Environmental Graffiti posted a very interesting piece on the cities with the highest rates of people walking to work. I must say I was pretty shocked at Newark, NJ making the list, but, hey, we all learn something new once in awhile, right? So, spring is officially here, make like Melanie Griffith and put on those Reeboks with your business suit.
Reposted from Environmental Graffiti:
There’s no denying it – by 2025, it is estimated that there will be over a billion cars on this big blue marble we all love so dearly. The cities on our planet have been designed explicitly for the automotive and oil industries for at least 60 years. This is awful, yet it makes it crystal clear how much work there is to be done in order to clean up our collective act. Perhaps though, instead of pointing the finger at the rest of the world, it might be more effective to take an introverted look at our own country.
A large part of may be taking alternate means of transportation, like a bike, or mass transit, or even–gasp!–walking. After covering the first two, let’s take a look at the third and praise the following cities for being the best to walk in.
5. Newark, New Jersey
Image from Payton Chung
I know what you’re thinking: Newark? Yes, Newark. The city that’s got a reputation for being New York’s odoriferous younger brother also happens to have a remarkable amount of its population living within walking distance of their place of business. In the 2000 census 8% of the population walked to work. They didn’t take public transit, ride bikes, or do “ride shares”, but actually walked to work–a mark of sustainable development absent in most modern cities.
4. San Francisco, California
Image from lunatech
The only thought that can cross my mind right now is this: imagine the calves on those people. Nine percent of the city by the bay commutes on foot, and with the hills that make their town famous, they may have a tougher trip than anybody… well… maybe not Himalayan Sherpas. Nevertheless, it’s good to know that a city that’s always on the progressive edge of legislation is taking a great deal of individual action, as well.
3. New York, New York
Image from Morrisey
It had to be on the list, didn’t it. Manhattan is the only place in the country where more than 50% of the population doesn’t own a car. Over ten percent of New Yorkers walk to work, which is remarkable, but the truly impressive number takes into account the 50% that take public transit. Over 60% of the city doesn’t use their car to get to work; a mark normally only approached in college and military communities.
2. Washington, DC
image from euthman
Ok, so maybe the high placement of the District on this list means that we can’t call it “cities that are sticking it to oil companies” anymore, but DC fosters a remarkable number of pedestrians–12% of the 527,000 residents never set foot in a car, bus, or train to get to work. That number is even more remarkable when you consider how heavily segregated Washington still is. This could be Green City in a matter of years if it tried.
1. Boston, Massachusetts
Image from Pear Biter
Boston residents have a great reason to walk to work: there is no other way to get there in the old city. As I mentioned, cities have been tailored for cars in the last 60 years, however Boston is far older than that, and as a result, it’s almost counterproductive to own a car. With 13% of the population walking to work, Boston lays claim to being America’s most pedestrian-friendly city.
Labels: Boston, environmental graffiti, NYC, San Francisco, sarah
Whenever we write anything mildly complimentary about Apple Computers, we get jumped in comments by computer class-warriors who call us "fanboys", even though I can't even find the ON switch on an apple machine. While I do appreciate Apple's design sensibilities, sometimes I think the anti-apple brigade might have a point about their arrogance. For example, Apple Computer is sueing "challenging" the City of New York's travel and tourism office. It is running a campaign called "GreeNYC to convince New Yorkers to take steps to reduce greenhouse gases, and hired New York design firm Turf to designed a stylized apple, a symbol of New York since well before Steve Jobs was born.
Apple claims that the GreeNYC mark is "likely to cause confusion, mistake or deception in the minds of consumers."..."Any defect, objection or fault found with [GreeNYC's] goods and services marketed under [GreeNYC's] marks would necessarily reflect upon and seriously injure the reputation which [Apple] has established for its goods and services."
Engadget suggests we and others are over-reacting in calling Steve Jobs and gang "arrogant", "farking stoopid", or suggesting that "Gwyneth Paltrow better rename that kid quick", as commenters in Advertising Age did. They say that
"this isn't a true lawsuit, and Apple hasn't sued anyone -- the city of New York has filed a trademark application for the GreeNYC apple-shaped logo with the Patent and Trademark Office, and Apple has filed its opposition to that application. That's an important part of the trademark registration process, actually: every single trademark application has to go through a 30-day opposition period during which interested third parties can raise their objections. We'd say it's pretty obvious that Apple's got an interest in other apple-shaped trademarks, so it's not particularly surprising that it's taking the first available opportunity to speak up about this one."
Right. And my name's George Harrison. via ::green daily
Labels: apple, NYC, sarah, treehugger
Rufus Wainwright found the last New York power failure "incredibly invigorating, spiritual and practical at the same time: we all had to pay attention to each other! Not to mention that Manhattan in total darkness was oddly enough a beautiful sight to behold.
Now he is proposing that on June 21st, the longest day of the year and the summer solstice, we all turn everything off (lights, fridge, computer, everything) from noon to midnight. "The time could be spent contemplating alone or with friends on the coming year and what personally one can do to save the planet."
He adds that "Mummy (Kate McGarrigle) says it's a good day to also empty out the fridge." ::Blackoutsabbath via ::Grist; be sure to watch Rufus' amazing performance of "Get Happy" at Glastonbury below the fold, and to learn how to really enjoy a New York Blackout, watch Joan Crawford in the original Night Gallery episode "Eyes", directed by an unknown Steven Spielberg.
Labels: energy efficiency, NYC, Rufus Wainwright, sarah, treehugger
Hop into a hybrid taxi and head over to Counter!
Here’s a new bar we spotted in East Village at the weekend: a bar that serves only organic drinks. The site tells us that Counter martinis are made from Rain vodka - a 100% organic white corn headbasher. Cocktails include The Dirtiest Martini and, erm, Angry Lesbian.
Many a New York evening did I utter the words "I need to go to Brooklyn by way of the Manhattan bridge" after I night of adult beverages and good tunes. So, as a nod to my roots, I was very glad to read that New York City’s entire taxi fleet will be converted to gas-electric hybrids by 2012, CNN reports.
Per Environmental Leader: Mayor Bloomberg will begin a cycle of replacement that will see 20 percent replaced each year until all of the city’s approximately 13,000 taxis are hybrids in 2012.
The vehicles approved for use on city streets include four SUVs - the Toyota Highlander, Lexus RX 400H, Ford Escape and Saturn VUE Green Line - and four four-door sedans - the Toyota Prius, Toyota Camry, Honda Accord and Honda Civic.
I wonder if they'll change the color?
Labels: hybrids, NYC, Transportation
 |
| Home | GreenBase Blog Back to JamBase.com JamBase Inc. All Rights Reserved. © Copyright 2007 Website design |
