Government Sites This section includes websites that are created and/or maintained by government bodies.
American Housing Survey	U.S. Census Bureau's reports on housing and household characteristics from the American Housing Survey in selected metropolitan areas for the years 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, and 2002.
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)	The CMHC is the Canadian government's national housing agency. The website offers information on market trends and statistics, current housing research, and access to electronic documents in the CMHC Library Collection of 75,000+ volumes. The CMHC's flagship publication is the Canadian Housing Observer.
Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)	Supports sustainable development in developing countries in order to reduce poverty. Lists CIDA projects world-wide, career opportunities with CIDA, and links to development resources on the web.
City of Vancouver	Provides information on planning and land use, transportation, housing, heritage, and more. Use the search box to locate planning articles, bylaws, and reports.
CivicInfoBC	A site that centralizes information on B.C. local governments. Official community plans, bylaws, policies and procedures, reports, manuals, newsletters, job descriptions, and more.
Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD)	Information on municipal issues such as air and water quality, education, garbage and recycling, housing, labour relations, regional development, parks, and sewerage. Information on permits and bylaws, statistics, boards, committees, and regulations is also available.
HUD USER	Policy development and research information service hosted by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Office of Policy Development and Research (PD and R). Includes U.S. Federal Government reports and information on housing policy and programs, building technology, economic development, urban planning, and other housing related topics. Issues of Cityscape, ResearchWorks, U.S. Housing Market Conditions, Urban Research Monitor (URM) and Recent Research Results (RRR) are available. Details of several HUD programs are available from the Community Renewal Initiative site.
Muniscope: Information and Networking	A division of the Intergovernmental Committee on Urban and Regional Research (ICURR). Jointly funded by the CMHC and the Canadian provinces and territorie, Muniscope was created to facilitate the exchange of information in urban and regional matters between all levels of government. Contains research and legislation information on planning infrastructure, economic development, sustainable development, housing and more. (Note: Some parts of this site require subscriber access).
National Main Street Center	Funded by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Main interest is commercial district revitalisation in the U.S. News, job opportunities, and links to ongoing Main Street center projects. (Note: Some parts of this site require subscriber access).
Smart Communities Network	Supported by the U.S. Department of Energy. Site resources and links are related to community sustainability and sustainable living. Has searchable database of organizations active in development of sustainable technologies.
Sustainable Cities Initiative (SCI)	Hosted by Industry Canada, the Sustainable Cities Initiative is a Canadian partnership aimed at enhancing the sustainability of economic development in participating cities. SCI is active in fifteen sustainable cities in Latin America, Africa, Asia, and Europe. Site lists upcoming conferences and links to financial, government, and other organizations, involved in sustainable development.
Sustainable Communities Network (SCN)	Issues in urban and rural community sustainability in the United States. Topical coverage includes creating community, smart growth, governing sustainably, living sustainably, and protecting natural resources. Site provides case studies divided by state, news, job opportunities, and reports.
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)	A branch of the United Nations Development Programme functioning to protect children through funding, advocacy, and research. Site provides country profiles, news, links (alphabetical and thematic), and job opportunities.
United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM)	A branch of the United Nations Development Programme supporting initiatives that promote women's human rights. Site lists UNIFEM publications, news, links to regional sites, and areas of participation worldwide.
United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat)	The organization promotes socially and environmentally sustainable human settlements. The site has information on the organization's many programs as well as several searchable databases. The Global Urban Observatory databases include statistics on urban indicators, human settlements, land, environment and general demography of urban areas. Also includes "City Profiles."

Associations
American Planning Association (APA)/American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP)	Non-profit public interest and research organization that provides links to programs, services, conference information, professional development, and careers in planning.
Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP)	The national professional institute and certification body for the planning profession in Canada. CIP publishes Plan Canada. Site provides conference information, news briefs, and information about the planning profession. CIP works with the Canadian government to offer two international programs for overseas work experience. (Note: A membership is required to access some areas of the site).
The International Society of City and Regional Planners (ISoCaRP)	Global association of professional planners. Provides conference proceedings, working papers, case studies, reports, events, and more.
Planners Network	An association of professionals, activists, academics, and students involved in physical, social, economic, and environmental planning in urban and rural areas. Site provides free online access to case studies, working papers and selected articles from Progressive Planning Magazine
Planning Institute of British Columbia (PIBC)	Association of professionals in planning in B.C. Site provides news, events, job opportunities, annual conference information, awards, and links to national/international planning associations and organizations. Includes information on continuing professional development and a mentoring program.
Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA)	A non-profit association of professionals using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and other information technologies in planning and development. Site contains information on the organization, membership, conferences and workshops, GIS certification, job postings, and volunteering.

Organizations, Research Centers and Think Tanks
Center for an Urban Future	A New York City-based planning think-tank researching economic development, workforce development, public and higher education, vocational education, child welfare, and criminal justice. Targets problems facing low-income and working-class neighbourhoods in New York City. Some reports and articles are available on the website. The sister organization of City Limits magazine.
The Center for Land Use Interpretation (CLUI)	An American-based research organization, CLUI produces public exhibits on land use themes and engages in projects on land use. Site includes searchable, full-text Lay of the Land Newsletter back to 1995 and an online Land Use Database of unusual and exemplary sites in the U.S. The Programs and Projects sections contain information on land use by state including military, waste, cultural, and industrial sites.
Center for Urban Studies (CUS)	As part of Wayne State University's College of Urban, Labor and Metropolitan Affairs, CUS provides research and policy in urban studies targeting Michigan. Site includes maps, census data, and most reports published by the center.
CEOs for Cities	An American national bi-partisan alliance of mayors, corporate executives, university presidents, and non-profit leaders working to advance economic competitiveness of cities. Organization explores the relationship between urban economies and public/private sector relationships in American cities. Trend studies, policy recommendations, and best practices reports are available for downloading.
Community Development Society (CDS)	Members include representatives from education, health care, social services, government, utilities and citizen groups. Promotes professional development of community members, acts as advocate for healthy communities, and provides a forum for the discussion of community related issues. Site provides free access to some CDS publications, such as conference notes from 1994. Membership required to access some areas of the site.
Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU)	Based in the United States, a non-profit organization that works with architects, developers, planners, and those in related professions, teaching them how to implement "the principles of New Urbanism." Includes searchable databases of CNU publications, an image bank, and a bibliography.
International Development Research Centre (IDRC)	A research body created in 1970 by the Canadian government to promote the use of science and technology in addressing challenges in social, economic, and environmental development. Site provides access to the agency's online magazine IDRC Report, which focuses on the work of Southern researchers supported by IDRC. Site includes Abstracts of research projects dating from 1971, IDRC library catalogue, publications, and news.
Joint Center for Housing Studies (JCHS)	Harvard University's center for information and research on housing in the United States. The Center studies the links between housing markets and economic, demographic, and social trends. Site provides full-text of working papers, reports, and conference proceedings, including the Center's annual report The State of the Nation's Housing.
Lewis Mumford Center for Comparative Urban and Regional Research (LMC)	Center examines the impact of global change on the U.S. metropolis and civil society, probes the 19th and early 20th century roots of present-day cities and suburbs, and addresses urban change in other parts of the world, most notably China. Site provides links to data sources, maps, photographs, and an urban sociology teaching guide.
Lincoln Institute of Land Policy	Non-profit American educational institution specializing in land policy, land economics, and taxation. Some of the Institute's publications are available full-text on the site, such as its Land Lines Newsletter. Site has searchable database of books, reports, and multimedia items sponsored by the Institute and available for sale.
National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE)	NRTEE is an independent Canadian advisory body that promotes sustainable development by organizing programs executed through business and non-profit organizations. The site provides news, and research in areas including Eco-efficiency, Eco-Fiscal Reform, Urban Sustainability, Green Budgeting, Brownfields, and links to sustainable development sites in other jurisdictions and countries. The site also provides access to the NRTEE Virtual Library. A number of full-text NTREE publications are available on the site.
PLANetizen: The Planning & Development Network	An American public-interest information exchange for the urban planning and development community. The site provides urban planning and development news, job opportunities, commentary and events.
Rural & Small Town Programme	Based at Mount Allison University, Sackville, N.B. Facilitates knowledge sharing with organizations and individuals facing community development. Focus on developing sustainable rural communities. Self-help tools, information, and educational services. Publications are for purchase.
Smart Growth BC	A provincial non-governmental organization devoted to fiscally, socially and environmentally responsible land use and development. Working with community groups, businesses, municipalities and the public, Smart Growth advocates for the creation of more livable communities in British Columbia.
Solimar Research Group	Think-tank based in California. Firm specializes in land-use policy and the conflicts among urban, environmental, recreational, and agricultural land uses in California and the West. Some recent research reports are available on the site.
Urban Institute (UI)	American non-profit, non-partisan economic and social policy organization that tracks welfare, Social Security, Medicare, and other domestic policy issues in the United States. Site lists books published by UI and provides full-text access to its studies and reports.

Institutes
Aspen Institute	An international non-profit organization headquarted in Washington, DC. Site contains a database of primary data collection instruments and information on conducting community-level research. Provides information on a number of its policy programs, such as community building, economic development, housing and neighborhood conditions, and neighbourhood safety. Many of the Institute's publications available full-text on the site.
Canadian URBAN Institute (CUI)	The CUI is a non-profit organization that provides a forum for discussions on Canadian and international planning. Site lists many municipal and local urban resource websites. Some full-text reports are available on the site; others are available for purchase from the organization.
City Journal	Quarterly published by the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research (MI). Articles from City Journal are available online in full-text from 1995 on and are searchable by topic, issue, and author. Topics include policy, housing and development, and architecture.
Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC)	Represents conservation professionals in the U.K. and Ireland concerned with the conservation of the historic environment. The website provides information on ongoing projects. Includes searchable archives of the Institute's magazine, Context, documents related to planning, news, and links to other conservation organizations.
International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)	An organization funded in part by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), Environment Canada, governments of other countries, UN agencies, philanthropic organizations, and the private sector. IISD promotes sustainable development through research and advocacy. Site contains IISD publications, a searchable database, news, and links to many other agencies.
The North-South Institute (NSI)	A Canadian non-profit research institute focused on international development, Canada's relations with developing countries and a wide range of foreign policy issues. Site provides NSI publications for download on topics such as development assistance, trade, migration, and civil society. Site also provides news, employment information, and ongoing research.
Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI)	Conducts research and facilitates public dialogue on the impact of public policies and programs on rural areas. Some full-text policy briefs are available.
Urban Land Institute (ULI)	Non-profit education and research institute with worldwide membership. ULI initiates research that anticipates emerging land use trends and issues, proposing creative solutions based on that research. Site provides access to its case studies, data, information on urban planning, growth and development, and links to other planning-related sites. UBC Library subscribes to the ULI Development Case Studies.

Projects and Case Studies
Aquae Urbis Romae: The Waters of the City of Rome	An interactive cartographic history of the relationship between hydrological and hydraulic systems and their impact on the urban development of Rome.
Georgia Basin Futures Project (GBFP)	Associated with UBC's Institute for Resources, Environment, and Sustainability. A five-year project that combines expert knowledge and considered public opinion in exploring pathways to sustainability. Site includes GBFP news & events, project overview, digital library, flash introduction to GB-Quest an interactive system that can be used to construct simulated futures.
Millenial Housing Commission (MHC)	Site provides the 2002 report of the MHC, established by the U.S. Congress to identify, analyze, and make recommendations on the housing delivery system and affordable housing in the U.S.
Project for Public Spaces (PPS)	Non-profit American organization dedicated to creating and sustaining public places that build communities. Provides technical assistance, education, and research. Topics include transportation, liveable communities, and public spaces. Site provides downloadable reports and tools, and a searchable database of images.
Victory City: The City of the Future	Orville Simpson II's vision of the city of the future, a project now 40 years in the planning. Site contains outline of Simpson's utopia with extensive details in the "Victory City Tour" and "Residents Guide."
Urban Planning, 1794-1918: An International Anthology of Articles, Conference Papers, and Reports	Full-text of primary source materials on the development of urban planning up to the end of World War I, selected and annotated by John W. Reps, Professor Emeritus, Cornell University. Site includes statements about techniques, principles, theories, and the practice of early urban planning, and a searchable bibliography of the site's documents.

Resources from Academic Libraries
MIT Rotch Library: Architecture and Planning	Subject guides, suggested ejournals, databases, and internet resources by topic. Urban Studies and Planning Regional Planning and Development
McGill University. Blackader-Lauterman Library of Architecture and Art	Subject guides of the Blackader Lauterman Library contain suggested guides, handbooks, dictionaries, encyclopaedias, indexes, and more. Minimum Cost Housing Urban Planning
University of Arizona. Architecture Library	General subject guides for architecture & landscape architecture and planning. Suggested encyclopaedias, handbooks, indexes, journals, almanacs, organizations, and more.
University of California, Berkeley, Environmental Design Library	Research guides by topic. Includes: Environmental Planning History of Planning & Urbanism Housing Sprawl & the New Urbanism International Planning Urban Design Also at UC Berkeley, try: Institute of Transportation Studies Environmental Design Archives Institute of Governmental Studies Library Water Resources Centre Archives
University of Texas at Austin Architecture and Planning Library Architecture and Planning Resources	Various research guides pertaining to conducting architecture and planning research.
Virginia Commonwealth University. Urban Studies and planning Department	Covers environmental and rural planning, housing, sustainability, New Urbanism, urban design, and more.

UBC Departments and Programs
Centre for Human Settlements	Liu Institute for Global Issues
Department of Geography	School of Architecture + Landscape Architecture
ENDS: Environmental Design	School of Community and Regional Planning
IRES: Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability	Sustainable Development Research Initiative

Colleges & Universities (Planning Schools)
Urban and Regional Planning Graduate School Programs
Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning

Continuing Education
Centre for Education in the Built Environment	Part of the British Higher Education Academy. Supports education in architecture, planning, landscaping, building, and surveying. Site provides news and events, case studies, teaching resources, and links to projects and initiatives.
Resource for Urban Design Information (RUDI)	An independent British organization that commissions researches and creates materials. RUDI is a virtual library containing full text documents and valuable excerpts from others. It displays unique items and significant works which are difficult to locate or are out of print, and has materials specially commissioned to fill gaps in urban design information. Includes the physical design, management, planning, and use of buildings. Site also provides case studies, virtual library, bibliographies, and links to urban design web sites. Full access to sites resources available to subscribers.

Image Credits

Vancouver image used in this guide is protected by copyright and is courtesy of Julie Brown, Karyo Communications.