Green Branding 101 for Cities

Marc Stoiber offers suggestions for bolstering a city's green image by looking at several cities across the globe that have found success at marketing their own sustainable urbanism programs and initiatives.

1 minute read

October 26, 2010, 1:00 PM PDT

By Emily Laetz


Although the word sustainability is somewhat ubiquitous in the planning vocabulary of cities these days, certain places seem to come up again and again as beacons of successful green urbanism. There are, of course, the usual suspects: Portland, Curitiba, Vancouver, and many Scandinavian cities such as Copenhagen. Why are some cities so successful at branding themselves as eco-visionaries while the green reputations of others never seem to rise to the forefront of public consciousness?

According to Marc Stoiber, green branding efforts in many cities have thus far been sporadic and unimpressive. Stoiber concludes that the secret to successful green branding is "bold marketing as much as visionary infrastructure," and offers three takeaway points as recommendations for those wishing to improve their reputation as leaders in the realm of sustainability.

Monday, October 25, 2010 in GreenBiz

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

Get top-rated, practical training

Aerial view of single-family homes with swimming pools in San Diego, California.

San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule

The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.

March 9, 2025 - Axios

Historic homes in St. Augustine, Florida.

Florida Considers Legalizing ADUs

Current state law allows — but doesn’t require — cities to permit accessory dwelling units in single-family residential neighborhoods.

March 18, 2025 - Newsweek

Aerial view of suburban housing near Las Vegas, Nevada.

HUD Announces Plan to Build Housing on Public Lands

The agency will identify federally owned parcels appropriate for housing development and streamline the regulatory process to lease or transfer land to housing authorities and nonprofit developers.

March 17, 2025 - The Wall Street Journal

Mississippi state capitol dome at night with purple flowers in foreground in Jackson, Mississippi.

Mississippi Aims to Abolish Income Tax — and Replace it With Gas Tax

The new gas tax would fund MDOT and the Strategic Multi-Modal Investments Fund.

1 minute ago - Mississippi Today

Louisville, Kentucky skyline with river and bridge in foreground at dusk.

Louisville Launches ‘Anti-Displacement Tool’

After a years-long, tenant-led effort, Louisville will use a new tool to analyze whether a proposed housing development can meet a neighborhood’s housing needs and income levels. If it doesn’t, the city won’t subsidize it.

1 hour ago - Shelterforce Magazine

Green Detroit Department of Transportation bus on city street.

Detroit Transit Agency Requests $20M Budget Increase

The Detroit Department of Transportation wants to boost ridership by hiring more drivers, buying new buses, and enhancing station infrastructure.

2 hours ago - Detroit Free Press

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.