Poll results: If you were to create a sustainable/green city, what's the first thing you would bring about?

The results are in. There were votes for all options with the exception of “none of the above”. A good subway system was quite popular with 5 votes, followed by 3 votes for the bus system, 3 votes for a city-wide recycling/composting program, and 1 vote each for an extensive bike path system and green roofs for all buildings.

Any sustainable or green city in the world must have at least one of these components. Public transit is absolutely critical especially if the city has a population over 1 million people. Subway systems are expensive...the internationally accepted value for the cost of a subway per kilometre is $100 million. This cost accounts for construction, labour, maintenance and so. By contrast, the more efficient and well financed bus route systems such as the one in Curitiba, Brazil cost about $1.3 million per km. What’s more effective? They both work well but international evidence suggests that subway systems are simply more efficient, have high ridership rates, and are well-financed i.e. London, Paris and Berlin. They all work pretty effectively if you ask me.

Composting and recycling are becoming more popular programs for growing municipalities. Indeed, usually when a Canadian municipality hits a certain population (usually over 100,000), the city has an easier time starting a curbside composting program. Recycling can be found in most municipalities in Canada because it is a practical and smart approach to waste management. Finally, green roofs and bike path systems. Well Toronto recently passed a by-law to require and govern the construction of green roofs on new development in the city. Their benefits are extensive and enviroboys has talked about them before. Cities that have been progressive with green roofs (Berlin, Chicago, Portland) have had tremendous success.

Bike paths are also desperately needed for any green metropolis. Why? Because they are an excellent green alternative to driving. Bike paths need to be properly maintained and need to be plentiful! They should feed into cities just as main arterial roads and highways do. Let’s keep our cyclists a safe distance away from the motorists as best as we could.

Key message: Green cities are full of innovation and opportunity. If you are living in a city with even one of these components, be grateful... but learn about the numerous benefits accrued from other green options too.