Karin Dryhurst

Greening America One City at a Time

San Francisco has been lauded for its innovative solutions to problems facing cities--from Healthy San Francisco to paid sick leave.

But the city has also been following in the footsteps of other cities:

Newsom got the idea to step up landscaping requirements after he visited Chicago during his first term. The San Francisco ordinance was modeled not just on Chicago, but also on initiatives under way in New York City, Boston and other urban areas as part of a movement to unpave public spaces, said Astrid Haryati, Newsom's greening director.

The legislation will require that half of the front yards in new developments must be either in-ground plantings, porous asphalt, or interlocking bricks that will allow more rainwater to soak into the ground. The plan aims to divert rainwater from the San Francisco sewer system and to improve the urban environment.

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Posted at 1:18 PM, Apr 14, 2010 in Cities | Energy & Environment
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