ABOUT THIS BOOK

Cities are on the front lines of climate change, increasingly called upon to protect people, infrastructure, and natural systems in the face of rising risks. The Guide to Greening Cities captures how municipal leaders across North America are reshaping urban environments—making sustainability a core strategy rather than an afterthought. Drawing from direct experience in city governments, authors Sadhu Johnston, Steven Nicholas, and Julia Parzen show what it takes to move bold climate and equity goals from vision to action.

Through case studies and candid interviews with officials from cities like San Antonio, Vancouver, and Minneapolis, the book uncovers the strategies behind effective green programs—from rethinking city operations to securing funding, navigating political shifts, and building long-lasting partnerships. Readers see how cities overcome common roadblocks like fiscal constraints and changes in leadership while still advancing ambitious climate, justice, and public health initiatives.

Designed for professionals and students alike, this guide offers proven insights into how cities can lead through example, activate communities, and institutionalize sustainability across departments. Whether you're in city hall, a nonprofit, or the classroom, The Guide to Greening Cities provides the tools to build greener, more resilient cities—rooted in real-world challenges and grounded in what actually works.

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

Sadhu Aufochs Johnston currently serves as Deputy City Manager for the City of Vancouver, Canada. He co-founded the Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN) with Julia Parzen and led Chicago’s green initiatives under Mayor Daley as Commissioner of the Department of Environment and in the Mayor’s office as the Chief Environmental Officer.

Steven S. Nicholas is Vice President for US Programs at the Institute for Sustainable Communities in Vermont, former Sustainability Director for the City of Seattle and co-founder of Sustainable Seattle.

Julia Parzen is the Coordinator of the USDN and has led sustainability initiatives in local, state and federal government, including the development of the Chicago Climate Action Plan.

REVIEWS

"The Guide provides useful advice on how practitioners work in local government bureaucracies to advocate and influence directions."
— Ontario Municipal Knowledge Network

"Explains how cities are beginning to think today...It reveals a good overview for those new to greening cities. For those who are more familiar, it provides refreshingly candid overview of what it's like to try and generate change with limited resources. This candor reminds you that change is possible and takes time."

— Ecological Restoration

"...a useful book for urban planners wishing to increase the resiliency of their communities."
— ASLA's The Dirt blog

"Cities are the recognized leaders on greening, sustainability and climate action. The Guide to Greening Cities is the first book I have seen that captures the spirit and hard work of how cities are accomplishing their sustainability goals, and reducing emissions, across North America. Mayors and local leaders who want to join this growing trend of city leadership, innovation and creativity to build more sustainable cities need to read The Guide to Greening Cities."
— Annise Parker, Mayor, City of Houston

"As far as I know, The Guide to Greening Cities is the first book written primarily from the perspective of municipal sustainability officials, sharing their on-the-ground experience working to advance green city goals. As such, it explains the story of government leadership from the inside and, importantly for readers, at the level of practitioners rather than politicians. It's easy to forget that the maze of government bureaucracy can be just as daunting to those seeking change from within as it is to those of us on the outside. As a result, the Guide is really useful to advocates who need to understand how the bureaucracy works in order to be influential."
— NRDC's The Switchboard blog

"A superb book, timely, practical and visionary. Three intrepid pioneers of urban sustainability describe how cities are being transformed to meet the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century and beyond. Essential reading for everyone concerned with the vitality and resilience of urban regions."
— David W. Orr, Oberlin College

"From a business perspective, the question related to cities and sustainability is clear and compelling: can you have a healthy company in an unhealthy city? Arguably, no. Companies need healthy cities to provide reliable infrastructure, an educated and vital workforce, a vibrant economy, and a safe and secure environment to survive and thrive. Business executives have a lot to learn from cities, and a lot to contribute, and this book shows the way, chronicling the successes and the lessons learned about what it takes to make a city healthy, in every sense of the word."

— Joel Makower, Executive Editor, GreenBiz.com

"Provides a comprehensive look into the practices of North America's green city leaders and the methods these leaders employ in advancing sustainable urban agendas for cities in the United States and Canada...a praiseworthy and useful entry into the field of green urbanism."

— Journal of Planning Education and Research

"Urban areas offer some automatic advantages in efficiency—but this fine book shows how they can become the driving force of a working planet!"

— Bill McKibben, author of "Oil and Honey: The Education of an Unlikely Activist"

"Around the world, people increasingly recognize that our planet's future largely depends on making our cities sustainable. But for each city, turning that recognition into a realistic action plan is an enormously complicated undertaking. Using their direct experience, and their deep understanding of municipal policy and politics, the authors of The Guide to Greening Cities explain what it takes to move beyond the talk of greening cities to actually getting it done."
— Michael R. Bloomberg, New York City Mayor

"An excellent addition to public and college library environmental and sustainability shelves, The Guide to Greening Cities should be mandatory reading for mayors, city planners, community organizers, and urban leaders everywhere."
— Midwest Book Review

"... [The Guide to Greening Cities] offers inspiration on how to create transformation from within city government in partnership with its citizens."
— Funders' Network

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface
Foreword by Mayor Michael Nutter of Philadelphia
Introduction: The New Urban Imperative

Chapter 1. Working within City Government: Lessons from Sadhu Johnston in Chicago and Vancouver

Chapter 2. Leading from the Inside Out: Greening City Buildings and Operations
-Case in Point: Assessing Climate Risk and Resiliency in Flagstaff
-Case In Point: Greening City Fleets in Raleigh

Chapter 3. Leading in the Community: Using City Assets, Policy, Partnerships, and Persuasion
-Case In Point: Returning to Green City Roots and Loving El Paso
-Case In Point: Sewer Overflows and Sustainable Infrastructure in Philadelphia

Chapter 4. The Green City Leader
-Case-in-Point: Funding Sustainability through Savings in Asheville
-Case in Point: Permeable Pavement and the Green Alley Program in Chicago

Chapter 5. Getting Down to Business: Budgeting, Financing and Green Economic Development
-Case in Point: Growing Green Businesses and Jobs in San Antonio
-Case In Point: Financing Affordable Housing along Transit Lines in Denver

Chapter 6. Driving Green Progress Using Indicators
-Case In Point: Sustainability Performance Management in Minneapolis
-Case in Point: Ensuring Sustainability Remains a Priority in New York City

Conclusion: From Green to Resilient Cities
Endnotes

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