{"id":97176251,"date":"2016-04-29T21:35:26","date_gmt":"2016-04-29T21:35:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/?p=97176251"},"modified":"2018-08-08T13:15:14","modified_gmt":"2018-08-08T13:15:14","slug":"10-of-the-greenest-u-s-cities-to-visit-in-2016","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/10-of-the-greenest-u-s-cities-to-visit-in-2016\/","title":{"rendered":"10 of the Greenest U.S. Cities to Visit in 2016"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Over the past decade, environmental tourism has been on the rise. Although many travelers opt to go abroad to experience green living, there are great cities right here in the U.S. that have embraced an environmentally friendly lifestyle. From smart energy policies to urban green spaces to low carbon emissions, these 10 cities are doing it right.<\/p>\n<h2>Honolulu, Hawaii<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-97176647\" src=\"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/honolulu.jpg\" alt=\"honolulu\" width=\"800\" height=\"536\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/honolulu.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/honolulu-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/honolulu-768x515.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/honolulu-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/honolulu-272x182.jpg 272w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/>One of America\u2019s most beautiful cities also happens to be one of its greenest. For starters, Honolulu is a national leader in green buildings. One of the city\u2019s largest structures, the Hawai\u2018i Convention Center, has integrated LEED certified energy-saving systems that are designed to help to control temperature and humidity of Hawai\u2018i\u2019s tropical climate.<\/p>\n<h2>New York, New York<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-97176648\" src=\"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/New-York.jpg\" alt=\"New York\" width=\"800\" height=\"508\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/New-York.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/New-York-300x191.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/New-York-768x488.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/>In addition to being a prime tourist destination, the Big Apple consistently ranks in the top 10 greenest cities in the country. This is mostly due to governmental and community initiatives in support of improved energy usage. Over the past decade, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/flights\/cheap-flights-to-new-york-city-nyc-new-york\">New York City<\/a> has also worked to integrate more urban green spaces throughout, which contribute to the city&#8217;s aesthetic as well.<\/p>\n<h2>Seattle, Washington<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-97176649\" src=\"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Seattle.jpg\" alt=\"Seattle\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Seattle.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Seattle-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Seattle-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Seattle-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Seattle-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Seattle-272x182.jpg 272w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/>Seattle has more than just good coffee. This environmentally friendly city boasts over twenty LEED certified buildings, and residents are incentivized to install solar panels as alternative energy sources.<\/p>\n<h2>Miami, Florida<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-97176632\" src=\"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Miami-2.jpg\" alt=\"Miami (2)\" width=\"1000\" height=\"664\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Miami-2.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Miami-2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Miami-2-768x510.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Miami-2-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Miami-2-272x182.jpg 272w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/>Miami has made significant strides to become greener of the past decade, and it\u2019s paid off. New environmentally friendly building regulations and practices have made Miami a regular member of top ten greenest cities in the U.S. lists.<\/p>\n<h2>Minneapolis, Minnesota<\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/90-4.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-97176253 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/90-4.jpg\" alt=\"Minneapolis, MN urban bike trail\" width=\"1000\" height=\"374\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/90-4.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/90-4-300x112.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/90-4-768x287.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>A national leader in bike trails (yes, some people bike even in the winter!), urban green spaces, and clean lake initiatives, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/flights\/cheap-flights-to-minneapolis-msp-minnesota\">Minneapolis<\/a> is both \u201cMN nice\u201d and environmentally friendly place to visit any time of year.<\/p>\n<p>Passionate about green living? Then check out this\u00a0enlightening\u00a0infographic from SaveonEnergy.com\u00a0titled:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.saveonenergy.com\/which-states-care-about-the-planet\/\">Which States Care Most About The Environment<\/a>? The infographic is a drilled-down look at how states are making tangible changes to conserve energy and protect the environment. See how other Americans are going green and where states rank, when it comes to conserving energy.[\/pullquote]<\/p>\n<h2>Washington, D.C.<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-97176627\" src=\"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Washington-DC.jpg\" alt=\"Washington DC\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Washington-DC.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Washington-DC-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Washington-DC-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Washington-DC-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Washington-DC-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Washington-DC-272x182.jpg 272w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/>Our nation\u2019s capital launched a sustainability plan in 2013 that has helped the city make significant strides toward its goal of being, according to Mayor Gray, \u201cthe greenest, healthiest, and most livable city in the U.S.\u201d by 2032. One of the requirements of the plan is that all new schools must be LEED certified. Along those lines, D.C. already has many LEED certified buildings throughout the city.<\/p>\n<h2>Portland Oregon<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-97176628\" src=\"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Portland-OR.jpg\" alt=\"Portland OR\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Portland-OR.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Portland-OR-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Portland-OR-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Portland-OR-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Portland-OR-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Portland-OR-272x182.jpg 272w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/>Not only was Portland one of the first cities to ban plastic bags, it also uses 20 percent more renewable energy than the national average. Biking and ridesharing are also a big part of Portland\u2019s unique culture.<\/p>\n<h2>Boston, Massachusetts<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-97176629\" src=\"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Boston-MS.jpg\" alt=\"Boston MS\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Boston-MS.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Boston-MS-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Boston-MS-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Boston-MS-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Boston-MS-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Boston-MS-272x182.jpg 272w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Over the past decade, Boston has done many things to become\u00a0greener, including replacing taxi cabs with hybrid cars, incentivizing residents to install solar panels, and recycling trash to generate power for homes. The city also hosts an annual Down2Earth conference to promote environmentally friendly living.<\/p>\n<h2>Arlington, Virginia<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-97176630\" src=\"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Arlington-VA.jpg\" alt=\"Arlington VA\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Arlington-VA.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Arlington-VA-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Arlington-VA-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Arlington-VA-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Arlington-VA-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Arlington-VA-272x182.jpg 272w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/>Arlington has been lauded as a national leader in environmental quality, methods of transportation, sources of energy, and housing density. The city is also home to Arlington Initiative to Rethink Energy (AIRE), an organization that helps the community make smart decisions about energy use.<\/p>\n<h2>San Francisco, California<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-97178660\" src=\"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/90-1.jpg\" alt=\"90 (1)\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/90-1.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/90-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/90-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/90-1-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/90-1-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/90-1-272x182.jpg 272w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><br \/>\nA consistent member of the top 10 greenest cities in America lists, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/flights\/cheap-flights-to-san-francisco-sfo-california\">San Francisco<\/a> reached an impressive milestone a few years ago. The city now reuses over 80% of its waste through compost or recycling programs (the highest level achieved by any city in the U.S.). It also boasts a great locavore dining scene.<\/p>\n<p>Have you visited a U.S. green city lately? What aspects impressed you the most? We\u2019d love to read your thoughts in the comments section.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Over the past decade, environmental tourism has been on the rise. Although many travelers opt to go abroad to experience green living, there are great cities right here in the U.S. that have embraced an environmentally friendly lifestyle. From smart energy policies to urban green spaces to low carbon emissions, these 10 cities are doing [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":40,"featured_media":97178659,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1777],"tags":[1793,203,1795,1859,1791,1265,1792,36,652,408,1794],"class_list":["post-97176251","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sustainable-tourism","tag-arlington","tag-boston","tag-d-c","tag-green-living","tag-leed-certified","tag-miami","tag-minneapolis","tag-new-york","tag-portland","tag-san-francisco","tag-washingon"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97176251","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/40"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=97176251"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97176251\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":97199131,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97176251\/revisions\/97199131"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/97178659"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=97176251"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=97176251"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=97176251"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}