City Impressions

How sustainable is Baltimore? I stumbled across the chart below while surfing Wikipedia, and couldn't help but wonder where we stand among our peers in the shameful amorphous 'us cities' blob.

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Impressions

Thinking about Baltimore in purely unscientific terms, it doesn't at first give one the impression of being particularly 'green':

• Derives it's electricity from coal and nuclear, both unsustainable long-term polluters.
• Miserable/non-existent bike lanes and crumbling roads dangerous to bikers.
• Sprawling suburbs contrasting with blocks and blocks of empty urban structures.
• Many treeless streets and spaces.
• Multiple limited, oddly-placed public transportation options which are not very well 'knit together'.
• A geographic location requiring extensive summer AC and winter heating.

On the other hand, it does enjoy some notable green/sustainable amenities:

• Several farmers markets offering local produce.
• Many mixed-use neighborhoods.
• Large numbers of vacant structures represent a capacity that can be 'reused' if the city grows (as opposed to new materials having to be used).
• Single stream recycling.
  
• Strong youth/artist subculture which promotes sustainability.

In many of these points Baltimore does not differ much from how one might imagine an average historic American city.