Friday, April 23, 2010

Eco-Friendly Cities: Where to Buy : HGTV FrontDoor Real Estate

Living green isn't just about your house, it's also about your community. Being in a community that makes it easy to be green will make your transition to eco-friendly life that much simpler.

Here are some things to consider when searching for a green neighborhood or city:

Are there alternative power sources?

Sure, you can buy your own solar panels, but it's simpler to tap into a city's existing renewable energy sources, like wind, solar and hydroelectric power.

Eugene, Ore., is a great example of a power-forward city. Much of the Pacific Northwest already uses clean hydroelectric power. Eugene takes it one step further: The city draws another 9 percent of its energy from wind farms.

What about public transportation?

The average suburban driver makes 13 car trips a day and all that fuel guzzling can cancel out home energy savings. What's a homeowner to do? Live somewhere that has ample public transportation.

New York City has the largest public transport system in the world, and 54 percent of Big Apple residents use subways, buses and trains rather than their own wheels. In Washington, D.C., 34 percent of residents use public transit. Boston comes in third with about a third of its residents using the city's transportation services.

I Pedestrian-Friendly Cities >>

Posted via web from Living in Phoenix-Real estate-Neighborhoods & Homes

No comments: