Creating sustainable new and retrofitted communities requires integrated planning and design that consider every aspect of 21st century living, every ethnic and economic group.

A deeply integrative design process where all of the interrelated sustainability factors can be considered together, is our greatest hope of producing a sustainable new world. Edens Lost & Foundi gathered these links of interest:

The Citizen Planner Program was designed at Michigan State University to address the basic ongoing training needs of citizens working with land use planning and zoning departments.

Livable Places is a resource based in LA but with pertinent philosophy and action for any city struggling with issues of affordable housing and sprawl.

Cyburbia - The Urban Planning Portal. This planning resource center contains one of the most comprehensive directories on the Internet relevant to the land use planning.

The International Network for Urban Research and Action: Examples of the issues that Network members are involved in include: major urban renewal projects, the urban periphery, community-led environmental schemes, urban traffic and transport, inner city labour markets, do-it-yourself culture, and social housing provision. In each case, the research is closely tied to, and is a product of, local action and initiative.

Urban Planning Topics: Dedicated to providing information and resources on urban and regional planning and environmental issues.

Journal of Urban Planning and Development The ASCE Research Library is a comprehensive online tool for locating articles of interest across all disciplines of civil engineering.

The Biodiversity Project shares inspiring stories of everyday Americans working to make a difference for biodiversity. Did you know that Lake Tahoe, Nevada, planned its garbage collection with black bears in mind, or that Key West, Florida re-thought its approach to stormwater run-off in order to better protect the nearby coral reefs? See "Great Communities"

Center for Watershed Protection is a non-profit 501(c)3 corporation that provides local governments, activists, and watershed organizations around the country with the technical tools for protecting some of the nation’s most precious natural resources: our streams, lakes and rivers: http://www.cwp.org

The Community Energy Cooperative is a nonprofit membership organization that enables communities to control their energy use and costs and to benefit from changes in energy technology and regulations. http://www.energycooperative.org/energy-smart-pricing-plan.php

The Environmental Affairs/Economic Development program encourages the growth of industry while recognizing the area's environmental resources as assets rather than impediments: http://www.southeastchicago.org/

By striving to increase productivity and efficiency while continuing to emphasize and provide the highest levels of service, Los Angeles County Public Works looks forward to successfully meeting the challenges of the future through new technology and continued high standards: http://ladpw.org/

Magnusson Klemencic Associates go beyond the nuts and bolts to produce innovative, value-added, "total project" solutions. Member, U.S. Green Building Council, MKA is spearheading an exciting Green Roof Evaluation Project in Seattle to reduce pollution, cleanse stormwater runoff, mitigate urban flooding, create oxygen, absorb carbon dioxide, double roof life, and provide insulation for commercial buildings.Five test demonstration plots will be measured over 18 months and evaluated for financial, community, and environmental benefits. http://www.mka.com/

Mithun: Resource efficient architecture, urban planning, landscape architecture, and interior design: http://www.mithun.com/mithun.htm

Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations is dedicated to advocacy, policy development and technical assistance for CDCs and other organizations in their efforts to rebuild communities and revitalize neighborhoods: http://www.pacdc.org/

The Menomonee Valley is a 1200-acre collection of brownfield properties in Milwaukee. Its 200,000 residents now face typical challenges: no jobs, high crime, poor health, crumbling infrastructure etc. This agency is at the heart of a group of stakeholders focused on economic and environmental renewal. http://www.renewthevalley.org

The USC Center for Sustainable Cities engages in multidisciplinary research and education on the environmental, social, and economic sustainability challenges facing metropolitan regions, and contributes to the development of public policy that improves the natural and human environment of cities. http://www.usc.edu/dept/geography/ESPE/about_our_mission.html

The University of Washington Department of Landscape Architecture integrates teaching, research, professional skills, and knowledge from other disciplines to provide solutions to real-world problems. Our project-based learning encompasses an intellectual and experiential understanding of human and natural systems http://www.caup.washington.edu/larch/overview/mission.php

Read a report on the World Summit on Sustainable Development (2002): http://www.usda.gov/sustainable/World%20Summit%20index.htm

MORE GREEN PROJECTS

"I wanted to call your attention to the greening of Gary, Indiana through the Marquette Greenway plan. Here, communities are working together to revitalize and bring public access to the south shores of Lake Michigan, where the steel industry dominates this water's edge."
Dan Rieden Landscape Architect
Lake County Parks, Planning Division
8411 E. Lincoln Hwy.
Crown Point, IN 46307
(219) 945-0543 fax (219) 947-0650
"Landscapes mirror and landscapes matter, they tell us much about the values we hold and at the same time affect the quality of the lives we lead..." -D.W. Meinig