•transportation
•air quality
•water quality
•local food
•energy (including alternative energy)
•land use (including parks and open space)
•planning
•zoning
•solid waste diversion (including composting)
•green building
•city innovation (green fleets, clean tech incubators, environmental purchasing programs, etc.)
•city knowledge base/communications

Cities across America have a lot going on in terms of sustainable practices, so SustainLane set out to measure, compare, and rank these cities, thus creating a methodologoy for ranking urban progress in sustainability.

SustainLane has chosen an in-depth and ongoing analysis of American cities, with an applications focus. They discovered and documented new ideas that are creatively addressing regional challenges including clean air, water, local foods, and city revitalizations employing green building techniques. They also wanted to find out what our cities are doing to address global issues like climate change, loss of biodiversity and environmental toxins.

Edens Lost & Found focused its initial attention on Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Seattle; these four cities rank in the top 25 of SustainLane's list as well.

This year’s '1 most sustainable city, Portland, captured the top spot with an all-around good to great performance and ranked below average only in affordability and natural disaster risk. Portland excels in clean technology and green building development, overall quality of life, and in sustainability planning and management.

How did Portland get the top spot? People in the city identify with having a high quality of life more than in most cities. They work hard at being involved in city policy, boards, projects and practices that impact sustainability.

Said Portland’s Mayor Tom Potter, “We’re definitely proud to be recognized by SustainLane for all the ways Portland’s citizens and businesses are working together to create a more sustainable community. In Portland the local governments are leaders for sustainability but it’s really the grassroots actions from the neighborhoods and the businesses that make this a special place. The City is buying renewable power and conserving energy, and so are tens of thousands of residents. The City has a green building policy, but it’s the builders and developers and buyers who actually change the market. It’s the people who shop at the farmers markets, the growers who manage their farms sustainably, the folks who choose to bike or take the bus to work, and all those day-to-day decisions that are making a huge difference.”

Now Portland is using its sustainability ethos to attract businesses, residents, tourists and conventions. Its city slogan, "It’s Not Easy Being Green," reflects a marketing savvy that gives the city national currency as one of the capitals of a powerful emerging domestic economy.