Becoming America's Most Sustainable City

"Sacramento trails only Chicago, which has been showered with media attention for Mayor Richard M. Daley's quest to go green. Chicago, where high-rises seem to sprout almost daily, has 5.2 million square feet of LEED-certified space.San Francisco has 1.1 million square feet; Los Angeles, 1.85 million."

"Like many cities, Sacramento is working on its own sustainability plan to reduce the city's energy use and contribution to global warming. Sacramento also requires that new city buildings meet the LEED silver threshold....Other cities are further along in offering incentives for green building by private developers..."

"In the world of sustainable development, eye-catching features tend to get a lot of attention. Mayor Daley in Chicago has received headlines for his campaign to install greenery on the rooftops of buildings...Some green experts view these high-visibility features as less important than seemingly more mundane items such as windows, heating and cooling systems and insulation."