The Greening of Columbus

Sustainlane recently ranked the City of Columbus as the least sustainable major U.S. city.
http://www.sustainlane.us/city_study_50%20Columbus.jsp
To Mayor Coleman's defense, he did start his get green Columbus initiative, before this issue came out. However, this months Columbus Monthly focuses on the "greening of Columbus." Mayor Coleman sites the Big Darby Accord, the LE.E.D. certified Lazarus building for the state EPA and a failed initiative to try to increase recycling.
http://www.ourohio.org/deploy/Season.html

The Darby Accord, while better then no planning, virtually keeps all development happening in the City of Columbus, not suburbs with higher building standards and larger lots. All most of all of it no doubt ticky-tacky development of the likes of Miranda homes. I guess Columbus doesn't think much of Urban Growth Boundaries, such as vibrant cities as Portland. Columbus also controls all development through water distribution so it wouldn't be hard at all to halt even the suburban growth, Ah sprawl is what I think of when I hear the Darby Accord. Why should anything be going in there.

The Lazarus building is a great thing, Hopefully I will be able to see the green roof from my office window. But, other vibrant Mid-western towns (Chicago) are building copious amounts of LEED certified building and other innovations. Mostly why the Lazarus building meets LEED standards is that it is an old building not being torn down. Still nothing all that innovative.

And all ready mentioned is his article was the failed recycling debacle of trying to distribute bags to citizens outside normal recycling routes. Which had minimal participation. No doubt we can all do much better.