Land Use, Land Trusts, and "Smart Growth" Links

Agencies and organizations

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Natural Resources Inventory
(comprehensive U.S. land use statistics, trends, and natural resource conditions on non-federal land)

NASA’s Land-Cover/Land-Use Change site, hosted by University MD
(global and U.S. maps, data, information; GIS)

Center for Earth Science Information Network, Guide to Land-Use/Land-Cover Change
(deforestation, desertification, biological diversity, water, climate change, urbanization)

Ohio State University Extension Land Use Team
(provides information to enable Extension, local and state government, and communities to address land use issues with information, educational programs, and potential strategies)

Land Trust Alliance
(promotes voluntary private land conservation to benefit communities and natural systems: national convener, strategist and representative of more than 1,700 land trusts across the U.S.; links to local land trusts (inc. >20 in Ohio), state, and national land trusts; links to experts (and by state): appraisers, attorneys, consultants; learning/resource center)

Pennsylvania Land Trust Association
(seeks to protect special places, the farms, forests, parks and other green spaces that people love; helps land trusts/others; model documents and wealth of tools/info)

Land Trust Accreditation Commission
(accredits land trusts to ensure accountability; training; independent but tied to Land Trust Alliance)

American Farmland Trust
(leading organization dedicated to saving America’s farm and ranch land, promoting environmentally sound farming practices and supporting a sustainable future for farms; focused on ensuring availability of land that provides fresh food, a healthy environment and lasting rural landscapes; info and action centers; Ohio)

Land Scope America (by NatureServe and National Geographic)
(online conservation and education resources for land-protection community and public; interactive viewer for maps, photos, data, stories, by state too)

US EPA Office of Sustainable Communities Smart Growth
(helps communities sustainably meet economic, health/environment, and social goals through research, tools, partnerships, case studies, grants, and technical assistance, many useful links: EPA Links Other Federal Government Resources State Government Smart Growth Programs News Sources & Commentary Research Centers and Organizations Regional Smart Growth Organizations Other Organizations and Information Community Design Tools)

HUD-DOT-EPA Partnership for Sustainable Communities
(information, grants, case studies, links)

American Planning Association
(practicing planners, citizens, elected officials committed to making great communities; certification; wide range of resources; Cyburbia APA’s Internet resources for the built environment; links to states/chapters, including Ohio)

American Society of Landscape Architects
(lead, educate, participate in stewardship, wise planning, artful design of cultural/natural environments; sustainability initiatives; certification; professional standards resources; chapter links)

Ohio Chapter, ASLA
(professional development; training meetings)

Smart Growth America
(coalition building, policy, research; housing, business, economy, environment, health; tools)

Greater Ohio Policy Center
(advocates policies and practices that value urban cores and metropolitan regions as economic drivers and preserve Ohio’s open spaces and farmland; education, research, outreach)

Green City Blue Lake Institute
(promotes sustainable land use, energy systems, transportation systems, buildings, green space in NE Ohio through Cleveland Museum of Natural History and former Eco-City Cleveland)

State of Ohio Balanced Growth site, supported by Ohio Lake Erie Commission and Ohio Water Resources Council member state agencies
(voluntary, incentive-based strategy to protect and restore Lake Erie, the Ohio River, and Ohio's watersheds to assure long-term economic competitiveness, ecological health, and quality of life; program links land-use planning to health of watersheds and major water bodies; supports local development of a Watershed Balanced Growth Plan with maps of Priority Development Areas, Priority Conservation Areas, and Priority Agricultural Areas (if desired); Best Local Land Use Practices)

The Michigan Land Use Institute
(works with citizens, officials, other organizations to build a prosperous new economy that expands opportunity by improving health and environment; promotes people-friendly, regional planning; healthy food from local farms; and leadership in the new green-energy and clean-water economy)

Watershed Academy Web Module on Smart Growth and Water Resources; US EPA
(information for connections between sustainable growth and water resources)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Active Community Environments Initiative
(community resources to promote better health through planning an active environment)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - Coastal Community Development
(resources through NOAA-EPA partnership for smarter safer growth in coastal areas)

National Association of Home Builders
(trade association for home builders; top left “Housing Topics” has many sections for environment, sustainability, etc.)

Ohio Home Builders Association
(trade association for home builders/associate vendors in legislative/regulatory capacity on a statewide basis).

U.S. Green Building Council - LEED for Neighborhood Developments
(The LEED for Neighborhood Development Rating System integrates the principles of smart growth, urbanism and green building into the first national system for neighborhood design. LEED for Neighborhood Development is a collaboration among USGBC, Congress for the New Urbanism, and the Natural Resources Defense Council)

Sustainable Sites Initiative (Amer. Society Landscape Architects)
(promotes sustainable land development/management practices that can apply with/without buildings; provides tools to address concerns such as climate change, loss of biodiversity, resource depletion; pilot projects/reports)

The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy
(resource for issues concerning use, regulation, and taxation of land; provides education/research, policy evaluation, demonstration projects, information, policy analysis, and data; integrates theory and practice and provides a nonpartisan forum for multidisciplinary perspectives on land policy).

Smart Growth Network
(partnership of NGOs and agencies to provides tools/info for sustainable development; part of National Center for Appropriate Technologies; e-Newsletter; useful links:
American Farmland Trust American Institute of Architects, Center for Communities by Design American Planning Association American Public Health Association American Society of Landscape Architects Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations Association of State and Territorial Health Officials Cascade Land Conservancy Center for Neighborhood Technology Congress for the New Urbanism Environmental Finance Center Network Environmental Law Institute Florida Department of Health Funders Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities Institute of Transportation Engineers International City/County Management Association Local Government Commission Local Initiatives Support Corporation NACo Center for Sustainable Communities National Association of Conservation Districts National Association of Local Government Environmental Professionals National Association of Realtors National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education National Multi Housing Council National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Trust for Historic Preservation Natural Resources Defense Council Northeast-Midwest Institute Project for Public Spaces Rails-To-Trails Conservancy Scenic America Smart Growth America State of Maryland Surface Transportation Policy Project's Transportation Action Network Sustainable Community Development Group The Conservation Fund Urban Land Institute U.S. Forest Service Virginia Tech Metropolitan Institute Brookings Institution - Metropolitan Policy Program Successful Communities Online Toolkit information exchange National Charrette Institute Orton Family Foundation Smart Growth Tools Smarter Land Use Your Town Design Workshops

Trust for Public Land
(conserves land for people for parks, gardens, natural places, livable communities; conservation financing; GIS; cities-rural; working farms/ranches, climate change; watersheds; blogs, info; Ohio office in Cleveland)

US EPA Low Impact Development Site
(fact sheets/reports; design/guidance manuals; videos/media; information resources/centers)

Low Impact Development Center
(info, tools, case study projects)

Urban Design Tools, by Low Impact Development Center
(tools, case studies, etc. with US EPA support)

New Urbanism
(promotes creation/restoration of diverse, walkable, compact, vibrant, mixed-use communities that are more sustainable and livable; studies, development codes)

(local agencies and organizations may be added later; in meantime try links above to link to them)

Search form

Breadcrumb Menu

Agencies and organizations

Other web links