Pillar Talk

Abstract

This article examines local sustainability initiatives in the United States through the lens of the “three pillars” of sustainability: economic development, environmental protection, and social equity. A comprehensive index is created using national-level survey data on local sustainability initiatives, then census and other data are used to examine local activities related to all three pillars of sustainability. Analysis of a series of correlations and means comparisons provides evidence that several factors are interrelated with local government engagement in sustainability initiatives, including population size, central city locations, diversity, ethnicity and race, political leanings of a community, and region. In addition, cities are ranked by their scores on this index creating a “best cases” list for future research.