to his efforts on Streetsblog, he is an artist making work related to the environment and technology. Examples of his work can be found at www.varonearts.org.

Streetsblog has migrated to a new comment system. New commenters can register directly in the comments section of any article. Returning commenters: your previous comments and display name have been preserved, but you'll need to reclaim your account by clicking "Forgot your password?" on the sign-in form, entering your email, and following the verification link to set a new password — this is required because passwords could not be carried over during the migration. For questions, contact tips@streetsblog.org.

More from Streetsblog USA

Florida Town Gives New Residents Free Golf Carts to Replace Their Cars

April 16, 2026

Thursday’s Headlines Shouldn’t Have to Buy a Car

April 16, 2026

Where the Hottest Blocks in Your City Are — And How To Cool Them Down

April 15, 2026

Wednesday’s Headlines Hop on Board Carefully

April 15, 2026

Ask An Insurance Industry Insider: Safe Streets Are The Best Way To Bring Down Insurance Costs

April 15, 2026
See all posts