Sustainable New York

While most would attribute the success of New York City to the intuitive forward thinking of Robert Moses will it be able to hold its position as one of the most sustainable cities with up and comers like Portland,Oregon on its heels. New York does have a one up on many other U.S. cities because it is the epicenter of so many cultures and industries that the country thrives off of, but when it comes to people who want a less dense, less busy environment they may look to places like Portland. As I have previously mentioned parking is a major issue in New York, but that lends to its well organized transit system. Despite the fact that Portland is moving away from using vehicles they have more space and more opportunities for those who would like to drive rather than ride public transit. The people of Portland seem to have a better grasp on what it takes to be sustainable as a whole and not just as an individual. Even the University of Oregon offers opportunities for organizations and people to be educated on how to become leaders in sustainability. It is crucial that every city becomes more of a unit when trying to build towards a better environment. While I was visiting New York I saw a huge counter keeping track of how much green house gas we are omitting. I thought it was a great idea because it makes everyone aware of what is happening around them. This hopefully makes those passing by think about what they might do to be more "green". If New York wants to hold its position it better watch out and not just rest on its laurels of being the most populated city in the country.