Thanks to its abundance of parks, bikeways, open spaces and trees, Irvine is now ranked the fourth Greenest City in America and the greenest city in Southern California according to the finance website WalletHub.
Each year, WalletHub compares the nation’s 100 largest cities to compile its “Greenest Cities” list, using 28 key indicators — ranging from greenhouse gas emissions per capita to water quality and green jobs.
Irvine was recognized for its high percentage of green space and its environmental leadership, which has been part of Irvine’s foundation since its earliest planning. The City’s Master Plan called for parks, open space, walking trails, and bike paths to be woven throughout neighborhoods.
Mayor Larry Agran said: “Being ranked the fourth greenest city in America and No. 1 in Southern California is a tremendous honor that reflects Irvine’s long-standing commitment to parks and public spaces. This recognition is the result of intentional planning, community vision, and a deep-rooted commitment to preserving the land around us. Our parks are more than just green spaces — they’re essential to community health, connection, and quality of life.”
Earlier this year, Irvine’s park system was ranked the best in California and the second best in the entire nation by the Trust for Public Land. The City was recognized for having an impressive 28% of its land dedicated to parks and green spaces, which is nearly double the national average. And 96% of Irvine residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park.
The Mayor’s team is now working to make Irvine even greener by developing an Urban Forest Master Plan that will add thousands more trees to help provide shade, clean the air, and cool our City.
Just two years ago, Mayor Agran joined forces with several hundred North Irvine residents to successfully shut down the City’s largest industrial polluter — the All American Asphalt plant. In its place, the City is now establishing a new 600-acre “Gateway Preserve” that will include a network of hiking and biking trails for Irvine families to enjoy.
The City is also expanding the Jeffrey Open Space Trail, with a new pedestrian and bicycle bridge now under construction that will soon span the entire I-5 Freeway. When it opens next summer, the Jeffrey Open Space Trail bicycle and pedestrian bridge will connect 3.5 miles of the existing trail to 1.5 more miles that is being added south of the freeway. A recent extension of the Hicks Canyon Trail also added a tunnel under Portola at the north end of the trail. Once the segment of the Jeffrey Open Space Trail north of Portola is complete, the Hicks Canyon Trail will connect to it via a tunnel under Jeffrey.
In a further commitment to the “greening” of Irvine, this past summer the City Council approved a phased citywide expansion of the free Irvine CONNECT shuttle bus transit system. This is expected to dramatically improve public transportation, especially for Irvine youth and seniors, while also decreasing traffic and carbon emissions throughout the City.
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