Canada's Top Green Cities

Green Living magazine gives kudos to Canada's leading cities in terms of energy, water, density and bike-friendliness.

1 minute read

April 18, 2009, 9:00 AM PDT

By Michael Dudley


"The cleanest air and water, bountiful green spaces, solar-powered and geothermal-heated buildings all are tantalizingly within reach in several Canadian municipalities. So, where should you point your biodiesel-fueled moving van?

Vancouver: Urban Density Experts

The EcoDensity Charter, which will encourage green laneway housing, rezoning and relaxed building codes to accommodate solar panels and shading. A commitment to making all city operations carbon neutral by 2012 and plans to reduce community GHG emissions by a whopping 80 percent by 2050 (from 1990 levels) will also help to improve air quality, lower energy bills and create an even more livable city.

Yellowknife: Canada's geothermal energy hot spot

Yellowknife will become a whole lot greener thanks to its Community Energy Plan, ...[which will] use clean, geothermal energy from a nearby abandoned goldmine (the Con Mine) to heat 2,000 homes.

Calgary: The green electricity capital

Forget dirty oil; Calgary is and will continue to be all about clean voltage. It is the only municipality in Canada to draw at least 75 percent of its electricity from renewable sources, and it plans to jack that up to 90 percent by 2012."

Thursday, April 16, 2009 in Green Living

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 11, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Rendering of Shirley Chisholm Village four-story housing development with person biking in front.

San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning

SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.

June 8, 2025 - Fast Company

Yellow single-seat Japanese electric vehicle drivign down road.

The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs

The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.

June 6, 2025 - PC Magazine

White Waymo autonomous car driving fast down city street with blurred background at night.

Seattle's Plan for Adopting Driverless Cars

Equity, safety, accessibility and affordability are front of mind as the city prepares for robotaxis and other autonomous vehicles.

June 16 - Smart Cities Dive

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 - Governing

People riding bicycles on separated bike trail.

With Protected Lanes, 460% More People Commute by Bike

For those needing more ammo, more data proving what we already knew is here.

June 16 - UNM News