Mention the word “city,” and the first thing you’ll probably think of is towering skyscrapers, never-ending traffic jams and smoke, and garbage-filled alleyways. As far as most people are concerned, cities are the noisiest and dirtiest places in the country. That’s why it’s so hard to find the word clean in the same sentence with “city.”
However, you’d be surprised just how clean some of the cleanest cities in our beloved country are. Possibly it’s because of the gradual shift to renewable energy sources that’s behind the clean, crisp air in our cities these days. It could also be because most people are becoming more environmentally-conscious, which translates to cleaner parks, alleyways, and even beaches.
Regardless of the reason, you must admit that cities these days are much cleaner than they were a decade ago. In this case, cleanliness could mean a lot of things, from how clean the air is to how trash-free the environment is. Sometimes cleanliness could also mean how clean and potable the city’s water supply is.
In this post, we’ll be looking at seven of the cleanest cities in the United States.
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- Chicago, Illinois
Chicago is the third-most populous city in the United States, with a population of about 2.69 million, as of 2019. With so many residents, you’d think it would be difficult for the mayor and her administration to keep the city spotless. However, concerted efforts between the administration and Chicago residents have made it one of the countries’ cleanest cities.
Chicago prides itself on keeping trash out of the city streets unconditionally. Take a stroll down any street in Chicago, and you’ll barely see a candy wrapper on the pavement. Keeping the streets spic and span is something ingrained with Chicago residents.
The city also undergoes regular street sweeping with top quality street sweeper brushes to ensure everything remains spotless. What’s more, the city committed to using only renewable energy by 2035. A very huge commitment by any standards, but from the look of things, it seems like something the city can pull off.
- Washington, DC
The city’s capital has stepped up its efforts in keeping the city clean and tidy, despite being the 3rd greenest city in the US. This is through legislation that will help keep Washington even cleaner and greener. For instance, the city passed a bill that required all electricity to come from renewable sources by 2032.
That means all homes, businesses, and even the White House will only use renewable energy sources by 2032. Washington has shown unwavering commitment to cleaning the city’s air, even partnering with private organizations to ensure they meet their clean air agenda.
They promote clean and renewable energy down to the lowest level of the resident population. Promoting activities like carpooling, using electric stoves, and electric grills instead of charcoal grills. These small initiatives have collectively helped Chicago become much cleaner and greener, and that’s why it made the list.
- Orlando, Florida
Orland not only makes but also tops the list because of the downtown clean team. This is a special team dedicated to cleaning trash from the streets and removing graffiti from the walls. The clean downtown team is a volunteer initiative where the city’s cleanest individuals gather to make the town a poster child for cleanliness in the US.
As far as cleanliness and tidiness go, the clean downtown team has done a bang-up job. Although the city hasn’t enacted any legislation for clean energy as of yet, it’s still one of the cleanest cities in the country. Maybe when it does, it’ll be hands down the cleanest city in the US.
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- Honolulu, Hawaii
If you want peace, relaxation, and clean air, then there’s no better place than Honolulu, Hawaii. The American Lung Association has given the city the number one spot for the cleanest ozone layer in a metropolitan area. If beautiful sandy beaches and clean air is what you’re looking for, then Honolulu should be your next destination.
Despite the superior air quality, Honolulu still lags behind in green initiative. For starters, oil usage in the city is a little more than what is environmentally acceptable. In that regard, the city is making plans to introduce more bike lanes on their roads in the coming years.
The city is also planning to make a complete transition to green energy in the coming 25 years. Doing so will be crucial in conserving the city’s natural beauty and transforming it into a green city. Let’s not forget retaining the city’s superb air quality.
- New York, New York
It’s hard to imagine that New York would one day be on the list of cleanest cities in the country. What used to be a city riddled with crime and overflowing with trash and rodents is now a clean and sustainable city with one of the country’s best air.
New York has also moved to protect its large freshwater resources to promote sustainability in the city. It’s also pushing for more mass urban gardens to improve air quality, which goes hand-in-hand with the health of New York residents. In case you didn’t know, kids in Harlem have thrice the rate of asthma compared to kids from other cities.
Apart from promoting mass gardens, the city has also created bike lanes and built new parks around the city. Perhaps the most stand-out cleanliness project is the Billion Oysters Project, which aims to distribute 100 billion oysters by 2035.
These oysters will purify New York’s water and also help increase aquatic biodiversity in New York’s harbors. What’s more, the distribution of these oysters will be spearheaded by middle-school kids from across the city. The Billions Oyster Project is an educative and restorative initiative by the city to cleanse their water for generations to come.
Visit the Cleanest Cities for Yourself
If cleanliness is next to godliness, then the cleanest cities in America are a slice of heaven. For your next road trip, why don’t you pick one of the cities for your destination? As long as you don’t throw any trash on the streets or do anything that could compromise the cities’ cleanliness.
If you’re done with your cleaning, we have the perfect thing to help you pass the time. Check out all the other informative reads on the site?
