CityStories / City Profiles / Large Cities / Los Angeles, California
With close to four million residents, Los Angeles is the major player in Southern California, the world's 14th largest economy. Its municipally owned utility, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), is the biggest in the U.S. Yet despite adding 400,000 residents since 1990, Los Angeles has managed to cut its greenhouse gas (GHG) output by 4 percent and keep water use steady. Looking beyond its shores, Los Angeles has joined the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, composed of 40 of the world's largest cities, and set a goal to reduce GHG emissions to 35 percent below 1990 levels by 2030.
Still, the city contributes 0.2 percent of the world's carbon dioxide emissions—roughly as much as all of Sweden. And Los Angeles' air quality ranks among the worst in the nation, though it's taken aggressive efforts to reduce smog. Cars and trucks make up the main source of Los Angeles's carbon and smog emissions, but by 2008 the city owned the nation's largest clean-air fleet of public buses. The city is working to build density and reduce commutes with redevelopment incentives, density bonuses, zoning requirements, a brownfield program and transit-oriented development.
The next largest contributor to GHG emissions are municipal operations—accounting for one-third of the carbon footprint of L.A.—primarily from electricity generated by the city-owned utility. But with the Green LA Mayor's Action Plan, released in 2007, Los Angeles takes advantage of this city-utility relationship to fight global warming simply by increasing its purchase of alternative energy. Well on its way to its goal of 35 percent renewable by 2020, the city has increased its use of renewable fuels from 3 percent in 2005 to 8.5 percent in 2008.
Los Angeles has an arid climate and has been struggling with water quantity and quality since its inception. Growth and rising temperatures only exacerbate the problem, with water demand expected to increase by 15 percent by 2030. In May 2008, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa launched "Securing LA's Water Supply." It calls for short-term conservation—prohibiting lawn watering during certain times of day and restricting car washing—and long-term investment—increasing water recycling by six-fold and maximizing groundwater recharge. In 2009 LADWP distributed free "smart sprinklers" that water lawns based on weather conditions, following the model of the city's low-flush toilet distribution program, which has saved Los Angeles more than 14 billion gallons per year—or enough to fill the Rose Bowl 56 times.
This website allows New York City residents and small businesses to sign up for green power in 3 easy steps.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
To read about Berkeley's clean energy initiatives, check out the City of Berkeley official website.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The EPA's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System site provides information about applicability, siting and design criteria.
Georgia's Department of Community Affairs has a page on best practices for porous paving.
Portland, Oregon's Bureau of Environmental Service pervious paving projects page.
City of Chicago's permeable paving site with many local examples.
San Francisco Parks Trust permeable landscape page.
Environmental Health Perspectives provides a good overview in "Paving Paradise: The Peril of Impermeable Surfaces."
NRDC's report Stormwater Strategies: Community Responses to Runoff Pollution considers a variety of responses implemented across the country.
US Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation: with a mission to "manage, develop, and protect water and related resources in an environmentally and economically sound manner in the interest of the American public" the bureau provides information about water levels in reservoirs throughout the West, updates on dams, powerplants and related projects and a library of water reclamation materials.
Bureau of Reclamation WaterSMART program: Information on WaterSMART grants for water and energy conservation projects, basin studies with integrated management plans and water supply reviews and details on the Landscape Conservation Cooperatives in the Southwest.
In Hot Water: Water Management Strategies to Weather the Effects of Global Warming (NRDC report)
Water Efficiency Saves Energy (NRDC report)
Las Vegas Water District conservation pages
Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNVA) conservation and rebates
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)
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)
Change Your Commute, Change Your City
Plug and Play: A Q&A with Luke Tonachel on Electric Cars
On Earth: These Roads Were Made for Biking
Greening Advisor: Public Transportation
Clean, Low-Emission, Affordable, New Transportation Act (CLEAN-TEA)
Why, What a Smart Grid You Have!
Quiz: What Do You Know About Saving Energy?
New Energy Efficiency Tax Credits
Wind, Solar and Biomass Energy Today
Renewable Energy for America: Solar
Minute, Morning, Month: Apply these water-saving measures in your yard or garden.
Minute, Morning, Month: Save water and reduce runoff. Install permeable pavement.
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