Green Leaders
Interviews with For the Greener Good Panelists
September 2008 National Building Museum Online
On September 17, the National Building Museum will kick off the third season of its acclaimed panel series For the Greener Good with a program called “World Leaders on Sustainability.” Presented in collaboration with the National Capital Planning Commission and Capitals Alliance, the program features leaders from Sweden, Brazil, and the United States in a panel discussion about some of the important sustainable legislation that has been passed and changes that have been made in their cities. NBM Online spoke with some of the program’s panelists about the green initiatives in their cities.
Interview with Sten Nordin, Mayor of Stockholm, Sweden
Interview with Cassio Taniguichi, Mayor of Curitiba, Brazil
Interview with Congressman Earl Blumenauer, Representative of Oregon's 3rd District
Interview with Sten Nordin, Mayor of Stockholm, Sweden
NBM Online: What role does the public play in creating a "green" capital?
Nordin: In order to make a difference everyone must take responsibility and contribute. Every third year, the city conducts an opinion poll [to assess] the inhabitants of Stockholm’s opinions regarding the city's environment. The [poll asks about] disturbance from traffic noise, the amount of accessibility to green areas, and littering. It also asks whether the environmental issues are a source of concern and which environmental issues are most urgent. It also ask questions about the environmental habits of the residents, including whether or not they sort their waste, take public transportation, whether or not they plan to buy a clean car etc.
The most recent poll shows that the environmental awareness has risen. More than 70 percent of Stockholmers are interested in environmental issues and believe that how they act affects the environment. Around 70 percent sort their hazardous waste and think it is important to buy eco labelled food stuffs, 80 percent believe it is important to chose environmentally-friendly means of travel, 90 percent believe it is important to save energy; and half of the inhabitants have switched to low consuming energy light bulbs.
NBM Online: How is your office promoting walk-ability in Stockholm? Has it proved successful? Yes or no? Why?
Nordin: The Stockholm Environmental Programme has a goal to increase the share of travellers who use public transportation, ride bikes, or walk. The city is continuously working to improve and maintain bike paths and walkways. Currently, 30 percent [of the city’s population] regularly bike or walk to their workplace or school; however, that figure decreases during the winter months.
NBM Online: After a seven-month trial period in 2006, Stockholm implemented a permanent congestion tax for those entering the city center by car. What has the public's response been and has the congestion tax worked?
Nordin: A recent citizen survey about the congestion charge shows that 50 percent of the inhabitants feel positively about the congestion charge and 26 percent feel negatively. 72 percent think that the congestion charge influences more people to use public transportation and... [that] traffic congestion has decreased in the central parts of Stockholm city.
Some of the goals that have already been reached are: 22 percent less traffic to/from the inner city during charging hours; 30-50 percent less queuing time in/near the inner city; and 10-14 percent decreased emissions in the inner city.
We have already learned a lot from our period with congestion charge. For example, better public transport did not reduce road congestion on its own, a simple zone structure seemed to work OK, charge levels and time periods can be fine tuned; and we need to simplify payment and administration.
For Stockholm, with a population of 800,000 citizens in the city and nearly 2 million people in the region, it is important to invest in more infrastructure. For example, we are planning “Förbifart Stockholm,” which is an expressway that will lead traffic around the city instead of through it. We have also decided to invest in light rail, both for increased transport capacity and as an environmentally-friendly mode of public transportation.
NBM Online: How has the city used the congestion tax revenue?
Nordin: The City of Stockholm can’t use the revenue because it is a state tax. We have, however, negotiated with the government...[because] we believe that the revenue should go to the city and we want to use the revenue to build more roads and to develop public transportation.
NBM Online: Stockholm has declared that it aims to be free of fossil fuels by 2050. How will the city accomplish this?
Nordin: Stockholm’s large district heating system uses biofuels and waste to produce 75 percent of its electricity and heat. By 2050 the Energy Company aims to use 100 percent biofuels. The district heating system is growing every year, [80 percent of the block apartment houses are connected to the system] and the number of houses with individual oil-fuelled heating systems is decreasing every year.
A large portion of the public transportation system runs on renewable fuels and during rush hour as many as 80 percent [of city inhabitants] travel by public transport. All buses within the city centre run on ethanol or biogas. Twenty-five percent of the bus company’s fleet are clean buses. By 2011 the aim is to reach 50 percent.
In 1990 the per capita emission of CO2 in the city was 5.3 tons a year; today that figure is just below 4.0 ton and we are aiming for 3.0 ton /capita by 2015.
NBM Online: What do you think other world capitals can learn from Stockholm's efforts to create a more sustainable city?
Nordin: Stockholm, by global measures, is not a very large city; [therefore] the city's impact on [environmental issues such as] global warming is marginal if one just looks at actual emissions.
By setting a good example and sharing best practices our work can have an effect outside our municipal borders. Stockholm participates in numerous EU policy projects and [many come to study] our waste water treatment plant, waste incineration plant, and our sustainable city housing district: Hammarby Sjöstad. Stockholm has [also] set extraordinary ecological demands on construction companies, such as integration of water, energy, and waste management infrastuctures. The goal was to reduce the environmental impact of the average household by 50 percent.
Cost-effective solutions are important if the goal is to promote environmental innovation and [to encourage] building companies to adopt new ideas. [There may be] an initial higher investment cost, but it needs to pay off before too long. If the municipality starts subsidizing projects like this, it will stay a vision and not [be adopted]...outside the municipality as we want it to be.... This is important, because we not only want these projects to provide sustainable housing, but to also be a virtual showroom and a demo that...promot[es] cutting-edge solutions and the innovative technology of our companies.
Interview with Cassio Taniguichi, Mayor of Curitiba, Brazil
Taniguichi: All the population must participate to make a city “green.” Since the beginning of the planning process, Curitiba discussed with city inhabitants the necessity to preserve the forests, woods, and rivers; revitalize meeting points; and restore the historical buildings [out of] respect for the [city’s history].
When the “Garbage which is not garbage” program was implemented, all the population—especially children—were [encouraged] to separate the garbage at home and to dispose of it with the garbage collector.
Taniguichi: First of all, there is a competition between [public transportation and the car]: which mean of transportation is more efficient? Which is more environmentally friendly? Will the [taking the] car costs more than the fare?
The city must always improve its transportation network: new buses, fashionable design, better itineraries and timetables, create more capillarity to the system, a good visual communication, etc. [As well as create] affordable integrated fares – just paying one fare to ride within the network or within a period of time (one hour or more).
NBM Online: Curitiba’s buses have proven very popular with the public. To what do you attribute its success?Taniguichi: Priority [has been given] to the public transportation network since…[early] planning in Curitiba —[by] integrating the public transportation with [the city’s] land use and road network. More important, the system [respects] the environment and the cultural heritage.
Taniguichi: The first pedestrian mall in Brazil was built in Curitiba to show how it was fun to walk, to meet people, to wander through shops and drink a coffee, like a “flaneur.” This pedestrian mall links two squares that house the most crowded central bus stations. The pedestrian mall is located near the historical sector of the city [which houses] the old city hall, the cathedral, the university, etc. NBM Online: What do you think other world cities can learn from Curitiba’s efforts to create a more sustainable city?
Taniguichi: By making things happen. When you take too much time discussing if a forest or a wood must be preserved, both may be destroyed. Give examples of how to “green” the city [by promoting]…a real change of lifestyle, [encourage citizens to] consume less and in a smarter way. Try to [make] the city more compact and give economical support to the urban sustainability. For example, Curitiba made the option to be an industrialized city, but never accepted polluting activities.
Congressman Earl Blumenauer, Representative for Oregon’s 3rd District
NBM Online: Portland was recently ranked the greenest city in America by Popular Science as it receives half of its power from alternative energy, 25% of the people commute to work by bike, carpool or public transportation, and it has 35 LEED certified buildings. What has enabled Portland to achieve this much success?
Congressman Earl Blumenauer: One of Oregon’s first environmental actions was to enact legislation to protect farmland. We were finding that sprawling development was eating up the most productive agricultural areas, and decided not to stop growth, but to plan for it. We moved forward with town halls and community meetings across the state to discuss the form that [this] growth should take and…created choices in housing, reduced reliance on driving, and [increased] energy conservation and the protection of open space. In 1973, the State Legislature and Governor Tom McCall worked together to pass Senate Bill 100, which created flexible urban growth boundaries around the major metropolitan areas, saving the rest as open space or farmland.
What we discovered, however, was that there were other benefits to focusing development around existing centers: [such as the creation of] more livable communities, private investment [in] streetcars, and…a positive sense of community. Part of our success stems from an understanding that environmental protection and economic development can go hand-in-hand. Instead of forcing people into a certain way of life, we have given them choices. They can choose green power. They have transportation alternatives that mean they aren’t dependent on their cars. Furthermore, we’ve tried to help level the playing field for [the development of]…green buildings. Our efforts in this area have not only saved energy and reduced global warming, but have made Portland a better place to live…[and] one of the few major cities where the sought-after population of 20 to 34-year-olds is increasing instead of declining. Portland developers who have fueled this boom are in demand all over the West and have gained international recognition.
NBM Online: Portland was the first U.S. city to enact a comprehensive plan to reduce CO2 emissions and Multnomah County has set a goal to reduce CO2 emissions by 10 percent below 1990 levels by 2010. We are two years away from that goal; what have been the results so far?
Blumenauer: I was a member of the Portland City Council when it became the first local government in the U.S. to adopt a plan to address global warming. In addition to investing in green energy, by investing in conservation Portland has saved the equivalent of eight coal fired electricity plants since 1980. The city has also [improved] efficiency in transportation systems by providing public transportation and bike lanes, and concentrating growth and development close to jobs, schools, and shopping.
Portland is very close to meeting its goal; so far it has reduced local greenhouse gas emissions to just below 1990 levels, while the population and economy has expanded. Between 1986 and 2006, Portland’s metropolitan region grew by 85 percent. Per capita emissions have fallen 14 percent since 1990. I’d say these are very positive results.
NBM Online: Much of the sustainable initiatives happening in the U.S. are occurring on the local or state level. What is the federal government doing to make the U.S. more energy efficient, reduce greenhouse gases, and create healthy communities?
Blumenauer: Many state and local activities on the sustainability and global warming front have been truly inspirational. From the more than 800 cities that have signed onto the Kyoto Protocol goals to the more than 25 states that have passed renewable energy standards, communities around the country have shown that these are crucial, non-partisan problems that require cooperation at all levels of government to solve.
For too long, Congress and the administration have been missing in action. In some cases, the administration has actually tried to thwart progress as they’ve done with California’s clean cars program, which Oregon and other states have tried to replicate. The good news is that 110th Congress has made a great deal of progress on energy efficiency, and is set up to take strong action on global warming in the next two years.
NBM Online: The U.S’s transportation and energy infrastructure is in desperate need of attention. How can we use this opportunity to make the right kinds of sustainable investments for the future?
Blumenauer: The next few years present a tremendous opportunity to renew and rebuild America in a way that makes us stronger economically while at the same time improves the environment and reduces the threat of global warming. This country has a rich history of thinking strategically about infrastructure investments. This year marks the bicentennial of the Gallatin Plan— crafted by President Jefferson’s Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin to develop the infrastructure needed by our fast-growing nation. One hundred years later, in 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt invited the nation’s governors to join members of his Cabinet and Congress, professional organizations, and government bureaus in a National Conference at the White House to plan for the infrastructure needs for the 20th century. This conference laid the groundwork for many of the critical investments initiated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to jumpstart the nation’s recovery during the Great Depression.
I believe a new national vision and plan is necessary to meet the challenges of the 21st century. I have proposed legislation to create a new commission that will help articulate a national vision for infrastructure investments, including specific recommendations and a set of model principles to inform future infrastructure investments. We also need to take advantage of all possible legislative vehicles to make investments that move us in the right direction. For example, we need to make sure the next transportation reauthorization goes beyond authorizations for random highway projects and instead, embraces a transportation strategy that reduces greenhouse gases. Another opportunity may come with the creation of a greenhouse gas cap-and-trade system, which has the potential to generate billions of dollars in revenue that can be used to upgrade our transportation, water, and energy infrastructure for the 21st century.
NBM Online: What do you think other municipalities can learn from your district’s efforts to create more sustainable towns and cities?
Blumenauer: I hope that other communities can learn from Oregon’s comprehensive land-use planning process that seeks to align long term economic and environmental interests with our infrastructure and land-use policy. Oregon has worked hard to make sure that there are vibrant, mixed-use neighborhoods… We have an aggressive program for pedestrian-friendly communities; sidewalks; and street-level ground-floor retail that invite people back on the streets, save energy, and make neighborhoods more vital and safe. The Portland story is important because it shows that once you align your policies properly; once you understand that sustainability, energy efficiency, and efforts to address global warming are not defensive measures, but the groundwork for a better and more prosperous future, you can create communities that are safe, healthy, and economically secure.
