Our NYE sustainable city countdown simply wouldn’t be complete without the Midwestern heart of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Admittedly, I have to give you the full disclaimer: I have spent the last four years of my life soaking up the goodness and green-ness that is Minneapolis and it also happens to be the home base of Social Earth. Nonetheless, my suggestions aren’t entirely biased. Sustain Lane voted Minneapolis 7^th place in its 2008 Sustainable Cities feature and it is also ranked 8^th in the nation for the most EnergyStar-certified buildings, among other notifications.

It’s (or our) achievements have a lot to do with our visionary mayor, R.T. Rybak. Aside from personally driving a hybrid, Rybak has worked hard to set a city-wide example for sustainability. Specifically, he has developed Sustainability Indicators, a 10 year “green-print” that measures the long-term issues of climate change, community health, and housing. He has launched numerous initiatives to ensure that Minneapolis remains one of the most bike-friendly cities in the nation, best known for its 5.5 mile Midtown Greenway that stretches from one and of the city to the other – taking over the remnants of an old railroad track.

In the summer, Minneapolis becomes inundated with farmer’s markets, local fairs, and community activities as well. A leisurely walk downtown will afford you the view of more than one green building and I should also give a shout-out to our long-stand local restaurants – Common Roots, Spoonriver, and Birchwood Café – to name a few. Even the University of Minnesota is in on the game. The U of M was one of the leading universities in developing a Sustainability degree – the program through which I was accredited.

I know what you’re thinking – that’s great and green and all – but it’s so #@$%^ cold in Minnesota!  You’d rather go some place warm for the holidays, I know. Yet any Minnesotan will tell you – there’s nothing like starting the New Year with a polar plunge or a naked below zero bike ride…You’ll never take anything for granted again!

Contributor Profile: Ashley

Ashley is a friend of anyone who is fighting the good fight for social change. She currently resides in Bilbao, Spain where she is teaching English and researching the history of the Basque conflict. Personal blog
Twitter: @socialearth

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