Sarasota Ranks No. 4 on List of
“Smarter Cities”
Posted October 10, 2009
The Natural Resources Defense Council has placed Sarasota at No. 4 on its list of small
“Smarter Cities.” Sarasota has been recognized for its air and water quality as well as its environmental standards and participation in programs like green building, green space and recycling, and its transportation network and standard of living.
"Smarter cities" are those communities considered to be more efficient, more livable and cleaner places to live.
Sarasota was ranked by www.smartercities.nrdc.org, the website which is affiliated with the Natural Resources Defense Council. Sarasota ranked 4th after Bellingham, WA, Mountain View, CA and Norwalk, CT in that order among cities with populations between 50,000 and 100,000.
No Florida small city other than Sarasota made the top 10 list of "Smarter Small Cities."
Here’s what the SmarterCities website said about Sarasota:
“... Sarasota has gotten the public involved through environmental education at schools and through community groups including the local women’s
club and Boys & Girls Club. It has also initiated outreach programs like Sustainability Advocacy Volunteer Educators, which provides "green internships" for students of high school and college age.
“To increase public awareness of water conservation and protection, Sarasota started a water quality program in 1989. The city’s water system now reclaims 70% of waste water annually.
Conservation-pricing encourages Sarasota residents and businesses to use less water. Lawn watering is limited to
one day a week. The city of Sarasota started even started a "rain-barrel demonstration" project at City Hall for watering flower beds without
sprinklers, and created a how-to guide for residents to use at home. To protect the landscape and irrigate efficiently as well as to promote native growth and wildlife, the city encourages
Florida-friendly landscaping through sites like floridayards.org.
“Sarasota’s Environmental Management Task Force, formed in 2007, is drafting a Local Climate Action Plan. In April 2008, the city created a
full-time Environmental Services position. The city government expedites permits for Green Development and Green Building.”
A few more examples will demonstrate the extnet of the dedication of the community to environmental quality. Since initiating a "tree-planting" program in 2000, the city has planted over 100,000 trees in city right-of-ways and parks.
Sarasota has committed $1.5 million over the next 10 years to the "Green Canopy Partnership" tree-planting program. The North Sarasota Public Library was only the second library structure in the nation to be certified as a "Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design" LEED Gold structure for its use of low-VOC paint and carpeting, water-wise landscaping, and
use of recycled building materials. The city helped found the "Sarasota Bay Estuary Program," dedicated
to protecting Sarasota Bay and its connecting waterways. Sarasota even has a "Green Business Directory" giving visibility to those businesses which provide green products and services.
There is a lot to like about Sarasota Florida including a warm balmy climate, abundant sunshine, a plethora of golf courses, sparkling white beaches, and vibrant recreational and cultural activities for every taste and budget.
Sarasota offers big-city amenities with a small-town way of life, but its also refreshing to live in a community
so actively involved in assuring that the quality of life currently enjoyed by residents stays that way and even improves over time.
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