Columbus ranked least sustainable city, mayor disagrees
By Staff Reporter
Friday, June 2, 2006 - Updated: 9:40 AM EDT
Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman disagrees with a new Sustainable City survey that ranks Columbus last out of 50 cities.
Portland, Ore. and San Francisco were named No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. The study, conducted by SustainLane.com marked Virginia Beach, Va. at No. 48, Oklahoma City at No. 49 and Columbus last. Cleveland, however, came in at No. 28.
The study judged the nation's 50 largest cities based on the 2004 U.S. Census Bureau and their performance based on 15 economic and quality-of-life categories, including air quality, housing affordability, land use and transportation capabilities. Information from public agencies, such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and several non-governmental organizations were used to collect data.
Coleman said in a release that SustainLane's survey favors cities with mass transit systems and doesn't give enough consideration to recent environmental and public transit initiatives, citing Columbus' accomplishments in having low traffic congestion.
The survey said that cities that rely on outside sources for fuel, electricity and food supply and have poor public transit access, economy and crisis planning are not sustainable.
"Cities shouldn't rely only on volatile outside resources, but rather need to take the initiative to develop more self-sufficient economies," CEO of SustainLane James Elsen said in a release.
Columbus' low ranking in the study is attributed to poor water quality, which the city rebutted, citing that its Department of Public Utilities tap water tracking system has kept water quality within the limits of the EPA's Safe Drinking Water Act requirements.
SustainLane's study also said that Columbus lacks environmental initiatives. In response, the city cited several recycling initiatives, and its code that the city select environmentally safe products for construction. It also cited its Get Green Columbus report that lists the city's improvements of air and water quality and growth of environmentally safe businesses in 2005.
SustainLane is an online resource connecting businesses, cities, schools and individuals interested in creating a sustainable lifestyle. The 2006 Sustainable City Ranking is its second annual ranking. Last year, it ranked only the top 25 largest cities.
