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Environmental awareness and urban sustainability are popular phrases these days. Cities across the United States are working towards being more “green”. This can encompass many initiatives including recycling, waste management, and local food production. The green movement is taking hold in many urban environments as cities struggle to deal with the less visible bi-products of production such as air pollution, landfill constraints and access to whole foods.

It is often lamented that, in general, the south lags behind the north in environmental awareness. While that is still true in many regions, some southern cities are picking up the ball and proving that they can be as green as any other city. Atlanta is no exception.

Atlanta is a city of over a half million residents and over 5.5 million residents in the surrounding metropolitan area. It is a major media and technology hub in the south, and the city attracts highly-skilled workers from all over the country. Atlanta’s green sensibilities are a blend of its residents’ needs and desires.

Atlanta has many active sustainability initiatives in progress. Curbside recycling is a cornerstone of the environmental plan. Atlanta’s curbside recycling is one of the most dynamic in the Southeast. The program recycles fine paper, glass, aluminum and steel cans, plastics and cardboard. The city has contracted with private recyclers who purchase the recycled materials and keep them out of the landfill. Atlanta also maintains several recycling drop off locations for items like batteries and old paint cans.

Atlanta’s mayor, Shirley Franklin, has been named one of the top “eco-mayors” in the country by Mother Nature Network for her efforts at improving environmental awareness and leading Atlanta towards a greener future. One of the initiatives named in the award is the Beltline, a proposed alternative public transportation system that includes 22 miles of light rail and 2,200 acres of new parks and green spaces. The proposal works the transportation around existing structures, preserving historic homes and buildings and causing minimal disruption to existing neighborhoods. Work will begin on the Beltline project in the fall of this year and will be continued for several years as the land required is purchased from the Georgia Department of Transportation. When it is completed, the Beltline will connect more than 45 Atlanta neighborhoods and will diminish the need for private transportation in much of Atlanta, thereby saving air pollution, gasoline, and traffic congestion.

Atlanta also monitors its carbon footprint closely and is actively working on reducing it. A carbon footprint represents the amount of stress put on the environment and tries to capture the environmental cost of activities. The city has set targets to reduce energy use, water and fossil fuel usage, and greenhouse gas emissions by 2012. Not only does the city government look to reduce their own carbon footprint but they provide information to their residents on how everyone can be more environmentally responsible.

Atlanta’s green attitude is just one more of its many draws that have made it one of the fastest growing cities in the country.