Metrofactual

As cities discover the cache of being green, they’re pouring millions into marketing campaigns to outdo one another’s green cred. So, what’s the truth and what’s just so much greenwash?

That’s what Popular Science set out to determine as it rated 50 US cities on overall greenness, using census and other government data to measure more than 30 factors including air quality, renewable energy use, transportation habits, open space, recycling, and green-certified buildings.

Which city emerged greenest of all? Why, that’d be Portland.

Looking especially strong for our use of renewables, alternative modes of transit (we do like our hybrids), green buildings, green space and green thinking (“how important a city’s citizens consider environmental issues”), the greater Portland metro area topped the list of 50 cities, prompting Popular Science editors to declare, “America’s top green city has it all.”

Ranking No. 2 through 5 were San Francisco, Boston, Oakland and Eugene. Chicago, which has famously been waving its “greenest city” flag, ranked No. 9. America’s 50 greenest cities

More metrofacts:

* Leading the nation in hybrid cars per capita, greater Portland area residents purchased 5,792 hybrids in 2007. Hybrid cars in U.S.

* Our region is also the LEED leader in the nation, with 16 buildings certified by the US Green Building Council.

No surprise to anyone crossing the Hawthorne Bridge on a weekday, the Portland region (aka, the fifth-fittest city in the US*) is tops in the nation for commuters bicycling to work.

Nearly 17,000 area commuters (about 2% of all) pedal to the office, according to the 2006 US Census. And the two-wheeling trend continues to gain traction. The number of bicycle commuters here more than doubled from 2000 to 2006.

If you add to that our walkers, the greater Portland area’s non-motorized commuters place us fourth nationally for highest percentage of people walking or biking to work. Top three are New York, San Francisco and Boston.

As we huff and puff to work, it’s good to know we’re breathing relatively clean air. According to Bizjournal’s Stress Index, which ranks 50 major metros on several quality-of-life metrics, the air in Multnomah County is considered “unhealthy” a mere half-day a year.

Portland’s overall Stress Index ranking puts us in the middle of the pack of 50, with unemployment and cost of housing, in particular, ratcheting up our stress. Detroit rates as the nation’s most stressful city.

More metrofacts:
Nearly 6% of greater Portlanders telecommute to work — the second-highest rate (next to San Diego’s) in the country.
Since 2000, telecommuting in the greater Portland area has increased by 45%.