CitiesGoGreen - January 2009 - (Page 22) Local Government in Action — PROFILE — MINNEAPOLIS Sustainability Is Everybody’s Job Minneapolis Facts Population: 372,833 (2006 census estimate) Land area: 54 sq. mi. Population density: 6,971 persons per sq. mile Mayor: R.T. Rybak Bicycles: #2 bicycling city in the US. More than 10,000 cyclists, approximately 4,500 of whom regularly commute to work by bike Tree canopy: more than 979,000 trees (as of 2004) cover 26% of the city. Sustainability indicators: Minneapolis Greenprint document details 24 different sustainability indicators in the city yearly. City website: offered in English, Español, Soomaaliga and Hmoob. Green vehicles: Expanded fleet by adding two new 100% electric cars. Minneapolis, Minnesota has a sustainability department of two, yet all city departments have green indicators and accomplishments. Lia Ayley talked to Mayor R.T. Rybak and Sustainability Manager Gayle Prest to find out how they do it. by Lia Ayley W ith a population of more than shoulders in the city,” explained Mayor Ry370,000 and just two people in bak. “We have a superb sustainability coits sustainability department, ordinator in Gayle Prest (see interview on one might assume that sustainability is a page 25), but from the beginning I made it low priority for the clear that every arm City of Minneapo- “Everybody in the City of Minneapolis of the city needed lis. In reality, the to have sustainabilsmall staff is part of government is responsible for ity indicators to be a strategy that over sustainability, and every department met. We don’t have seven years has the city do its busiracked up so many is measured on sustainability ness normally and green accomplishthen have a couple ments that the staff indicators.” — Mayor Rybak of talented people has to select which get us involved in ones to include in reports. sustainability. Everybody in the City of “We intentionally don’t have an official Minneapolis government is responsible ‘office of sustainability’ because we don’t for sustainability, and every department believe this should rest on one or two is measured on sustainability indicators.” January 2009 22 http://citiesgogreen.com/issues/january-2009/current-feature/minneapolis-sustainability-is-everybodys-job http://www.CitiesGoGreen.com
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