The city of Seattle is the No. 1 large city for environmental stewardship and sustainability, according to a new “Smarter Cities” survey released by the Smarter Cities Project of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).

“This ‘Smarter Cities’ ranking reflects our city’s values and the commitment we have made to protect our climate,” said Mayor Greg Nickels. “Climate action takes each of us changing our individual habits and our entire community working together.”

The 2009 ranking took into account nine different criteria: air quality, green space, recycling, transportation, water quality and conservation, green building, energy production and conservation, environmental standards and participation, and standard of living.

Smarter Cities also cited the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement led by Nickels, which prompted cities across the country to cut greenhouse gas emissions to meet the goals of the Kyoto Protocol.

The Smarter Cities research compares sustainability efforts in cities across the nation, encouraging urban areas to be smarter places for businesses and healthier places to live. In the survey’s category of cities with a population greater than 250,000, Seattle was followed by San Francisco, Portland and Oakland.

“Today urban leaders -- mayors, businesses and community organizations -- are in the environmental vanguard, none more so than those in Seattle, the home of the US Conference of Mayors Climate Agreement, which now includes 965 U.S. cities,” said Paul McRandle, senior editor of NRDC’s Smarter Cities project. “Seattle’s smart strategies promote green space and buildings, clean air and water, and renewable energy use, making it a standout among large cities in the U.S.”

For more information on the Smarter Cities rankings: http://smartercities.nrdc.org/rankings/large.