What city in north america is synonymous with high tech and eco-friendly?

[KurtNYC]

this is just an open question. I will post why I am asking later but don't want to impression or steer those who are generous with their opinions.

Thanks for any answers.

[cvoogt]

1. Detroit?

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. Seattle comes to mind...

[freshwest]

25. Seattle is one of the best

For green living

[gateley]

3. Seattle! nt

[Odin2005]

4. Seattle.

[pa28]

5. I've lived in Portland and Seattle.

I'd say Portland wins on balance.

[OhioBlue]

11. Portland and Seattle came to my mind

Not because I have any experience with either City - just impressions left on me from various things I've read or watched, I guess.

[pa28]

30. A little kick for Portland.

It's high tech employers are hiring and growing at the moment and environmental and social ethics always factor into city decisions.

[kickysnana]

17. Nice to hear. I was in Poartland in 1969 and had my first asthma attack from the smog. n/t

[pa28]

27. I hope you come back if you get the chance.

From what you said it might seem like going from hell to heaven. Portland is really green.

[blue neen]

6. Pittsburgh!

...and we have some really great music...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UePtoxDhJSw

[EstimatedProphet]

63. Pittsburgh's Convention Center really does fit the bill for this

[MH1]

7. Philadelphia is trying to be, but I don't think it's there yet

Pittsburgh is definitely eco-friendly.

[Roselma]

8. North America? Maybe Victoria or Vancouver British Columbia

[pbca]

10. Vancouver

has a ton of trees, but is not really that environmentally friendly. Toronto is extremely eco-friendly (public tranit, curb side recycling and composting ...) but, while we have some high-tech I wouldn't say "synonymous".

[KurtNYC]

40. I think Toronto , Vanouver and Montreal have some high tech cred

I have heard people, mostly Canadians, call Toronto "a city with no soul" and I think that is very unfair. The middle of the city is like Long Island City (in Queens NYC). You have streets with 3 houses from the 1910s then an empty lot then new condos, then a warehouse, a small factory, another clump of old houses. And on those parts I agree with the no soul thing but the rest of the city and many neighborhoods are charming.

Montreal has a lot of businesses which serve the video/computer gaming industry (which is a bigger business than feature films now). Great music, hockey and great restaurants. A great subway, 3 major colleges and the best feng shui in North America (an eroded extinct volcano island in a fresh water river).

[pbca]

48. Toronto

Toronto has a very deep and unique soul but we don't go baring our soul to anyone who wanders by. You have to live here, and be ready to explore and interact to really get a sense of it.

It's true about the buildings downtown. That's partially because, until recently, Toronto had no appreciation for it's own history.

What you see as a visitor is primarily tourist attractions and you primarily interact with tourists and/or people from the burbs (commuters who work downtown.) Set that aside and we are, according to the UN, the most ethnically diverse city in the world. More than half of Toronto wasn't even born in Canada. According to the census there are over 120 languages spoken here. Yet despite having Jews and Palistenians, Serbs and Croats, Hutus and Tutsis, Suni and Shia living side by side it is one of the safest large cities in North America.

We host over 300 cultural festivals, including NxNW, the Toronto International Film Festival (now North America's largest), Luminato, Nuit Blanche etc., plus it is sort of a continuous, ongoing music festival. An average week in Toronto sees 350 bands at 50+ venues. We have the 3rd largest Pride festival in North America (after SF and NYC) ... and all of that is just the tip of the iceberg.

We do have a tech industry, a music industry, publishing, television, film, scores of art galleries, etc., etc., - as well as being the capitol of Ontario and home of Canada's "wall street" (Bay Street here).

I get the sense that people come here for a few days, or a week - hit a few tourist spots and then say that Toronto has no soul but tourist attractions, almost by definition, have no soul.

[TexasObserver]

9. Austin, Texas

[texastoast]

13. Beat me to it

:hi:

[Ichingcarpenter]

28. Austin has gridlock at rush hour.

The worst I've seen and I used to live there and my brother still does.

[xor]

60. Mostly just on I-35 when near the downtown area... Although MoPac and 183 get backed up in the morn

Not as bad as Dallas or Houston though. Which confuses me, since they have so many freaking freeways in both those cities... I guess it just encourages more people to use them.

[demwing]

12. Portland, Berkeley, San Francisco, Seattle,

and surprisingly, Ashville NC

[LooseWilly]

14. Portland?

Vancouver?

Guadalajara?

[frebrd]

15. Seattle nt

[northoftheborder]

16. Austin, Texas

[ProgressiveProfessor]

18. Hard call since neither high tech nor cites are particularly eco friendly

Newer/western cities would tend to be better than the older, mostly eastern and mid west ones.

[KurtNYC]

42. good points. they aren't but they need to be n/t

[Odin2005]

55. False. High-density urban areas are far better for the planet then sprawl.

NYC is the most green city in America, mostly because most people living there do not drive.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

56. There is a lot more to green than not driving...

The soil there is also toxic due to years of pollution dating back to the Dutch. The sewers leak, it is not particularly safe in the local waters. They also export most of their current pollution in terms of trash and power generation.

Well planned modern cites can be more green overall, but older ones lack the infrastructure to be particularly green.

[Odin2005]

57. Simply wrong. I suggest you read the book "Green Metropolis" by David Owen.

http://www.amazon.com/Green-Metropolis-Smaller-Driving-Sustainability/dp/1594488827

---
The problem with green thinking is that there's a whole heck of a lot of self-delusion going on, and when it comes to urban planning, David Owen has done a lot of looking into it, pointing out that at the end of the day, a lot of "green" purchases and behaviors are attempts to rationalize consumption without actually reducing it. Along the way, he steps on the toes of the great pastoral myth of environmentalism by showing how anti-city bias in conservation thinking has often served to promote the very urban sprawl it's supposed to be fighting. And Owen is hardly a global warming denialist or ecology "skeptic" either -- in fact, the primary focus of the book is on managing carbon footprints and just how poorly that's done.

Owen's dirty little secret is something urban planners and ecological experts have been promoting for years with little heed from the general public -- that the density of cities like New York is key to creating a low-consumption environment, since distances between home, work, and other activities are relatively small and therefore cars are generally unnecessary. Owen looks at carbon footprint in per capita terms, showing how the average New Yorker uses something like one third of the total oil consumption of a rural Vermonter, and points out the absurdity of building a "green" corporate campus (his prime example being Sprint/Nextel's in Kansas) so far away from a city that virtually all employees have to drive to work. He even goes as far as to attack the locavore movement, noting that because of the ability to pool resources (i.e. load lots of produce onto one big truck), a container of raspberries going from California to NYC can have a smaller carbon footprint than the same container grown in upstate New York.
---

[ProgressiveProfessor]

62. I am not disputing that higher population density lowers average impact

But higher population density alone does not mean that older cities are green. Their infrastructure is an aging patch work and their environment already polluted. That does not mean I am for rural campuses etc, just that the older cities have their own green issues mostly due to their evolution.

The key issue is how you attribute the cost per resident whether its the carbon foot print or other metric such as oil. Owen includes some things that others do not, and in turn does not use some inputs others do. He clearly favors high density living, and *his* data set supports him. He not unique in his position either.

[donheld]

19. Boulder Colorado

[La Lioness Priyanka]

20. seattle

[JDPriestly]

21. Either Portland, Ore. or Palo Alto, Ca

Probably Palo Alto (and I am including Moutain View, CA where I think Google is actually located), because of Google's presence in the area.

I include Portland because it is just so environmentally friendly and has great public transportation.

Might be Santa Cruz for eco-friendly, but I don't think of it as all that high-tech.

[The Midway Rebel]

22. Pittsburgh

Eds and meds baby.

http://www.energybulletin.net/node/52409

[clixtox]

23. Southern Sonoma County in California...

located from 30 to 45 minutes north of the Golden Gate Bridge, on, or near, Highway 101. Petaluma, Sebastopol, Santa Rosa, Cotati, Rohnert Park and Windsor, etc. are all great communities and they are all anxious and willing to facilitate, within reason,every newcomer's needs and wants.

An absolutely fabulous climate and mild weather, year round, is another attribute impossible to surpass. Located near the picturesque Pacific coast, amazing redwood forests, vineyards(of course), and vast swaths of open space, protected in perpetuity, the surroundings are stunning. Countless cultural and recreational options easily available on any budget promote an active, healthy lifestyle. In fact there is a huge tourist industry catering to the hordes of visitors coming to share, for even a short time, the many unique local amenities.

The areas unequalled asset are the many progressive people, (in other words, "intelligent",) and communities throughout the region. There are, also, all ready for you, lots of available buildings suitable for High Tech uses, in fact, quite likely formerly used by another High Tech enterprise. Many educated, eager employees, therefor, are also available locally, or near enough to make an easy commute. Well developed infrastructure is in place, with many improvements underway, or nearly so, make getting around the area relatively hassle free.

The region is very civilized, safe and sweet!

Check it out...

[Brother Buzz]

58. Luther Burbank would agree

[FrancisTreptoe]

24. West coast cities for sure.

Vancouver, Seattle, Portland and San Francisco.

[Edweird]

26. I tend to 'overthink' the trick questions.... So I'll just wait and see what you have planned.

[jberryhill]

29. Bayonne, New Jesey

[Uben]

31. Wasilla?

You betcha!

[Anakin Skywalker]

32. I can tell you which cities are NOT!

[HopeHoops]

33. Newark, NJ

:evilgrin:

[DainBramaged]

43. Lodi NJ beats Newark by a mile

I think they have one free WiFi spot....:P

[AngryAmish]

34. Detroit!

[rug]

35. Utica, NY

[KurtNYC]

45. Utica would be an easy move

When I think of Utica I think of beer, college and regional baseball (bc I don't much about Utica).

what do you like most about Utica ?

[TARAmisu80]

36. DON'T go looking to florida to be in this list!

Florida is horribly non-eco friendly! I see more smog and nastiness in the air in Florida than I ever did living in Rhode Island and RI is a textile state!!! Florida is horrible in most aspects!!!

[KurtNYC]

39. my grandparents lived in florida

near tampa/st pete. they loved it but that was the 1960s and FL was kind of in its heyday ( I'm guessing ). they were retired and both lived in to their 90s. I have friends, family and customers in florida (part of what we do goes into boats and RVs) so Florida is on the list (Miami / Ft. Lauderdale).

I hated the smog in L.A. and I haven't been to FL since the BP spill. I don't really think of Florida as high tech. To me the stereotype of Florida is more centered around retirement and Spring Break.

[me b zola]

37. another vote for Portland!

The city really is amazing, and her people even more so. :thumbsup: During commuting hours I've actually had to fight traffic in the bike lane on my electric bike. :)

[KurtNYC]

38. Thanks for these answers

I am part of a small business that is high tech and eco-friendly and we are looking to move in early 2011. We are outgrowing our present space and looking for a friendlier climate and a city where we fit in.

A lot of votes for Seattle and Austin. I haven't been to either one of those but I hear good things about them consistently.

We have been thinking about a Montreal / Plattsburgh combo, bc having a presence in 2 countries opens up options and the 2nd market, but maybe we could look at Seattle / Vancouver also. We do a lot of business in Phoenix and San Diego (but the pair for San Diego would be TJ and having been to TJ 6 or 7 times, I don't think I want to try to do business in TJ). As for Phoenix, I think I am more of a mountain/forest person; not so much a desert person.

I will consider all of these. There are many on this list that, like Seattle, weren't on my list bc I just haven't been there but if that many people say it is good then I should look into it further and maybe go for a visit.

[RainDog]

44. you should also look into Bloomington, In

it is the location of Indiana University, which was one of the most wired campuses for a decade. (With a student pop of about 40k.) Cost of living is low compared to the cities mentioned. it is very eco-friendly with a long-standing local democratic govt - tho the state itself is an ugly shade of red.

Forbes listed it as one of the top 10 places to start a biz a couple of years ago because it has a highly educated population - people there are "famously" underemployed.

it has a bike-friendly culture (and has several bike-related events during the year) has high-density living (again because of the student population) and a local govt. dedicated to issues of sustainability. Austin isn't eco-friendly b/c it's not high density - if you want to really look at issues of eco-friendly- NY City is one of the most eco-friendly b/c of this issue. but cost of living is something else entirely.

there are people from all over the world who live there - at least 39 diff. nations. The school of music for the U. was endowed by Bernstein and stages full-scale operas, there is a three-day international music fest in the town every fall, and the guy who wrote Godel, Escher Bach lives there, as well as the most recent Nobel prize winner for history, if I have the right subject - I need to run soon and I'm not checking this one. It's also where the Kinsey Institute is located, for whatever that's worth. The school of biz is highly ranked and the school of library science is one of the top in the nation (which also includes information science.) There are also depts. of infomatics and computer science...iow, access to student trained student labor.

there is a local independent community radio station and lots of community volunteerism, as well as public radio and tv (PBS/NPR)

people who come to the city consider it a "undiscovered jewel" because it's not on the interstate system - it's 40 miles from an interstate - but if your biz is e-commerce, that's not such an issue. there are shuttles that run to the airport in Indy so you don't have to drive.

[gateley]

47. I think plan of having a presence in both Canada and the US is a GREAT idea!

If you're a mountain/forest person I'm voting for Seattle again. You can drive South on I-5 and the Cascades will be looming on the left, the Olympics on the right, and on a good day, Mt. Rainier will be in your face! Right now I'm looking at Lake Washington as the sun comes up. And you're right down the road from Vancouver which is another beautiful area. Don't know what the business breaks/rules/whatever are in this area.

I think Seattle was in a pilot program for recycling 20 years ago or so, so it's become part of our lives. I was shocked when I recently lived in the South for a few years, watching people just dump EVERYTHING into their garbage! I'm sorry to say, though, that our vote to ban plastic bags didn't pass (but we tried!).

Let us know what you decide, and if you do come to Seattle, there are plenty of us here who can give you great suggestions on what to see, where to go. :hi:

Here's a current shot from Queen Anne Hill looking south over the city - once the sun comes up, if it's clear, you'd see Rainier in the distance.


And this is from yesterday morning - taken from Bellevue which is East of Lake Washington, toward the West. The hill is Queen Anne, and those are the majestic Olympics!

[The2ndWheel]

49. "We are outgrowing our present space"

That doesn't sound very eco-friendly.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

50. Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro (North Carolina)

Raleigh not so much, but it's trying; stick to inside-the-Beltline. Durham is the red-headed stepchild, so I'm rooting for it (love the American Tobacco Campus and bike trail). Chapel Hill is a wonderful (but expensive) college town. Carrboro is a small, liberal enclave:

"Located near Chapel Hill and the University of North Carolina, Carrboro has a reputation as one of the most liberal communities in the Southern United States. It was the first municipality in North Carolina to elect an openly gay mayor, Mike Nelson, in 1995 and the first municipality in the state to grant domestic-partner benefits to same-sex couples. In October 2002, Carrboro was among the first municipalities in the South to adopt resolutions opposing the Iraq War and the USA PATRIOT Act."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrboro,_North_Carolina

Overall:

--Good music scene.
--Asheville and mountains about 3 hours away.
--NCSU, UNC-Chapel Hill, Duke and MANY other colleges/universities.
--International airport.
--Research Triangle Park.
--Enthusiastic local food/sustainable agriculture following (some REALLY good restaurants).
--Indy paper: http://www.indyweek.com/

But, lots of Bible-thumping, FUX-viewing Republicans and Teabaggers all over the state. Like my neighbor, who proudly states that Obama is the anti-Christ.

[L. Coyote]

52. Consider Corvallis, Oregon, a University town with hi-tech, off I-5 10 miles

near National Forest, the Ocean, the Cascade Mountains, highest education rate per capita in the USA, and

the only place in the world that has had a protest against the War on Afghanistan every single day since the US invasion. Meet somne of your new friends:

Peace Demonstration at the Benton County Courthouse.

http://www.jqjacobs.net/politics/impeach/index.html

http://www.jqjacobs.net/photos/farmers_market.html

http://www.jqjacobs.net/photos/fair/index.html

http://www.jqjacobs.net/photos/dijeridu.html

[cali]

53. If you've been thinking about the Montreal/Plattsburgh combo, take a look at VT

The Burlington area (including Middlebury) is a good choice. Vermont has just been named as the "greenest state"- again, and Chittendon county has the workforce and lots of cultural opportunities. This company just announced they're moving to Middlebury:

E-Corp brings ESL tech firm's HQ to Vt.
By Galen Moore
Video Gallery



E-Corporate English (E-Corp), a French company providing tech-supported English as a Second Language training (ESL), is moving its headquarters to Middlebury, Vt., the company is expected to announce in a press conference today in Middlebury. E-Corp is bringing in-house its IT department, previously outsourced to an Indian firm, said CEO and founder Deborah Schwartz, and expects to hire 28 people in Middlebury in the coming year.

The move is backed by equity investors, including General Catalyst Partners Managing Director George Bell, said David Bradbury, Vermont Seed Capital Fund president. Bell is investing as an individual angel, Schwartz said. The quasi-public Vermont Seed Capital Fund is putting in $200,000, and the Vermont Economic Development Authority is putting in $175,000, Schwartz said. She declined to discuss the private investors’ participation. Boston-area angel investor Roy Rodenstein is the company’s technical advisor but is not investing, she said. E-Corp has been profitable since 2007.
http://www.masshightech.com/stories/2010/12/06/daily48-E-Corp-brings-ESL-tech-firms-HQ-to-Vt.html

More info on tech oriented companies moving into VT:

If you think Vermont industry is just about dairy farms, Ben & Jerry’s and Burton Snowboards, you might be surprised to learn that high-tech products accounted for 75 percent of Vermont exports in 2008, according to the National Trade in the Cyberstates Report, commissioned by the Tech America Foundation. High-tech exports brought $2.8 billion to Vermont in 2008. Yes, billion with a “b.”

Large, national companies such as IBM and GE Healthcare account for a sizable portion of those exports, but there’s much more to the story than Big Blue. “Tapping Tech” will introduce you to a dozen local tech companies and entrepreneurs. They’re located in office parks, renovated factories and post-and-beam farmhouses that dot the rural countryside. Some are established firms, others are growing start-ups, some are dreamers with a desire to build something of lasting value in their communities.

The individuals profiled in “Tapping Tech” work with new technology, but their stories should be familiar to anyone who’s heard of Tom Watson, Rich Tarrant Jr., Ben Cohen & Jerry Greenfield or Donna & Jake Burton Carpenter. Or, for that matter, Thaddeus Fairbanks. The jobs their companies create are exactly what business leaders, educators and elected officials say is needed — high-paying jobs by Vermont standards with a low impact on the environment.

http://www.tappingtech.org/

200 Information Technology Companies in Vermont

Growing Technology Company URMC Announces New Company Headquarters and Relocation to Stowe, Vermont

Company moves operations, administrative and executive headquarters to Stowe, Vermont to access qualified workforce and capitalize on The Vermont Employment Growth Incentive (VEGI) program

Stowe, VT - July 14, 2008 Utility Risk Management Corporation (URMC) announced today that it has moved its headquarters, including all operations, administrative and executive positions to Stowe, VT, effective July 2008. A growing utility-focused risk management company, URMC sees the move as a strategic decision designed to access the state's appealing workforce. The company will also benefit from The Vermont Employment Growth Incentive (VEGI) program, designed to create new jobs and economic growth within the State.

Founded in 2005, URMC is a risk management services company dedicated to improving the reliability and productivity of utility companies throughout North America. The company's intelligence-based, risk management solutions allow for the automated inventory of utility companies' transmission assets as well as all nearby vegetation that could threaten power transmission lines due to weather or normal growth.

http://www.utilityrisk.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=34:urmc-moves-to-vermont&catid=13:press-releases&Itemid=34


http://www.manta.com/mb_43_G4_46/information_technology/vermont

[LWolf]

59. Perhaps a visit to Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver would be good.

A good excuse, anyway.

I love Portland. Haven't been to Seattle; I never get further than Portland when I'm traveling to the city.

[marmar]

41. Ann Arbor

nt

[mainer]

46. Portland -- MAINE!

definitely eco-friendly and v. liberal.

[EstimatedProphet]

64. Agreed

[B Calm]

51. Fowler, Indiana

Fowler Ridge Wind Farm - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The wind farm is in Benton County, Indiana, near the city of Fowler, IN about 90
miles (140 km) northwest of Indianapolis. Fowler Ridge was constructed in ...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fowler_Ridge_Wind_Farm

[deaniac21]

54. Has to be Choctaw, Oklahoma.

[xor]

61. Out of the places I've lived, I'd say Portland, OR with Austin, TX behind it.