With more green space and lower greenhouse gas emissions, cities nationwide are striving to become leaders and innovators in the environmental movement.
Recently, the International Business Times decided to take a look at the cities leading the pack, and while the publication didn’t use exact science, it examined criterion such as carbon footprint, LEED certified buildings (LEED stands for leadership in energy and environmental design) and green space, among others to find the top 10 eco-friendly cities in the U.S.
Among their findings (in no particular order):
SAN FRANCISCO
Not only is it the first city to ban plastic grocery bags, but it also has a curbside compost pick-up program, among numerous other eco-friendly projects.
SEATTLE
This rainy town is a leader in green space with seven parks per 10,000 residents. It also has over 20 buildings that are LEED certified or are being built with the intention of being designated as such.
PORTLAND, ORE.
In addition to building a well-structured mass transit system, Portland has taken the bike craze to a new level. It also boasts loads of green space, a strong recycling program and its carbon emissions per capita rank it in the lowest 20 percent of U.S. cities.
CHICAGO
The Windy City is home to the most buildings with green roofs, which not only help to control temperature by heating and cooling the inside, but they also improve air quality – which isn’t a bad asset for any urban area.
BURLINGTON, VT.
With a third of its energy coming from hydroelectric dams, another third from wind energy and the final third from biomass renewal, this northeast city of 42,000 people just began the first city to be powered by 100 percent renewable energy.
While this is just a small sampling of what this country is doing to go green, it demonstrates how cities are working to be more environmentally conscious all the time. To find out the remainder of the top 10, click here.
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Tag: san francisco
How Raised Bike Lanes Can Protect Bikers and Drivers Alike
Cities like Amsterdam and Copenhagen have long been recognized for their bike-friendly streets, and now Chicago and San Francisco are looking to their European counterparts for tips on road safety for cyclists.
Next year, San Francisco will unveil its first raised bikeway, a one-block long “showcase” project as a part of the Mission Valencia Green Gateway project, which includes other street improvements like wider sidewalks. Chicago also began building its first one-and-a-half block of raised bike lane this summer, and if the pilot is successful, it will lead to more stretches of the separated path throughout the city.
Raised bike lanes are a subtle way to protect cyclists, separating bikers from cars without the physical bulkiness of barriers. Protected lanes involving barriers can also sometimes make it difficult for drivers who are turning right to see a biker. Barriers can also prove to be confusing to pedestrians and hard to drain or clear away snow.
But the elevated bike paths, which are typically raised by just a few inches above street level, easily prevent cars from interfering, while also remaining separate from the sidewalk. Aside from aesthetic differences, raised bike lanes can also be less costly, according to Fast Company.
Chicago and San Francisco are not the only two cities to experiment with elevated bike lanes. The Oregon cities of Bend, Portland and Eugene, as well as Atlanta and Denver have also incorporated the smart design into their streets.
As more cities recognize the benefits of supporting cyclists, it’s good to see American cities embrace infrastructure that’s proven successful elsewhere.
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Ever Wondered What To Say To A Homeless Person? Here Are 5 Things to Say And 5 Things Not to Say
When you see a homeless person, what do you do?
Most of us tend to have the same response: We avoid eye contact and walk a little faster. But you might also ponder the situation, thinking to yourself, What’s his story? How did this happen to her? How long have they lived on the streets? Maybe you even wanted to help, but didn’t know how to start a conversation.
Should you decide to talk to one of the more than 600,000 homeless individuals in the United States, what you say is vitally important. Utter the wrong thing, and you make a person in crisis feel less than human. Make the right comment, however, and you just might provide the help that he or she so desperately needs. Here’s what the experts advise saying and what’s better left unsaid.
What to Say
“I don’t have money, but is there another way I can help you?”
“This is an especially good thing to say if you’re uncomfortable handing over cash or don’t have any to offer,” says Jake Maguire, director of communications for Community Solutions, a national organization dedicated to solving complex problems like homelessness and poverty. Undoubtedly, money is something that a homeless person needs, but often there is a specific thing that can quickly help that individual out of a dire situation. Shaun Gasson, a 32-year-old homeless man in Portland, Ore., says that someone once asked him if he needed clothes. Not only did the generous soul leave him three bags of nice clothing, but also gave him a bike and some money.
You might also consider asking the person if she or he is actually homeless. Kara Zordel, executive director of Project Homeless Connect, a San Francisco agency that links the homeless with resources in the city, says that she often will say to a person on the street: “I see you sitting out here every day, and it makes me wonder where you sleep at night.” This allows Zordel to do a better job of helping others. Sometimes a person isn’t homeless and doesn’t need a place to sleep, but might be in desperate need of something else. In that case, Zordel often hands out pairs of socks or granola bars, along with her agency’s business card. Greg Staffa, a homeless man in Farmington, Minn., suggests filling plastic baggies with nonperishable raisins or chewing gum, which will definitely be consumed.
“Did you catch the game?”
Athletic events are often shown on televisions in shelters. “Talking about sports can be one of the most interesting, neutralizing things,” says Robert Marbut, a homeless advocate in San Antonio, Texas. So while the game you’re referencing depends, of course, on your locale, bringing it up is like talking about the weather — sports is a topic of conversation that you don’t have to be of a certain class to experience.
“Good morning.”
Or say “hi” or “hello” or try to acknowledge the person in some way. “It’s good to hear kindness,” says Joe, who has been homeless in Portland, Ore., off and on for the past 16 years. Regardless of what your greeting may be, it’s important to look the person in the eye when speaking. According to another Portland man, Troy Thompson, who has been homeless several times despite being a skilled carpenter (when he can’t find work, he can’t afford to pay rent), one of the many difficult things about being homeless is that you feel less than human. “It’s like being invisible,” he says. Adds Marbut, “The non-homeless person almost never looks the homeless in the eye. If you just look a person in the eye and sort of nod, it’s the most respectful thing you can ever do.”
“How are you doing? Would you like to talk?”
These questions are great because they’re open-ended, Zordel says, giving the homeless person a choice either to brush off a deeper conversation or engage in one without judgment or pressure. Don’t be surprised if the individual isn’t interested in chatting, though, says Joe. “You’re getting into people’s personal lives. Maybe they don’t want to discuss that with a complete stranger.” If, however, the person is open to talking, this can lead to a real conversation — and maybe even provide a way for you to offer help. But even if you’re just having a casual exchange, you could be satisfying an important need: social connection. Many who live on the streets battle the feeling that they’re inadequate or nonexistent to the rest of the world. Having a real conversation can reduce those sentiments.
“I will keep you in my thoughts.”
Offering a wish of good will can be a powerful thing to someone who’s homeless, says Gasson. And for those that are religious, saying a prayer for the person can provide some comfort. “When somebody prays with you, it just makes you feel a little better,” he says. Which is the exact feeling you hope to give to someone who’s without a home.
What (Definitely) Not to Say
“Why don’t you get help?”
This assumes the person hasn’t already tried to get help. It also infers that homelessness is that individual’s own fault or a result of his or her own failings. Most homeless people are not chronically on the street. Instead, they’re living there temporarily because of an awful situation — whether it is because of a job loss and a resulting downward spiral, a flight from an abusive partner or an exorbitant rent increase while on a fixed disability or Social Security income. These individuals may have already tried a dozen different ways to get help, only to hear that they don’t qualify for a specific assistance program, for example. Or, they might not be aware of existing resources, in which case you could actually make a huge difference by pointing them in the right direction. Tell them about charitable groups like the Salvation Army, Safe Harbor or any local agency or nonprofit that works with the homeless. Or call your town’s 311 hotline and request a visit from an outreach or social services worker, suggests Maguire.
“Here’s a dollar. Please don’t use it to buy alcohol.”
If you choose to give someone money, it must be given without strings. Yes, a person who is homeless may use your gift for something that doesn’t necessarily help his situation, but your generous action could also provide an opportunity to start a conversation — and eventually lead to an opening to approach with more substantive help. “Not everyone is ready to receive what they need today,” Zordel says. “But we can take the first step together, engaging and building a trusting relationship…without expectations of the individual.”
“Why don’t you go to a shelter?”
To some homeless people, the conditions at some shelters are worse than on the street. Shelters can be loud, dangerous or require quiet times that don’t align with a person’s sleep habits. Plus, in many parts of the country, particularly big cities, there may not be enough beds available for the homeless population, adds Jenny Friedenbach, executive director of the Coalition on Homelessness in San Francisco. For example, “There’s one shelter bed for every five homeless people in San Francisco,” she says.
“You don’t seem like you should be homeless.”
This is another common utterance, Friedenbach says. And while it may be well intentioned, a statement like this reveals your prejudice against homeless people. It conveys to the person that, for the most part, you presume the homeless to be smelly, or drug addicts, or mentally ill. Whereas the only thing that really connects all homeless people is the fact that they’re impoverished and don’t have access to subsidized housing at the moment, says Friedenbach.
“Get a job.”
Homeless people hear this comment most often. But it fundamentally misunderstands and refuses even to consider what the person is actually going through. Many homeless people suffer from mental illness or other conditions that prevent employment. Or they’re on the streets because they once had a job, but suffered an injury that ended their ability to work.
Case in point: Just before becoming homeless in 2009, Staffa was making $20.20 an hour in a union job in Farmington, Minn., working for an employer he had been with for nine years. An on-the-job injury ended that, Staffa says, right in the middle of the Great Recession. For three years after that, he lived out of his car. The impact on his psyche, he says, was damaging. “Several friends of mine tell me ‘just find a job and everything will be fine.’ But I have to find myself again.”
“If I had a job, I wouldn’t be out here,” adds Joe while panhandling in Portland, Ore.
Watch: Dr. Jim Withers Makes House Calls to the Homeless
Will California’s New Kill Switch Policy Reduce Phone Theft?
From family photos, banking information and all our correspondence (both text and email), we keep just about everything stored on our smartphones these days. So if yours is stolen, it can be very traumatic knowing that all your information is in the hands of a criminal. (Not to mention the amount money it’ll cost you to replace your phone.)
In an effort to prevent phone theft, Calif. Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill into law that requires smartphone manufacturers to include a default kill switch on all phones sold across the state (after July 1, 2015), which allows individuals to remotely disable a phone after it’s been reported stolen. Only an owner can reactivate the phone with a password or personal identification number — meaning a phone becomes useless after it’s taken.
Introduced by state senator Mark Leno and sponsored by San Francisco district attorney George Gascón, the bill is the first of its kind. Though Minnesota became the first state to require the anti-theft technology on phones in May, California’s new policy requires manufacturers to turn on the switch by default.
“California has just put smartphone thieves on notice,” Leno says in a statement. “Starting next year, all smartphones sold in California, and most likely every other state in the union, will come equipped with theft deterrent technology when they purchase new phones. Our efforts will effectively wipe out the incentive to steal smartphones and curb this crime of convenience, which is fueling street crime and violence within our communities.”
Indeed, 2,400 cellphones were taken last year in San Francisco, the New York Times reports. More than 65 percent of all robberies in the City by the Bay involved stolen phones, while in Oakland, cell phone theft accounted for 75 percent of crimes, according to Time. In total, an estimated 3.1 million devices in the U.S. were taken in 2013, nearly double the number in 2012, Consumer Reports finds.
“Soon, stealing a smartphone won’t be worth the trouble, and these violent street crimes will be a thing of the past,” Gascón says in a statement. “The devices we use every day will no longer make us targets for violent criminals.”
But does the new law have the potential to prevent phone theft nationwide? California lawmakers are hoping that by requiring the feature in one of the nation’s biggest states, companies like Apple, Samsung or Google will begin adding the default feature to all phones ahead of potential legislation in other states.
While the default feature is a new development, earlier this year big brands like Nokia, Motorola and Samsung agreed to voluntarily include a kill-switch for users to opt-in after July 2015.
Apple has included a similar feature since September. In fact, recent reports from police in major urban areas like San Francisco and London reveal that theft of Apple devices has dropped in the wake of the company’s introduction of its anti-theft feature.
But not all are in favor of the new ruling. CTIA, the wireless industry’s trade organization, has railed against the proposal as detrimental to technology innovation.
The “action was unnecessary given the breadth of action the industry has taken,” says CTIA vice president Jamie Hastings. “Uniformity in the wireless industry created tremendous benefits for wireless consumers, including lower costs and phenomenal innovation. State-by-state technology mandates, such as this one, stifle those benefits and are detrimental to wireless consumers.”
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What Would A Prison Designed By Inmates Look Like?
When you think about the long hallways and small cells of prison, it’s impossible to even comprehend what it’s like to live locked up day after day. For the incarcerated, however, it’s reality.
But does it have to be?
That’s just what San Francisco’s County Jail No. 5 has been exploring. Recently, the prison recently held a workshop where inmates designed their own prisons.
Run by architect Deanna VanBuren and restorative justice scholar Barb Toews, 18 prisoners, many of whom are awaiting trial for violent crimes, participated in it.
To begin, inmates talked about their feelings concerning the justice system and how the prison system should be redesigned in order for them to get the most of out of it. Afterwards, the prisoners had the opportunity to create their own architectural models of their ideal prison design.
So, what do prisoners want? Interestingly, many added waterfalls, atriums and computer rooms. While some of the suggestions may seem a little too extensive, others are just basic human needs — like natural light and privacy barriers for the showers and toilets.
Much insight into the minds and needs of prisoners can be gained from this workshop, particularly the design of broad-chested, tattooed, 29-year old Pratt. His design features “an airy room with a skylight to cure vitamin D deficiencies and a fountain with a cascading waterfall to represent resilience and adaptability. Privacy barriers for the shower and toilet. A healing center with lots of windows and, in the middle, a talking circle with a sun emblazoned in its center.”
And while it may be a little too progressive for American prisons, it’s not that unreasonable for other countries. The U.S. has the highest incarceration rate in the world — emphasizing punishment instead of rehabilitation. It also keeps 80,000 prisoners in long-term solitary isolation, which is considered a form of torture by the United Nations. And despite this country’s tough treatment of prisoners, the country has a high rate of recidivism.
Take a trip across the globe, however, and it’s a different story. The Scandinavian countries, in particular, take a radically different approach to jailing, focusing on rehabilitation instead of punishment. Take Norway’s Halden Prison, for example. Although it’s a high-security prison, there are huge windows instead of concrete walls and iron bars. Further, the security walls surrounding the building are barely visible thanks to the trees that line the property. Perhaps surprising, Norway also boasts one of the lowest recidivism rates.
With all of this information, it seems that maybe our justice system is actually the one that needs reform. Although it remains to be seen if the workshop’s conclusions will have any bearing on the future of prisons, it’s a positive step in the right direction.
“The goal is to empower those inside the institutions and prod architects to actually talk to the people they are designing for,” VanBuren tells the L.A. Times. “That’s how an architect would practice in any other setting.”
If that’s the case, maybe one day the cold iron bars and privacy-lacking bathrooms will be replaced by a cascading waterfall — or at the very least, a few more windows.
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Meet the Artist Turning One Man’s Trash into Another Man’s Home
When we call to mind the living conditions of the homeless, the images aren’t pleasant. We think of street corners and having to face the harsh weather conditions of every season. And while this is reality for most of those without homes, one man in San Francisco is working to change all of this.
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San Francisco has more than 6,000 people without homes within its city borders. And, despite the existence of shelters and temporary and subsidized housing, more than half still reside on the streets.
That’s why artist Gregory Kloehn is working to reverse this trend through his Homeless Homes Project.
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When on the streets, homeless people have to carry all of their belongings with them, which can be cumbersome and difficult to protect. So, Kloehn is making mobile homes, which are safe and private.
With these residences, the homeless can now sleep, wash and store their belongings without worry. While the homes range in size and design, they have three main things in common: they’re small, mobile and made from someone’s trash.
That’s right, in order to gather the materials to build the homes, Kloehn goes dumpster diving. He uses anything — showers, storage, seating, bike reflectors, and washing machine windows — to make the perfect home.
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When designing the homes, Kloehn works to ensure that they are compact and flexible. Amenities include adaptability to rain or sun, as well as the ability to double as a vendor cart, allowing the resident to earn an income.
While creating a rent-free option for the homeless to help them avoid the high cost of living in San Francisco was a concern, Kloehn had another goal in mind. Ultimately, these homes are instilling pride and dignity in the homeless. With a place to call their own, the homeless no longer need to be embarrassed — a vital key in getting their lives back on track.
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Could Olive Trees Save California’s Drought-Stricken Farmers?
The olive branch — a timeless Greek symbol of peace — could now signal a new beginning for drought-stricken California. All but completely built for total dryness, these trees are mighty impressive and may just save America’s biggest agriculture state, according to Grist.
With small, waxy leaves and the ability to sense drought and go dormant during rain-free times, olive trees are the perfect crop for California’s future – a future that soon enough, may not be able to support the crops currently growing.
That’s because California’s drought is very real — and goes far beyond a simple slowdown in rainfall. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Governor Jerry Brown has called for residents to voluntarily reduce water use by 20 percent, and a recently passed law makes wasting water illegal.
READ MORE: How Fog Could Solve California’s Drought
“[Farmers] are coming to the stark realization that, no matter what they do, there won’t be enough water to keep their trees alive,” Peter Fimrite of the San Francisco Gate writes.
Which is where olive trees come in.
Dan Flynn, executive director of the UC Davis Olive Center, told Grist that “there’s 10 times more California-grown olive oil than we had 10 years ago,” meaning an oil boom — olive oil, that is — already has legs and is off and running. That’s because the California climate is becoming nearly identical to the native habitat of olive trees: the Mediterranean. This makes them incredibly easy to farm, as they are significantly more sustainable than the almond tree, which, in many cases, they will displace.
Especially with the advent of almond milk, that nut has been in high demand. Almond trees require a lot of water, though, which makes them bad crops for the new California.
Health fanatics shouldn’t worry, though, as olive oil has been shown to be extremely good for you. Another plus is that an increased domestic supply could make for olive oil that’s both higher in quality and better tasting.
So what does all this mean?
We get tastier olive oil and become healthier as a country in the process? Yes. Most importantly, however, is that California can continue on as an agricultural powerhouse even as the climate changes.
This olive branch is bringing peace. Peace of mind, that is, that we don’t have to give up in the face of drought.
DON’T MISS: The Silver Lining To California’s Terrible Drought
Showers and Toilet on Wheels Give Homeless a Clean Slate
Silas Borden has spent the last five years living on the streets of San Francisco. He’s used to making the best with what he has, so when he stumbled upon a bus offering free showers and toilet, he couldn’t resist. “Living on the streets, no matter how clean you try to stay, you’re going to be grimy,” said Borden as he prepared for his first shower in over a week, “and I want to wash it off.”
Borden is one of the first beneficiaries of a pilot program from the nonprofit Lava Mae, which has retrofitted an old city bus into a souped-up sanitation service on wheels. The bus, which is equipped with two showers and a toilet that run off city water, travels the streets of San Francisco and aims to provide 300 to 500 showers a week.
Doniece Sandoval, the brains behind the operation, was inspired after reading about the lack of options available to the more than 3,000 homeless living on her city’s streets. “There are only seven drop-in centers in the entire city, and that translates to 16-20 shower stalls,” says Sandoval, who plans to add three more buses to her fleet because of the success of these test runs.
Read more about Lava Mae
Which Cities Have the Most Designers?
Move over techies and engineers, there is a new industry coming to Silicon Valley: Design.
Design is an integral part of the creative economy that gives artistic people a lucrative career option. Not only is the industry beneficial for the artistic economy, but it helps the overall economy as well. As of 2013, 625,000 people were employed in the design industry, with graphic design being the biggest sector followed by architecture. Interestingly, during the recession, the number of employed designers remained stable. And with the median income at $24.55 per hour, designers bring jobs and money to their communities.
New York City and Los Angeles aren’t the only destinations for designers anymore. Now, many are gravitating to Silicon Valley and other parts of the country as the designing industry gets a high tech upgrade.
According to data from the labor market data and research firm EMSI, as well as City Lab, there are more self-employed designers in San Francisco and San Jose, California, than anywhere else in the United States.
NYC and L.A. still do dominate the fashion industry, thanks to their fashion schools, stores and businesses. But the surprising holder of third place? Columbus, Ohio, which is home to DSW, L Brands and Abercrombie and Fitch.
However, when it comes to other design careers, urban areas other than the largest coastal cities are tops. Architects should head to Seattle, San Francisco, or even Boston. And graphic designers should look for employment in Minneapolis-St. Paul, which leads the field due to its strong marketing and advertising industry, and San Francisco.
To learn more about the key cities and what makes them leaders, click here.
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How San Francisco Is Tapping Big Data to Measure Neighborhood Sustainability
What comes to mind when you think of San Francisco? If you’re like most, it’s the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatrez prison, and liberal social views.
But you should also think about San Francisco’s civic technology. The City by the Bay is often considered a trendsetter in this field — and now, it’s enlisting help from the Midwest to help engineer its latest investment in a digital government tool.
Partnering with the University of Chicago, San Francisco’s Citywide Planning Division is creating a neighborhood dashboard to measure each community’s sustainability by measuring statistics such as energy, water usage, materials management, health, local habitat, community investment and mobility, according to Government Technology.
The “Sustainable Systems Framework” will regularly update metrics on individual neighborhoods through department datasets, which will then give insight on future urban development and resource management, according to city planner Lisa Chen.
While a variety of components inspired the framework’s design, Chicago’s WindyGrid provided a template for San Fran’s system. WindyGrid is an open-sourced data hub that stores seven million rows of data in real-time across the city’s departments and is considered one of the largest municipal data ventures of its kind.
Matthew Gee, the U of Chicago’s project coordinator and a member of the team that developed WindyGrid, explains that San Francisco’s deployment of the technology could provide data-driven accountability for individual neighborhoods for the first time in its history.
“That kind of insight into how local programs, initiatives and investments have changed and improved the area around us hasn’t been possible in the past — or at least openly available — and that’s really exciting,” Gee said.
But building the technology is the easy part. Coordinating datasets and mapping out communities pose major challenges to the groundbreaking project. The university will help city officials comb through department data to extract the most meaningful stats to use in sustainable metrics, which entails even minute pieces like block parties or historic preservation.
While breaking down neighborhoods may seem like an easy task, mapping will take more into account than zip codes or geographical borders. Instead, the project team will separate neighborhoods by eco-districts as well as communities that share residential, commercial and industrial traits. These defined terms were first employed by Portland in 2010, and Chen contends the methodology is well-researched.
“Getting agencies to coordinate efforts even in a single neighborhood can be a real challenge,” Chen said, “and I think having performance metrics is one way to really engage agencies as well as the broader community.”
San Francisco will join more than 20 cities to begin exploring the idea of governing tactics by similar areas rather than one centralized plan for the whole city, The beta version is expected to roll out by the end of the first quarter in 2015, and residents will be able to check out a public version shortly after.
“We want this to be a demonstration project that shows cities the power of data and citizen-facing technologies that change the way cities grow,” Gee said.
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