This was no typical State of the City speech.

On Tuesday, Anderson said Salt Lake City is creating a "livable and sustainable" community, which he defines as valuing clean air and water, conserving natural resources, appreciating human diversity.

Such a community's motto might be summed up by the Iroquois American Indian advice, which Anderson led his speech with: "In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations."

The hourlong speech, attended by Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon, was light on specific initiatives and heavy on the theme of environmental stewardship - from the city's promotion of walking, to its reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to avoid a predicted meltdown of the ski industry, to Anderson's opposition to publicly subsidized big-box developments. He didn't note that a new Wal-Mart opened in the city last year, without city incentives.

Anderson, whose speech was punctuated 15 times by applause, called on people to carpool and to shop at locally owned stores. He heaped blame on other politicians throughout the state who don't implement sustainable policies.

"Those who . . . support and accommodate greater dependence on the automobile are directly accountable for our poor air quality, the resulting cardiac and respiratory illnesses, the cancers, the worsening physical fitness, the social isolation, and the deterioration in the quality of life that accompanies the increase in miles traveled in single-occupant automobiles," Anderson said.

Council Chairman Dale Lambert said the mayor should be proud of his environmental initiatives. But he worried that Anderson didn't address the city's budgetary challenges while at the same time promoting five multimillion-dollar projects - renovating the Utah Theater, building a soccer stadium, bringing City Creek to the surface, revitalizing Pioneer Park and straightening a Union Pacific rail line - without prioritizing them or talking about how to fund them.

Councilman Carlton Christensen said Anderson was "awful rude to Davis County folks" when the mayor lambasted Legacy Highway. Anderson said he welcomes "our friends from the north" but doesn't want them to increase city traffic or pollute the air "simply because of the choices they make about where they live and how they get around."

Avenues resident Bill McCreary appreciated Anderson's critique of the suburbs. His focus on sustainability "was very forward thinking."

The mayor touched on last year's accomplishments. The city provided 42 loans to small businesses totaling $2.5 million; issued 15,000 building permits representing $282 million in new construction; opened a new skate park at Fairmont Park; and added a pilot DUI Court to the city's restorative justice program.

Some progress reports were notably absent. While a bulk of the goals Anderson outlined last year have been completed - from holding forums on the religious divide to rewarding frequent players at the city's golf courses to implementing a 900 South railroad quiet zone (though neighbors say train engineers still blow whistles) - some major initiatives have not been checked off.

A plan to attract 15,000 new residents to the city in the next seven years hasn't been written, though employees are working on it. The city hasn't developed a one-stop licensing counter to make the permit process easier for residents. The west-side strip mall Glendale Plaza hasn't been redeveloped.

Of the population plan, Councilman Dave Buhler said, "I wondered [last year] what does he have in mind for that and I'm still wondering. Sometimes items he proposes . . . are not something he can do unilaterally and he needs to convince us."

hmay@sltrib.com

Mayor Rocky Anderson's to-do list

l Continue to replace the city fleet with alternative-fuel vehicles "until these energy-efficient vehicles make up our entire fleet."

l Pilot new types of bike lanes.

l Develop a master plan for the city's northwest quadrant.

l Continue to seek money to reconfigure the rail line at Grant Tower that would remove freight trains from the 900 South railroad line.

l Expand the city employee program "SLC Gets Fit Together" to encourage others in the city to walk 10,000 steps a day.

l Seek an ordinance requiring new buildings funded with city money to be environmentally friendly.

l Work with North Salt Lake to protect 80 acres in the foothills from development of housing and a cemetery.

l Persuade the City Council to renovate Pioneer Park, for which the city obtained a $500,000 federal grant.

l Work with Xmission to provide wireless Internet access downtown.