Let's hear it for Portland!

I'm obviously very proud of Portland. I think it's a great city. I can't imagine myself living anywhere else (except for maybe Spain...... but that's a long shot..........) and I think that everyone in Portland should be proud of the fact that it's been voted one of the top 10 green cities in the U.S. Below you can find the reason why Portland was bestowed such an honor.

In 1974, Portland (pop 529,121) began to tear down a six-lane expressway to replace it with Tom McCall Waterfront Park, one of many urban parks that make up almost 16 percent of the city. Portland's integrated public transit system, its status as one of the most bike-friendly cities in the country, and its ranking in the top third of affordable cities by the National Association of Homebuilders put it on our Green Guide list. Portland scores extra points by leading the nation in green-building practices: It has the most building projects registered for LEED-certification, in total number 52 and per capita. In 2002, Portland became the first city to gain approval from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) to implement their own green building ratings system "Portland LEED", in which local codes were tailored to meet or exceed the USGBC's standards. When it comes to escapes, skiing on Mt. Hood is popular, as are canoeing and hiking along the Columbia and Hood rivers. And right in the city itself, Forest Park, one of the largest municipal parks in the country, provides 74 miles of hiking, running and biking trails.