Web sites containing information about, or links to, local, state, or regional sustainable community or indicators projects are marked with an asterisk, "*".
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Comprehensive Community Indicators Links
This page provides links to web sites pertinent to comprehensive community indicators, other measures and sustainable community development. Sites are organized in three divisions: governmental (U.S. federal), non-governmental, and scale/scope. The first division contains U.S. federal sites arranged alphabetically by agency. In the second division are web sites of nonprofit, educational and commercial organizations (some which work in partnership with governmental entities). Division Three offers a selection of local, state or provincial, regional and United Nations web pages.
Division I: Governmental (United States federal) Web Sites
To access other U.S. federal sites, please see FedWorld.
Department of Energy
- Center of Excellence for Sustainable Development*
- Created by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, the Center of Excellence for Sustainable Development helps communities design and implement innovative strategies that enhance the local economy as well as the local environment and quality of life. The site offers a wealth of information. http://www.sustainable.doe.gov/measuring/meintro.htm
Environmental Protection Agency
- Better Assessment Science Integrating Point and Nonpoint Sources
- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's water programs and their counterparts in states and pollution control agencies are increasingly emphasizing watershed- and water-quality-based assessment and integrated analysis of point and nonpoint sources. Better Assessment Science Integrating Point and Nonpoint Sources (BASINS) is a system developed to meet the needs of such agencies. http://www.epa.gov/OST/BASINS/
- Community Based Environmental Protection* (Office of Sustainable Ecosystems and Communities)
- Community Based Environmental Protection (CBEP) is a new way of addressing environmental quality issues by focusing on a place, the local community, and the stakeholders who care about that place. It involves working to integrate environmental protection with community needs. Long-term ecosystem health is also important when making community decisions, and the CBEP process highlights the relationship between environmental quality and the quality of life in communities. http://www.epa.gov/ecocommunity/
- Enviro$en$e
- Enviro$en$e, part of the U.S. EPA's web site, provides a single repository for pollution prevention, compliance assurance, and enforcement information and data bases. The search engine searches multiple web sites (inside and outside the EPA), and offers assistance in preparing a search. http://es.epa.gov/
- Green Communities*
- The United States EPA introduces the Green Communities Assistance Kit. Green Communities are "sustainable communities," communities that integrate a healthy environment, a vibrant economy, and a high quality of life. http://www.epa.gov/region03/greenkit/index.html
Housing and Urban Development
- Community Connections*
- The Information Center of HUD's Office of Community Planning and Development which administers the grant programs that help communities plan and finance their growth and development, increase their capacity to govern, and provide shelter and services for homeless people. http://www.hud.gov/cpd/cpdhome.html
United States Department of Agriculture USDA
- The Rural Information Center; National Agricultural Library
- Offering and drawing upon the resources of the National Agricultural Library, RIC provides information and referral services to those working with
and for rural communities and rural community groups and individuals. http://www.nal.usda.gov/ric/ricpage.htm
Division II: Non-Governmental Web Sites
- The Asset-Based Community Development Institute (ABCD)
- A major focus of the ABCD Institute has been the production of resources and tools for community builders involved in the process of capacity-based initiatives, helping them identify, nurture, and mobilize neighborhood assets. http://www.nwu.edu/IPR/abcd.html#A
- Center for International Earth Science Information Network
- CIESIN was established to provide information that would help scientists, decision-makers, and the public better understand the changing world. CIESIN is the World Data Center A (WDC-A) for Human Interactions in the Environment. http://www.ciesin.org/
- Communications for a Sustainable Future
- CSF was founded on the idea that computer networking could be used for working through disparate views and ideologies to secure a more promising future. The site contains useful material on sustainability and good links. http://csf.colorado.edu/
- The Earth Network for Sustainable Development
- Earth Council seeks to support and empower people in building a more secure, equitable and sustainable future. The Earth Network for Sustainable Development includes information on national sustainable development councils and more. http://www.ecouncil.ac.cr/
- Educating Architects for a Sustainable Environment (EASE)
- The site features more than 140 recommendations, 50 implementation strategies, and 5 model curricula, for sustainability-oriented approaches to architectural education. http://www.bsu.edu/cap/ease/
- EnviroLink Network: Sustainable Earth Electronic Library
- Dedicated to providing the most comprehensive, up-to-date environmental resources available, EnviroLink Network is a grassroots online community that unites hundreds of organizations and volunteers around the world. See the Sustainable Earth Electronic Library. http://www.envirolink.org/
- EcoIQ*
- EcoIQ provides internet publications, professional development resources, and consulting and client services designed to help communities and their local governments become more environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable. This substantial web site contains terrific information on sustainability topics. http://www.ecoiq.com
- The Green Mountain Institute for Environmental Democracy*
- Environmental indicators are direct or indirect measures of environmental quality used to assess and communicate status and trends of environmental conditions. Indicators can support a variety of different purposes, from measuring the performance of specific management programs to informing and engaging the public in a dialogue on the state of the environment. http://www.gmied.org/
- Global Environmental Options (GEO)
- GEO seeks to restore a balance between the built and natural environment. The future of environmental architecture depends on developing an understanding of community sustainability. http://www.geonetwork.org/
- Hart Environmental Data: Measuring Progress Toward Sustainability*
- This web site is about indicators of sustainable community: ways to measure how well a community is meeting the needs and expectations of its present and future members. One of the primary goals of our site is to explain what indicators are, how indicators relate to sustainability, how to identify good indicators of sustainability, and how indicators can be used to measure progress toward building a sustainable community. http://www.subjectmatters.com/indicators/index.html
- Institute for Global Communications (IGC)
- A coalition of networks including EcoNet, IGC regards international cooperation and partnership as essential in addressing problems of the 20th and 21st century. http://www.igc.org/
- The Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR)
- The Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) is a nonprofit research and educational organization that provides technical assistance and information on environmentally sound economic development strategies. http://www.ilsr.org/
- The International Institute for Sustainable Development*
- The International Institute for Sustainable Development To be sustainable, development must improve economic efficiency, protect and restore ecological systems and enhance the well-being of people. This treasure-trove of resources includes the Compendium, "a comprehensive and up-to-date information base of indicator initiatives being carried out at the international, national and provincial/territorial/state levels in the context of sustainable development." http://iisd.ca/
- Redefining Progress*
- Redefining Progress is a public policy organization whose purpose is to stimulate broad public discourse on the type of future Americans desire and how best to achieve it. A community indicators movement has arisen around the nation, as local government, business, and grassroots leaders seek better ways to assess progress, build consensus, and promote accountability. The National Indicators Program (NIP) at Redefining Progress is a comprehensive response to the growing need for new measures of progress and well-being, at the national as well as the local level. http://www.rprogress.org/progsum/progsum.html
- Resource Renewal Institute*
- This site has been developed to educate and inform those interested in Green Plans as the means to a sustainable environment and economy. It is a good source of information, including Green Plans for Sustainable Communities. http://www.rri.org/index.html
- Sustainable Communities Information
- Sustainable community development links issues of environment, economics, health and culture through a democratic community process. Accessing tools and resources, and hearing of other community successes is a valuable part of that process. http://www.cfn.cs.dal.ca/Environment/SCN/SCN_home.html
- Sustainable Communities Network*
- The Sustainable Communities Network offers resources for communities who endeavor to make their communities more livable. http://www.sustainable.org
- Sustainable Development Virtual Library.
- A comprehensive listing of internet sites dealing with sustainable development, including organizations, projects and activities, electronic journals, libraries, references. http://www.ulb.ac.be/ceese/meta/sustvl.html
- The World Resources Institute
- WRI is an independent center for policy research and technical assistance on global environmental and development issues. http://www.wri.org/wri/wri.html
- York Centre for Applied Sustainability
- YCAS marries the theory of sustainability with the practice of sustainable living expressed in policy, economics and governance. Pages include links to Canadian and international sustainability sites. http://www.yorku.ca/ycas
Division III: Scale/Scope Web Sites
- The Center for Livable Communities*
- A national initiative of the Local Government Commission, CLC works to: redirect current transportation and land use patterns to more livable, resource-efficient alternatives; improve and maintain the economic health of communities; and involve residents in deciding how to make their communities more livable. http://www.lgc.org/clc/
- Florida Internet Center for Understanding Sustainability (FICUS)*
- FICUS is an educational network and discussion forum provided by The Florida Center for Community Design and Research (FCCDR) and member organizations. The mission of FICUS is to produce a high quality multimedia educational resource and communication forum that assists citizens in the creation of a more sustainable Florida. http://www.ficus.usf.edu/
- The International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI)*
- The International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) is the international environmental agency for local governments. By the year 2000, the organization aims to establish a global system to achieve, measure, and report on tangible improvements in the global environment. The site includes a best practices database of local sustainability. http://www.iclei.org/
- Measures of Growth, 1998 (Maine)*
- Maine Development Foundation's Measures of Growth: Inter-related individual performance measures do not stand alone. It is erroneous to judge progress toward a goal based on any single performance measure in isolation, or progress toward the vision based on any one goal. http://www.mdf.org/megc/growth98/home.htm
- Minnesotans for An Energy-Efficient Economy (ME3)*
- Minnesotans for An Energy-Efficient Economy (ME3) is a coalition working to improve the quality of life, the environment and the economy of Minnesota by promoting energy efficiency and the sound use of renewable energy. Through a program of research, public education, and intervention in the decision-making process, ME3 seeks to develop and build consensus for an energy vision that will ensure the well-being of future generations.
- Pierce County (WA) Quality of Life Benchmark Project*
- The purpose of the Pierce County Quality of Life Benchmark Project is to gather and publish information about the well-being of our community as a whole. Pierce County's benchmarking effort uses information gathered from a variety of sources to track changes in different aspects of residents' lives. http://www.co.pierce.wa.us/services/family/benchmrk/qol.htm
- Sustainable Communities Resource Package; Ontario Round Table on Environment and Economy*
- The objectives of the Resource Package are to support community-based sustainability initiatives already under way and to stimulate initiatives in communities that may not otherwise consider using sustainability as an organizing concept. http://www.web.net/ortee/
- The Sustainable Community Roundtable*
- The Sustainable Community Roundtable is facilitating a process of dialogue, vision, action, and celebration to help create sustainable community in South Puget Sound. The Roundtable was initiated by the City of Olympia in 1991 and incorporated as an independent nonprofit organization in 1992. http://www.olywa.net/roundtable/index.html
- Sustainable Seattle*
- Sustainable Seattle is a citizen group working to improve our region's long-term health and vitality--cultural, economic, environmental and social. "Indicators of Sustainable Community, 1998" uses a list of 40 indicators to chart Seattle's progress toward or away from sustainability. http://www.scn.org/sustainable/about.htm
- Sustainability Web Ring, a Service of the SD Gateway*
- This Internet tool allows users to navigate easily between web sites that deal with the principles, policies, and best practices for sustainable development. By following the links through the web ring, you will find information from around the world on how to deal with such crucial issues. http://sdgateway.net/webring/default.htm
- United Nations Sustainable Development Web Site*
- Indicators for monitoring progress towards sustainable development are needed in order to assist decision-makers and policy-makers at all levels and to increase focus on sustainable development. This site contains links to other UN web pages relevant to sustainable development. http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/
Web sites containing information about, or links to, local, state, or regional sustainable community or indicators projects are marked with an asterisk, "*".
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