Sacramento's Green Ambitions

With ambitious environmentally-conscious building requirements and the cooperation of the state government, the California Capitol city Sacramento is looking to edge past Chicago as the nation's greenest city.

1 minute read

September 8, 2007, 5:00 AM PDT

By Nate Berg


"'Our goal is to become the most sustainable city in America,' said Sacramento City Councilman Rob Fong."

"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger now mandates that new state office buildings at minimum qualify for a LEED silver rating."

"Developers submitting bids on a 1.4 million-square-foot state office complex in the works must not only meet the silver standard, but also show their buildings will produce 10 percent of their own power with solar panels or through some other method, said Anne Cavanagh, a project manager with the state Department of General Services."

"A Bee analysis of data from the U.S. Green Building Council found that Sacramento has the second-largest quantity of LEED-certified office space in the nation with 4.3 million square feet, the bulk of it in state-occupied buildings."

"Sacramento trails only Chicago, which has been showered with media attention for Mayor Richard M. Daley's quest to go green."

Friday, September 7, 2007 in The Sacramento Bee

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

June 25, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Two people walking away from camera through pedestrian plaza in street in Richmond, Virginia with purple and white city bus moving in background.

Vehicle-related Deaths Drop 29% in Richmond, VA

The seventh year of the city's Vision Zero strategy also cut the number of people killed in alcohol-related crashes by half.

June 17, 2025 - WRIC

Two small wooden one-story homes in Florida with floodwaters at their doors.

As Trump Phases Out FEMA, Is It Time to Flee the Floodplains?

With less federal funding available for disaster relief efforts, the need to relocate at-risk communities is more urgent than ever.

June 16, 2025 - Governing

Road sign with EXTREME HEAT ALERT surrounded by orange traffic cones

Hundreds of New Yorkers Hospitalized Due to Extreme Heat

A brutal heat wave is causing hospitalizations for heat-related illnesses, an increasingly common threat as summers get warmer.

1 hour ago - Gothamist

Blue, white, and red Metra commuter train with Chicago buildigns in background.

Opinion: Illinois Transit Bill Could Revolutionize Intercity Travel

A bill passed by the state’s General Assembly would create a permanent source of dedicated funding for intercity rail.

2 hours ago - Streetsblog Chicago

Sign for Mt. Hood National Forest sign on roadside.

US Forest Service Could Open Millions of Roadless Acres to Logging

The USDA indicated it plans to repeal the ‘Roadless Rule,’ a Clinton-era regulation that prevents new road-building in undeveloped federal forest areas.

3 hours ago - Bloomberg Law

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.