From yesterday’s Wall Street Journal, “How To Build A Greener City” by Michael Totty:

Urban populations around the world are expected to soar in the next 20 years, to five billion from more than three billion today. If the current rate of urbanization holds steady, cities will account for nearly three-quarters of the world’s energy demand by 2030 [...] So, cities aren’t going to have be made a little greener; they’re going to have to be rethought.

Building on these strengths, planners and developers are devising innovative solutions to meet urbanites’ energy, water, transportation and sanitation needs well into the future. Some improvements are fairly easy, such as switching to energy-efficient LED lighting in buildings and streetlights, or setting aside bike lanes and widening sidewalks to encourage alternatives to driving [...] Others are more ambitious, requiring new construction or even an extensive rebuilding of city infrastructure [...]

Of course, many of these initiatives can be expensive, with high up-front costs. Urban planners say savings from lower energy bills and other operational efficiencies can more than cover the added expenses, but the break-even point can be years out. Still, cities — unlike the average homeowner considering rooftop solar panels — can take a long view and make investments with a decades-long payback.

The article than delves into eight ways in which cities can become more green and more efficient as their populations expand — from installing micro wind turbines and green roofs atop commercial or residential buildings to building streets and sidewalks that render biking and walking the most convenient travel options. The “walking and biking” option caught my attention in particular because it represents a real (and necessary) collaboration between individuals and city government.

In other words, to lessen rush-hour pollution, individuals need to make the personal decision to bike or walk and the cities need to create the infrastructure to support that decision. Unlike, say, the installation of micro turbines, the rise in walking as a form of commuting involves an array of private and public choices — some of which may be impulsive. All of which invites the question, how can greening a city become an appealing and important part of both private and public planning? What are your choices for the most successful (and green) initiatives?

Let us know what you think — and see what Catalogue Nature non-profits, such as Washington Area Bicyclist Association and the Coalition for Smarter Growth, have to say.