The Environmentally Conscious City by the Bay

April 22, 2009

By Jenny Carless

From comprehensive recycling to energy-efficiency programs, San Francisco – the "City by the Bay" – has a lot of experience and success to share with other cities around the world.

"San Francisco is one of the leading, environmentally conscious green cities – and Mayor Gavin Newsom is probably one of the most innovative leaders in this field in North America," notes Wolfgang Wagener, director, Connected Urban Development (CUD), Cisco IBSG. "The city has very aggressive policies that are setting new standards for others to emulate."

In addition to Urban EcoMap, two other CUD-related programs in San Francisco that are setting a high bar for innovative GHG reduction projects on the city level are:

SF Solarmap

"San Francisco's first experiment with Urban EcoMap was SF.solarmap.org, which helps our residents visualize the potential for solar power," explains Jared Blumenfeld, director of San Francisco's Department of the Environment. "That was a significant breakthrough."

Citizens can use the tool to determine how many square feet of rooftop they have available for solar panels, how much it will cost to install, and what it will save them. The city also helps residents learn about rebates and solar panel installers.

Connected Bus

Developed by Cisco and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Authority, the hybrid Connected Bus features a mobile hotspot so passengers can work while they ride, GPS-enabled real-time information on bus routes and connections, and LED displays that provide information on emissions saved through public transit.

The green buses not only share information with passengers, they also communicate among themselves – improving the overall efficiency of the transportation network.

Jenny Carless is a freelance writer located in Santa Cruz, CA.