CityStories / City Profiles / Medium Cities / Spokane, Washington
Population: 195,629
- Greenhouse gas reduction
- Brownfield reclamation
- Green space preservation
- Clean-fuel fleet initiative
- Green building
- City of Spokane Official Website
Photo Galleries
Friends of the Falls, which works to keep the riverside free of garbage and debris with annual clean-ups." />
Spokane, Washington
Just west of the Idaho Rockies, Spokane straddles the Spokane River in the plains of Eastern Washington. A signatory to the U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, the city has committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions 7 percent below 1990 levels by 2012.
In March 2009, the city released its sustainability action plan, focusing on mitigating the effects of global warming, adapting to them where necessary and achieving a secure energy supply.
The greening of Spokane got a kick start in 1974 when the city hosted the world's fair—with its theme of environmentalism—on two islands in the Spokane river. The smallest city to host a World's Fair, Spokane used the opportunity to revitalize blighted areas which had been covered by railway yards, transforming them into Riverfront Park. While the city has changed significantly since then, the momentum of that period continues to drive environmental initiatives, and every year nonprofit Friends of the Falls organizes an annual riverfront clean-up—in 2008 more than 800 volunteers removed over eight tons of garbage.
Today, the city is retrofitting its diesel fleet with pollution-control devices and is overhauling City Hall's HVAC system to provide a large reduction in natural gas consumption. The city is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council and sponsors the local Built Green program.
Photo Credit: Megapolis2024/FlickrIt feels a bit strange to be sitting in the middle of one of the world’s wealthiest neighborhoods, and to be so thoroughly engrossed in...
Twenty-two U.S. cities have been named "2010 Smarter Cities" for their investment in green power, energy efficiency measures and conservation by the Natural Resources Defense...
No Cars But Plenty of Life on Broadway. Credit: Paul McRandleThe Natural Resources Defense Council's Smarter Cities project has named fifteen U.S. metropolitan regions...
Credit: Adrian World/FlickrUrban heat island effect takes a toll on Austin: In the middle of the summer, ubiquitous air conditioners dump heat outdoors while black-topped...
Credit: KLINX/FlickrIt’s not just its proximity to green superstar Portland that makes Beaverton, Oregon, an energy leader. To be sure, it benefits from, for example,...
Mayor Tom Bates created Berkeley FIRST—the first program of its kind in the world—to allow residents to pay for solar installations as a voluntary long-term assessment...
A recumbent cycle on Martin Olav Sabo Bridge Credit: Livewombat/FlickrDuring the recent bicycle tour of Minneapolis, Mayor R.T. Rybak stressed that in these lean economic...
The nation’s first major bikesharing program hit the streets in Minneapolis in June 2010, quickly followed by Denver, Washington, D.C. Boston and Toronto—with Seattle, Chicago,...
Credit:Courtesy of the City of BostonIn fall 2009 Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino established the city’s Complete Streets program with the words, “The car is no longer the...
In 2005, Local 103 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers installed the first commercial-scale wind turbine in Boston. All IBEW 103 apprentice...
Credit:DMFK/FlickrContrary to common perception, Boulder is not a bedroom community to Denver; it actually serves as a regional subcenter for surrounding cities such as...
Credit:NonsequitorlassBremerton lies in Kitsap County, Washington, just a ferry ride across the Puget Sound from Seattle. With its semirural population, the region is an...
Credit: Professor Bop/FlickrThe sun shines often on Florida, a fact that gave it bragging rights on license plates with the nickname, the “Sunshine State.” The northern...
Credit:Wikipedia CommunityIn the Champaign-Urbana metro region in Illinois, the focus of the transit district is on getting people out of their cars by offering a full...
Credit:Chicago Tourism BureauHome to one of the largest and oldest transit systems in the country, the Chicago metropolitan region has long been a national transportation...
Credit: Chicago Convention and Tourism BureausWhen it launched in September 2008, the Chicago Climate Action Plan was one of the country’s most comprehensive, aggressive...
Credit: CodyDean/FlickrEnvironmental reforms in Columbus, Ohio began in earnest in 2005, with the release of the city’s greenhouse gas analysis and the launch of a policy...
Photovoltaics at Trinity River Audubon Center. Credit: Kevin Lefebvre One of the top municipal purchasers of renewable energy in the country, Dallas purchases a full 40...
Credit: Rich Anderson/FlickrAs a small city in a big state, Denton often struggles for priority in state and federal funding for environmental projects—but it also gets...
Credit: Mike Willis/FlickrDubuque, Iowa's city government has made a greener future a top priority for several years, but now they’re reaching out to citizens,...
Credit: Hectore/FlickrWith 302 days of unadulterated sun each year, it comes as no surprise that El Paso (aka “Sun City”), Texas is aggressively pursuing onsite solar...
Kids getting ready to bike home at this primary school in Utrecht, Netherlands. Ninety-five percent of the older kids bike to school at least some of the time. Credit:...
With the growing popularity of cycling in the Netherlands, finding a parking place for your bike is becoming more difficult, as seen here in the Hague. Credit: Jay...
San Francisco board of supervisors president David Chiu looks out on Java Island, a new neighborhood in Amsterdam where bikes and pedestrians (and boats) take priority...
Credit: photokayaker/FlickrDespite a 5 percent growth in population, Fort Collins, Colorado’s annual greenhouse gas emissions haven’t increased since 2005, thanks in...
Credit: Recompose/FlickrCourts have handed defeat after defeat to New York City in its effort to replace gas-chugging cabs with fuel-efficient hybrids. The latest blow...
Credit:FHKE/FlickrThe Pacific island of Oahu, Hawaii, boasts towering mountains, gorgeous ocean views, and a dense metropolitan region that keeps on growing. Oahu Transit...
Credit: jcookfisher/FlickrKnown as “Surf City”, for its 8.5 miles of beaches and ideal waves, Huntington Beach can now add “NRDC 2010 Smarter City” to its list of...
Credit:AreaRapidTransitThe Lincoln metropolitan region can thank the unique characteristics of its central City of Lincoln for its place among NRDC’s top 15 Smarter...
Credit: Kevin Dooley/FlickrLong Beach is joining the front lines in the fight against global warming, releasing its first greenhouse gas emissions inventory in 2009 and...
Credit:Mary Logan BarmeyerFamous for urban sprawl, bumper-to-bumper traffic and seasonal smog, the Los Angeles region still has many challenges for integrating...
Credit:New HavenMore commuters walk or bike to work in New Haven, Connecticut, than in anywhere else in New England. One of the first planned cities in the country, New...
Credit:Wikipedia CommunityThe New York metropolitan region has one clear historic advantage when it comes to efficient transportation—population density like nowhere else...
The Electric Power Research Institute has estimated that power from tides and currents could generate 3,000 megawatts of power. In 2008, Verdant Power deployed these...
Credit: City of OaklandOakland has attracted nationwide attention for its efforts to couple solutions to poverty and environmental problems. “We believe in a...
Credit: OPowerEvery morning, shortly after waking up, Bill Rowan checks to see how much electricity he used the night before.“I really want to cut my energy bills...
Credit:Kyle Gradinger/FlickrDon’t see the link between transit and food? Philly does. The City of Philadelphia and the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority...
Credit:Portland Bureau of Transportation“In Portland it’s almost like cars don’t exist, right? They ride bikes! They ride double-decker bikes! They ride unicycles! They...
Credit: Conlawprof/FlickrPortland, Oregon—long a green frontrunner—has been named an NRDC Smarter City for its energy conservation programs and green energy production...
Reno, Nevada is known for its casinos and quick divorces, but this city at the foot of the Sierra Nevadas also has a flourishing green energy sector. In addition to a number of...
Credit: Oconomowoc Transport Co.The 11 new school buses in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin don’t look particularly special. They’re painted the same yellow, carry the same kids and...
Credit:Courtesy of the City of San FranciscoIn San Francisco, “we put transit first, ahead of the passenger car,” says Bridget Smith, acting principal engineer and...
Credit: Mischiru/Flickr San Francisco’s dense urban core, located on the tip of a peninsula in the San Francisco Bay, translates into energy savings when it comes to...
Credit: Alkiol/FlickrSanta Clarita, California has a commitment to clean energy and conservation that is already making its mark: The city’s latest energy consumption...
Credit: Martapiqs/Flickr In Santa Cruz, the residents are a powerful resource for preventing emissions of heat-trapping pollutants. Since 1996, emissions associated with...
Credit: Elephant Wearing Striped Pants/FlickrWet climate and Jimi Hendrix aside, Seattle is known for its ahead-of-the-curve energy conservation and production...
Credit: Giant Ginko/FlickrThe smart grid, long past due, is getting closer to becoming a reality. In a digital age, where smart phones and other gadgets ensure we’re...
Illinois Capitol Building in Springfield Credit: Aka Keith/FlickrWhile Chicago has received more coverage for its green roof effort and its climate action plan, the...
People across the country were surprised last year when Bicycling magazine named Minneapolis America’s “#1 Bike City”, beating out Portland, Oregon, which had claimed the honor...
Credit: Kevin H/FlickrRecently ranked the most tightly packed metropolitan region in the nation, the National Capital Region (4,000 square miles in the District of...
Credit: Edgar Zuniga Jr./FlickrSalt Lake City has the ignominious distinction of ranking as the country’s seventh most polluted city by short-term particle pollution,...
Credit: danishwindindustryassociation/FlickrLook out your window on a commercial flight across West Texas and you’ll enjoy plenty of clear views of the American landscape...
Credit: Oconomowoc Transport Co.Partly rural, partly urban, and close to Sacramento without being under city jurisdiction, the Yolo metropolitan region (which encompasses...
Playbook for Green Buildings and Neighborhoods
The Playbook website provides local governments with guidance and resources to rapidly advance green buildings, neighborhoods and infrastructure. Strategic action in these sectors promotes economic development, builds healthier communities, strengthens energy independence, and supports climate protection.
Switch to Green Power in NYC
This website allows New York City residents and small businesses to sign up for green power in 3 easy steps.
Green Building: LEED for Neighborhood Development
The LEED for Neighborhood Development Rating System integrates the principles of smart growth, urbanism and green building into the first national system for neighborhood design. LEED certification provides independent, third-party verification that a development's location and design meet accepted high levels of environmentally responsible, sustainable development. Learn more.
Portland Municipal Resources
Download the City of Portland and Multnomah County Climate Action Plan 2009 (pdf), which details the cities conservation and climate change preparation initiatives.
Visit Clean Energy Works: Portland for information on financing for residential energy effiency upgrades.
See the Portland Ecoroof program for information on the city's living roof projects.
Click here for information on Portland's sustainable stormwater management efforts.
See the Portland Brownfield Program to learn about how the city is reclaiming contaminated sites for development.
El Paso Municipal Resources
Download the City of El Paso's Livable City Sustainability Plan (pdf) for the city's overall strategy to improve quality of life in El Paso.
The El Paso Solar Energy Association (EPSEA) supports the development of solar installations in West Texas, Southern New Mexico and Northern Mexico.
Visit the El Paso Department of Sustainability for information on local sustainabiltiy initiatives.
Seattle Municipal Resources
Download the Seattle Climate Protection Initiative Progress Report 2009 (pdf) for a report on recent initiatives.
Download the 2008 Seattle Community Greenhouse Gas Inventory (pdf) for details on the city's most recent energy audit.
See the Seattle Office of Housing HomeWise program for weatherization services available to homeowners.
See the Powerful Neighborhoods program to learn about free retrofits available to South Seattle residents.
Fort Collins Municipal Resources
Download the City of Fort Collins Utilities 2009 Energy Policy (pdf), which details the utilities goals and vision for 2050.
Download the City of For Collins Utilities Electric Energy Supply Policy 2008 Annual Update (pdf), which details the city's activities and progress since the Energy Policy.
Download the 2008 Fort Collins Climate Action Plan (pdf), which outlines the city's strategic plan to meet it's 2020 goal.
Click here for information on rebates and programs available to Fort Collins residents.
Community Solar Project
The resource manager in Ellensburg, WA came up with a plan to bring solar power to the whole community. In this Q&A he provides some useful advice on everything from financing to choosing the right solar panels.
Berkeley, California Municipal Resources
To read about Berkeley's clean energy initiatives, check out the City of Berkeley official website.
San Francisco Municipal Resources
Visit San Francisco's environment department at SFenvironment.org to learn about the city's environmental programs and policies.
See GoSolarSF for information on solar installation incentives and a map of solar activity in the city of San Francisco.
San Francisco Energy Watch provides energy assessments and discounts on efficiency installations and equipment.
Dallas Municipal Resources
Download the City of Dallas Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventory (pdf) for details on the city's most recent energy audit.
See the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for information on how the state is working to preserve the air, land and water in Texas.
The Dallas Office of Environmental Quality works with the city toward environmental improvements in Dallas.
Green Dallas is the city's hub for local green initiatives and information.
Boston Municipal Resources
Download the Boston Municipal Greenhouse Gas Inventories (pdf) for details on the city's energy audits.
See Sparking Boston's Climate Revolution Summary Report (pdf) for Climate Action Leadership Committee and Community Advisory Committee recommendations.
Read Boston's Solar America Cities profile to learn about Boston's efforts to increase local solar energy capacity.
Visit Solar Boston for a map of solar installations in the city.
Oakland Municipal Resources
The Oakland Green Jobs Corps provides green jobs training and employment services for low-income adults in Oakland.
See the Oakland Green Building Resource Center (GBRC) for local green building support.
See Energy Upgrade California in Alameda County to learn about the program's goals and projects.
See the Oakland Sustainability Program, through the City of Oakland Public Works Program, for information on upcoming local sustainability events, recent sustainability inititatives and programs and to download Oakland Sustainable Community Development progress reports.
Columbus Municipal Resources
See Get Green Columbus for a summary of the city's sustainability efforts from 2005-2009.
Download the Columbus Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Project List (pdf) for details on how the city is using the grant.
Download the Get Green 2010 Memo (pdf) for Columbus' green action plan.
The Columbus Green Forum promotes energy efficient and environmentally sustainable building in Central Ohio.
Download the Ten Year Reform and Efficiency and Action Plan (pdf) for the city's plan reduce municipal spending.
The Ecomony, Energy and Environment (E3) program is a collaboration between local and federal governments, manufacturers and utilites working toward greener industry.
New York City Municipal Resources
Download the Inventory of New York City Greenhouse Gas Emissions (pdf) for information on the city's latest energy audit.
Download the PlanNYC Progress Report 2010 for a summary of the city's green acheivements to date.
See New York City's Greener, Greater Buildings Plan for details on the city's strategies for improving energy efficiency in existing buildings.
See New York City's Solar America Cities profile to learn about what New York is doing to increase solar energy capacity in the city.
Austin Municipal Resources
Download the Austin Climate Protection Plan 2009 Annual Report for details on the city's progress.
Visit CoolAustin.org to learn about the city's efforts to reduce carbon emissions.
Click here to learn about the Urban Heat Island Mitigation Project in Austin.
Click here to learn about Austin's Energy Conservation Audit and Disclosure (ECAD) Ordinance.
Chicago Municipal Resources
See the Chicago Climate Action Plan for comprehensive details on the city's carbon reduction initiatives and for information on what businesses and residents can do to help.
Chicago's Climate Action Plan Progress Report 2008-2009 provides an update on the the first two years of city's efforts.
The Chicago Green Office Challenge is a friendly competition designed to inspire office tenants and property managers to conserve energy in office buildings.
The City of Chicago Environment Department liasons with other city departments, state agencies and nonprofits to develop and enforce environmental codes and regulations.
Long Beach Municipal Resources
Download the Sustainable Long Beach Sustainable City Action Plan for details on the city's conservation goals and strategies.
Visit the Long Beach Office of Sustainability to read about the city's efforts to implement renewable energy.
See the 5th District Solar & Sustainability Task Force for information on the group's activity including meeting dates and agendas.
Berkeley Municipal Resources
Berkeley FIRST provides financing for local solar installations.
See berkeleyclimateaction.org for a pdf of the Berkeley Climate Action Plan and an executive summary of the city's progress.
See the Berkeley Office of Energy and Sustainable Development for information on energy efficiency programs, rebates and resources.
Huntington Beach Municipal Resources
Click here for information on rebates for upgrading to water-saving fixtures and appliances in Huntington Beach.
Click here for building energy efficiency standards in Hungtington Beach.
Santa Clarita Municipal Resources
Click here for information on the Community Energy Partnership (CEP), a coalition working toward effective energy efficiency programs in the seven participating Southern California cities.
Click here for information on energy efficiency rebates available to Southern California residents.
Santa Cruz Municipal Resources
Click here for information on the Climate Action Program in Santa Cruz.
Click here for the City of Santa Cruz Green Building Program.
Visit 30x20.org to join a Climate Action Team in Santa Cruz and pledge to reduce your carbon emissions.
Beaverton Municipal Resources
Click here for a map of green projects underway in Beaverton.
Click here for information on the launch of Solar Beaverton, a pilot program providing solar incentives to 50 homeowners in Beaverton.
Sustainable Beaverton provides information on the city's most recent conservation initiatives.
Denton Municipal Resources
Click here for information on energy efficiency rebates in Denton.
Download the final report of the Texas REConnect project, which considered how Texas utlities respond to requests for net metering and interconnecting small renewable energy generators.
Energy: Smart Grids
Transportation: Bicycling
Cities for Cycling: National Association of City Transportation Officials project to catalog, promote and implement the world's best bicycle transportation practices in American municipalities. Includes several best practices sheets.
Cycling in the Netherlands: Guide to bicycling policies in the Netherlands (pdf)
Fietsberaad: Dutch cycling knowledge center
Bikeability: UK Cycling Proficiency Test
"At the Frontiers of Cycling: Policy Innovations in the Netherlands, Denmark, and Germany." World Transport Policy and Practice, Vol. 13, No. 3, December 2007, pp. 8-57
"How to Get More Bicyclists on the Road: To Boost Urban Bicycling, Figure Out What Women Want." Linda Baker. Scientific American, October 2009.
Bikes Belong: Research Resources
Designing Cities for Bicycle Transportation
Chicago Bike Lane Design Guide (pdf)
Los Angeles Bike Plan Draft, Chapter 5: Technical Design Handbook (pdf)
Minneapolis Bicycle Facility Manual (pdf)
New City York Street Design Manual
New York City's Ninth Avenue Bicycle Path and Complete Street, for ITE (pdf)
Portland Bikeway Design Best Practices, Appendix D
San Francisco Bicycle Plan Update: Supplemental Design Guidelines (pdf)
San Francisco Shared Markings Study (pdf)
London Cycling Design Standards, Transport for London (UK)
Cycling Guidelines and Practical Details Issue 2, Sustrans (UK)
Collection of Cycle Concepts, Danish Road Directorate (Denmark)
Energy: Feed-in Tariffs
Database of Solar Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (lists some FIT programs), Department of Energy
Gainesville Regional Utilities feed-in-tariff documents
Sacramento Municipal Utility District FIT page
Text of the Vermont Energy Act of 2009 (H. 446) (pdf)
A Policy Maker's Guide to Feed-in Tariff Design, produced by the Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (pdf)
Learn More
Partnerships for Change: Fighting for Green Space
Five Dangerous Pollutants in the Air You Breathe
Get Away From It All--And Leave the Car at Home
Minute, Morning, Month: Save energy and reduce stormwater runoff. Install a green roof.
Save energy and reduce stormwater runoff. Install a green roof.
LEED for Neighborhood Development
City Search
- Akron, OH
- Ann Arbor, MI
- Antioch, CA
- Arlington Heights, IL
- Arvada, CO
- Athens, GA
- Aurora, CO
- Austin, TX
- Beaverton, OR
- Bellevue, WA
- Bellingham, WA
- Berkeley, CA
- Bloomington, IL
- Boca Raton, FL
- Boise, ID
- Bolingbrook, IL
- Boston, MA
- Boulder, CO
- Bremerton,
- Burbank, CA
- Burnsville, MN
- Cambridge, MA
- Cape Coral, FL
- Carlsbad, CA
- Champaign, IL
- Charleston, SC
- Charlotte, NC
- Chesapeake, VA
- Chicago, IL
- Cleveland, Ohio
- Colorado Springs, CO
- Columbus, OH
- Dallas, TX
- Davis,
- Denton, TX
- Denver, CO
- Dubuque, IA
- Duluth, MN
- Edison, NJ
- El Cajon, CA
- El Monte, CA
- El Paso, TX
- Ellensburg, Washington
- Eugene, OR
- Everett, WA
- Fall River, MA
- Fayetteville, AR
- Flagstaff, AZ
- Fort Collins, CO
- Fremont, CA
- Fullerton, CA
- Gastonia, NC
- Grand Rapids, MI
- Greenville, SC
- Hayward, CA
- Hemet, CA
- Henderson, NV
- Hoffman Estates, IL
- Honolulu, HI
- Houston, TX
- Huntington Beach, CA
- Huntsville, AL
- Irondequoit, NY
- Irvine, CA
- Jacksonville, FL
- Jersey City,
- Kansas City, MO
- La Crosse, WI
- La Habra, CA
- La Mesa, CA
- Laredo, TX
- Las Vegas, NV
- Lincoln,
- Long Beach, CA
- Los Angeles, CA
- Louisville, KY
- Lowell, MA
- Madison, WI
- Maui, HI
- Merced, CA
- Mesa, AZ
- Milwaukee, WI
- Minneapolis, MN
- Mission Viejo, CA
- Mountain View, CA
- Naperville, IL
- Nashua, NH
- New Haven, CT
- New York, NY
- Newton, MA
- Norwalk, CT
- Oakland, CA
- Ontario, CA
- Orem, UT
- Palmdale, CA
- Petaluma, CA
- Philadelphia, PA
- Phoenix, AZ
- Portland, OR
- Redmond, WA
- Redwood City, CA
- Reno, NV
- Riverside, CA
- Rochester, NY
- Roseville, CA
- Sacramento, CA
- Salem, OR
- San Diego, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- San Jose, CA
- San Mateo, CA
- San Ramon, CA
- Santa Clara, CA
- Santa Clarita, CA
- Santa Cruz, CA
- Santa Fe, NM
- Santa Monica, CA
- Santa Rosa, CA
- Sarasota, FL
- Scottsdale, AZ
- Seattle, WA
- Spokane, WA
- Springfield, IL
- St. Paul, MN
- Stamford, CT
- Stockton, CA
- Sunnyvale, CA
- Tacoma, WA
- Tallahassee, FL
- Tampa, FL
- Tempe, AZ
- Thousand Oaks, CA
- Turlock, CA
- Union City, CA
- Union Township, NJ
- Urbana,
- Vallejo, CA
- Ventura, CA
- Virginia Beach, VA
- Warwick, RI
- Washington, DC
- Wayne, NJ
- Westminster, CA
- Westminster, CO
- Wheaton, IL
Comments
Post new comment