American Institute of Architects (AIA). Committee on the Environment. 1735 New York Ave., NW. Washington, DC 20006. Phone: 202/626-7300. Fax: 202/626-7399. E-mail: GribbsC@aiamail.aia.org. http://www.aiaonline.com Since 1857, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) has provided education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach activities and worked toward a public environment responsive to the people while representing the professional interests of America’s architects.  The AIA’s Committee on the Environment (COTE) is the Institute’s forum for dissemination of environmental information integral to the design and practice of architecture. COTE works to create sustainable buildings and communities by advancing and advocating environmental knowledge and values to architects and to the public. One such mechanism is the "environmental design charette" which is a model that helps citizens, environmentalists and business leaders design and implement solutions to their local environmental problems.

Center for Neighborhood Technology. 2125 West North Avenue. Chicago, IL 60647. Phone: 312/278–4800. Fax: 312/278–3840. http://www.cnt.org The Center for Neighborhood Technology works to promote public policies, new resources, and accountable authority – all of which go to support sustainable, just, and vital urban communities. The center’s Campaign for a Sustainable Chicago – focused in the areas of transportation and air quality, energy, materials’ reuse and recycling, and sustainable manufacturing – works with citizen–based plans and a broad–based constituency, to build a vision for the city’s sustainable development. Useful for other communities as well.

CONCERN. 1794 Columbia Road, NW. Washington, DC 20009. Phone: 202/328–8160. Fax: 202/387–3378. E–mail: concern@igc.apc.org. http://www.sustainable.org CONCERN promotes environmental literacy and action by training individuals to be effective community advocates for policies and programs that improve environmental quality and public health. CONCERN maintains the Building Sustainable Communities Database, which contains information on more than five thousand projects and publications on community sustainability, several of which are featured in the PLANET NEIGHBORHOOD series. Universally useful selections from the database are posted on the "Sustainable Communities Network" Web site (address listed above). These selections feature case studies, local initiatives and resources that which provide models for "new designs" for community planning. CONCERN is also an environmental partner on the Earth & Us campaign.

The Global Cities Project. Environmental Policy Center. 2962 Fillmore Street. San Francisco, CA 94123. Phone: 415/775–0791. Fax: 415/775–4159. http://www.globalcities.org A national clearinghouse for local environmental programs and policies, The Global Cities Project continually identifies and collects detailed information on practical, cost–efficient sustainable development policies and programs being implemented by local governments nationwide. The Project then provides that information to communities – local governments, businesses and citizens – to help them implement their own programs. The eleven–volume Building Sustainable Communities: An Environmental Guide for Local Government handbook series summarizes much of this information. The Global Cities Project is the first place local governments should look for advice that will help in their efforts to turn their own cities into sustainable communities.

Joint Centers for Sustainable Communities. US Conference of Mayors. 1620 I Street, NW, 6th Floor. Washington, DC 20006. Phone: 202/861-6773. http://www.usmayors.org/uscm and the National Association of Counties. 440 First Street, NW, 8th Floor. Washington, DC 20001. Phone: 202/942-4224. http://www.naco.org The mission of these two organizations, that comprise the Joint Centers for Sustainable Communities is to help local elected officials develop creative city/county partnerships as a mechanism in promoting sustainable development.

Surface Transportation Policy Projects (STPP). 1400 16th Street, NW, Suite 300. Washington, DC 20036. Phone: 202/939–3470. Fax: 202/939–3475. E–mail: stpp@igc.apc.org. The Surface Transportation Policy Projects (STPP) is a network that works to ensure that transportation policy and investments help conserve energy, protect environmental and aesthetic quality, strengthen the economy, promote social equity, and make communities more livable.

Rails–to–Trails Conservancy. 1400 16th Street, NW, Suite 300. Washington, DC 20036. Phone: 202/797–5400. Fax: 202/797–5411. The Rails–to–Trails Conservancy (RTC) works to convert abandoned trail corridors, and connecting open spaces into a nationwide network of public trails.

Urban Ecology. 405 14th Street, Suite 701. Oakland, CA 94612. Phone: 510/251–6330. E–mail: urbanecology@igc.apc.org. http://www.urbanecology.org/ Urban Ecology promotes urban environments that are ecologically, socially, and economically sustainable. The Urban Ecologist, an outstanding quarterly newsletter, includes in–depth articles on greenways, transportation, housing, and sustainable economies.

BOOKS Sustainable Cities: Concepts and Strategies for Eco–City Development. Edited by Bob Walter, Lois Arkin, and Richard Crenshaw. Eco–Home Media, 1992. 345p. $20.00 (paper). Sustainable Cities is an excellent all–in–one handbook for those interested in sustainable cities.

Sustainable Communities: A New Design Synthesis for Cities, Suburbs and Towns. Edited by Sim Van der Ryn and Peter Calthorpe. Sierra Club Books, 1986; paperback reprinting, 1991. 238p. $20.00 (paper). A collection of essays that explores the ways in which some American communities are making the transition to sustainability.