In terms of cleanliness, there is no comparison between Stockholm and any other major Californian cities like San Fransico, Los Angles, or even my small hometown, Santa Rosa.
I wouldn't say that the standard here for orderliness and cleanliness is a "need" because Stockholm goes beyond what most people would consider reasonable for a city of this size. Rather, it seems that this community is formed out of a desire and a goal to be environmentally sensitive and aware. If you recall from a previous article, I wrote about how this desire has played itself out in form of technological development and how Stockholm is considered one of Europe's leading cities in modeling sustainability. As a result, it makes sense that its citizens are very conscientious about the carbon footprint they leave on the earth!
Absolutely! Stockholm has supplied numerous resources and has employed many different workers who all work to maintain this city. One of the first things I noticed was the almost ridiculous number of trashcans stationed throughout each residential area. You're bound to find several sequestered near bus stops, on T-bana platforms, on the corner of each street, throughout parks, and along the many paths that wind their way through campus. Furthermore, residents here are encouraged and given the means to separate their trash into various subcategories for optimizing recycling potential.
In addition, I've seen crews that regularly clean the T-bana trains of dirt, spills, even vomit and they utilize machines to dust and polish the platforms where people wait.
