Visit the Geordie green giant: Newcastle-Upon-Tyne

A city once wreathed in smoke and deafened by shipyard hammers has transformed itself into the greenest in Britain, according to the country's most comprehensive sustainability audit.

Millions of pounds and a communal push for cleaner, brighter surroundings have returned Newcastle almost to the days when Thomas Bewick made his countryside engravings in the city centre and commuted home through meadows.

"We hope this inspires other cities to redouble their efforts," said Peter Madden of Forum for the Future, whose annual rankings show the Geordies leap-frogging more "apparently green" cities such as Bristol.

"Anywhere with an industrial heritage faces genuine challenges but Newcastle's success shows how it is possible to overcome the legacy of the past. In all our categories — environment, quality of life and future-proofing, the city scores really well," Madden said.

Tyneside's triumph drew on improvements in air quality, biodiversity in public parks and open spaces and the best salmon run on an English river.

The ratings took it from fourth place last year after a similar climb from eighth in 2007. The accolade follows plaudits for the local universities and hospitals and a year as unofficial European City of Culture; pipped by Liverpool for the actual title, Newcastle and its neighbour Gateshead went ahead with a marathon arts programme as if they had won.

The council's Liberal Democrat leader John Shipley picked out transport innovation as one of the city's distinctive green projects, with curbs on cars and emission cuts on public transport. "We reckon to be leading the way in transport which reduces carbon dioxide emissions and helps to prepare us for a low-carbon economy," he said. "Economic growth must not be achieved at the expense of the environment. Sustainability is at the heart of our vision for a socially just future.

"The city has also become the electric car capital in a government-backed experiment."

Madden said the jostle for top positions showed how almost all the country's major cities were raising their green game, with performances so good in many sectors that a slight lapse could forfeit six points.

The report is a "detailed snapshot" rather than a comprehensive analysis, according to the forum, which uses 13 indicators to reach the results. Cities are chosen rather than more mixed areas, largely because of the greater power of their local authorities to affect "green" statistics.

Newcastle's victory was the greater because of the city's continuing prosperity, Madden said, with the data placing it ninth in economic performance.

Bewick, whose work is in the highest canon of portrayals of the English countryside, had no doubts himself. After a spell in the capital in 1776, he wrote with relief on returning home: "The numerous shows may give a momentary satisfaction but cannot afford me half the pleasure I always feel on my excursions through the pleasant woods to Eltringham."