Baltimore, Maryland has been in the headlines lately for all the wrong reasons, but one organization is shining a positive light on the so-called "Charm City."

STAR Communities, a well-respected organization that examines the health and sustainability of American cities, gave Baltimore its highest mark: the coveted five star rating.

Only two other cities have been deemed worthy of five stars:  Seattle, Washington and Northampton, Massachusetts.

The award is given based on a 14-month assessment that looks at the city's attention to emissions, energy, education, arts, equity, and health and safety.

The city has added 14 acres of gardens to its concrete jungle and scored well for urban farming and agriculture. It has developed preparedness plans for disasters and flooding, which could get worse with the onset of climate change. Another impressive achievement was Baltimore's reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, which were cut by nearly 18 percent. Officials made it easier for workers and residents to leave their cars at home by improving mass transit and bike trails.

One of Baltimore's more well-known landmarks, the Domino Sugar plant (pictured above) has also installed solar panels.

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake attended the announcement last week hosted by STAR, which stands for Sustainability Tools for Assessing and Rating.

"I am very competitive," she told the crowd. "I love that we are standing here, I could not be more proud of our efforts to make Baltimore more sustainable."

(READ more from the Baltimore Brew)

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