"With forests, mountains and beaches all within reach, Vancouver has plenty of incentive to do its bit for the planet."
Lonely Planet has included Vancouver in a recent roundup of the most sustainable cities in the world.
In the introduction to its roundup of sustainable global cities, the travel guide publisher notes that some of the world's most popular cities are among the worst polluters.
However, some busy urban centres are improving their carbon footprint by moving to zero-waste restaurants, eco-friendly architecture, and more.
Vancouver is the lone Canadian selection
Europe had the three cities on the list, with Copenhagen, Lisbon, and Ljubljana featured in the roundup.
North America also saw three cities on the list, with Vancouver being the lone Canadian selection.
"Over 122,000 trees have been planted here since 2010 (with the aim of reaching 150,000); the city’s emissions are among the lowest in North America, and it is aiming to go entirely zero-waste by 2040 – a movement reflected in grocery stores and cafes such as Nada and Kind Cafe," writes Lonely Planet.
Neighbourhood clean-up parties and community gardens are noted as key "eco-friendly initiatives" in the city, and the article mentions the Vancouver Public Library's green roof "helps manage rainwater, regulates the building temperature and provides a habitat for bees."
Lonely Planet adds that Vancouver has an impressive 28km seaside greenway--the longest uninterrupted waterfront path in the world-- "which connects many of Vancouver’s public spaces, including the Stanley Park Seawall."
The United States has two cities on the list: Portland and San Francisco.
Singapore and Bengaluru, India have also been selected for the green city roundup.
Lonely Planet's eight sustainable cities
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Portland, United States
- Singapore
- Lisbon, Portugal
- Bengaluru, India
- Vancouver, Canada
- Ljubljana, Slovenia
- San Francisco, California
