Architecture and Building

RESOURCES BY TOPIC

Topics covered by this guide include architecture, building and construction, design, housing, planning, preservation, facility management, energy and the environment, and landscape architecture. Types of listings range from discussion groups to electronic publications to databases -- and of course a wide variety of websites. This is a selective guide. Links to more comprehensive link collections are included. For some topics just one or two sites with good links to the net resources in that topic are listed. Although the emphasis is on quality sites, sometimes sites that are currently not well-developed but show promise of being so are included.

This guide, started in 1993, is posted to the UNLV Libraries Architecture Studies Library page [/arch/rsrce/webresources/index.php]. Additions and corrections, as well as suggestions for categories, can be sent to Jeanne Brown (jeanne.brown@unlv.edu), head of the UNLV Architecture Studies Library. Permission is granted to use this material for non-commercial purposes, provided the author (Jeanne Brown) is credited.
This Architecture Internet Database is very extensive.
Scroll down, use ->EDIT ->FIND , or the hotkeys Control F to search within these pages.

Architecture Internet Resources -> Resources -> Urban Environment

Resources for: Urban Environment

American Trails Resources Directory [http://www.americantrails.org/resources/index.html]
Substantial collection of resources, on topics such as accessible trails, greenways and urban trails, rails to trails, planning trails, and much more. 2/01

architect.org Publications [http://architect.org/institute/publications/publications.html]
architect.org is the web site of the Architecture Research Institute. The publications selection highlights some of their contributions to the study of the urban environment. 11/05

Best Practices of City Governments [http://www.usmayors.org/uscm/best_practices/]
US Council of Mayors database. Search by keyword or select from dropdown by "Best Practice Collection" 10/01, 6/08

Biennale di Venezia [http://www.labiennale.org]
Promotes new artistic trends and organizes international events in the contemporary arts. Site in Italian or English. Includes the "Historical Archives of Contemporary Arts" (ASAC), in existence since 1895. 5/99, 6/08.

Bike Plan Source [http://www.bikeplan.com/]
Projects, planning guide, bibliography. 3/00

Carfree Cities [http://www.carfree.com/]
Design standards and reference stats for carfree cities. 3/00

Center for Livable Communities [http://www.lgc.org/center/]
National initiative helping "local governments and community leaders be proactive in their land use and transportation planning, and adopt programs and policies that lead to more livable and resource-efficient land use patterns." Includes their slides and videos catalog.

Charlottsville Urban Design and Affordable Housing [http://jefferson.village.Virginia.EDU:80/schwartz/cville2.html]
Research paper by Ken Schwartz. A project of the Institute for Advanced Technology in the Humanities, it includes information on the use of information technology in conducting and disseminating the research.

Childrens Landscape [http://home.c2i.net/swan]
"The website of 'Children's Landscape' focuses on the interests of children and youth in planning processes. The site provides many ideas for modifying school playgrounds, institutions and neighborhoods in urban areas so that they respond to the real needs of children and youth." 5/04

Cyburbia [http://www.cyburbia.org/]
An online planning community providing an active urban/town planning message board - "where members enjoy intelligent, troll-free discussion." Last a ccessed 6/07

Environmental Characteristics of Smart Growth Neighborhoods [http://www.nrdc.org/cities/smartGrowth/char/charinx.asp]
"This October 2000 study conducted for the Natural Resources Defense Council, in cooperation with the United States Environmental Protection Agency, suggests that the environmental benefits of smart growth are real and can be measured. The study focuses on the Metro Square neighborhood in Sacramento, California, and is one of the first to examine a fully completed and occupied development." Full text of the study available. 8/02

Environmental Impact Statement Collection [http://www.library.northwestern.edu/transportation/searcheis.html]
Database of citations to the Environmental Impact Statements held by Northwestern University's Transportation Library -- said to be nearly all the EIS's issued by federal agencies since 1969. The statements are available for loan for a fee. 12/98

European Archive of Urban Public Space [http://urban.cccb.org/]
Documentation of winners of the European Prize for Urban Public Space. 11/05

Great Cities Urban Data Visualization Lab [http://www.uic.edu/cuppa/udv/mission.htm]
Includes a noise study, transit study, historic preservation study. Online resources provide tutorial information on GIS, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Autocad and more. http://www.uic.edu/cuppa/udv/education.htm 11/05, updated 11/08.

Human Dimensions of Urban and Community Forestry [http://www.cfr.washington.edu/research.envmind/]
"Featuring research on peoples' perceptions and behaviors regarding nature in cities." 11/02

Imaging Systems Laboratory [http://www.imlab.psu.edu/]
Current and past projects such as SmartForest, an interactive virtual forest, and Evolving Urban Dynamics, an integrated decision support system for urban planning. 8/02

INTBAU: International Network for Traditional Building, Architecture & Urbanism [http://www.intbau.org/]
According to Dr. Matthew Hardy, " INTBAU is a world wide organisation dedicated to the support of traditional building, the maintenance of local character and the creation of better places to live. It is creating an active network of individuals and institutions who design, make, maintain, study or enjoy traditional building, architecture and places. INTBAU runs conferences, architecture and urban design workshops, and other events that bring together practitioners, artisans and students. By education in traditional architecture, urbanism and the building crafts, we encourage people to maintain and restore traditional buildings, and to build new buildings and places that contribute to traditional environments and improve the quality of life in cities, towns and villages around the world." The extensive website has info on their work, listservs, news, books on the topic, links, etc. 09/07

Landscape and Human Health Laboratory, Universtiy of Illinois [http://www.lhhl.uiuc.edu/]
"A multidisciplinary research laboratory dedicated to multidisciplinary research laboratory dedicated to studying the connection between greenery and human health." Reports of several studies of the possible correlation between plants/nature in the urban environment and behavior (e.g. crime, self-discipline, etc.). Bibliography of research articles. 6/08

Livable Communities Initiative [http://ntl.bts.gov/DOCS/livbro.html]
"This brochure describes the Federal Transit Administration's Livable Communities Initiative including its background, objectives, eligible recipients and activities, sources of funding, statutory basis, and criteria for selection." Includes characteristics of a livable community and livable communities examples. 8/02

Megacities [http://www.megacities.nl/]
Last accessed 2/04

Modern Phoenix: The Neighborhood Network [http://www.modernphoenix.net/]
Extensive content, including "photographic documentation, articles and interactive discussion of classic midcentury design, art and architecture in Phoenix... The site also includes Contemporary design with a Modern spirit (MoCo) and renovations of classic modern structures." 11/05

Narrow Streets Database [http://www.sonic.net/abcaia/narrow.htm]
List of cities that have adopted narrow street regulations, along with links to web sites on the topic. 7/00

National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership [http://www.urban.org/nnip/]
"... a collaborative effort by the Urban Institute and local partners to further the development and use of neighborhood-level information systems in local policymaking and community building." Case studies, guides, description of the arts and culture indicators project. 7/02

NYC Open Accessible Space Information System [http://oasisnyc.net/]
Pick a New York City zip code, borough, or neighborhood and get a map indicating where open space is and how that space is categorized (e.g. vacant lot, private). In the resources section, compares New York City park/open space with that of other major cities. 12/01

Pompeii Forum Project [http://pompeii.virginia.edu/]
"The Pompeii Forum Project is a collaborative venture that focuses on the urban center of Pompeii. There are three components to the project: documentation of standing remains; archaeological analysis; and urban study that seeks a) to interpret the developments at Pompeii in the broader context of urban history and b) to identify at Pompeii recurring patterns of urban evolution that can be applied to contemporary issues in American urbanism." 2/00

Project for Public Spaces: Placemaking for Communities (PPS) [http://www.pps.org/]
Description of projects, initiatives, and products (such as publications). "Project for Public Spaces, Inc. (PPS) is a non-profit planning and design organization dedicated to preserving public spaces as the nexus of community life." First linked in March, 1999. Last accessed 7/08.

Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence (RBA) [http://www.brunerfoundation.org/]
"dedicated to the urban built environment...defining excellence in terms of form, process, place and values, this site include materials on the winning spaces." 6/03, last accessed 7/08

Smart Growth (EPA) [http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/]
"This site highlights numerous policies and programs that states and localities nationwide have implemented to further smart growth." Search, or browse by program objective, technique or state in which implemented. 8/02, 7/08 updated 11/08

Sustainable Communities Network [http://www.sustainable.org/]
"The Sustainable Communities Network website connects citizens with the resources they need to implement innovative processes and programs to restore the economic, environmental, and social health and vitality of their communities. It addresses a wide range of issues related to community sustainability, including creating communities, smart growth, growing a sustainable economy, protecting natural resources, living sustainably, and governing communities. In addition it gives case studies, resources, related Web sites, links to relevant sites, events calendars, and suggested reading." Case studies link: http://www.sustainable.org/casestudies/studiesindex.html. 8/99, last accessed 7/08.

Sustainable Measures [http://www.sustainablemeasures.com/]
Sustainable community indicators: categories, data sources, samples. Their site offers:
-Free training materials,
-A searchable database of indicators,
-Explanations of indicators and sustainability
-A list of online, print, and other resources, and
-Answers to frequently asked questions about indicators and sustainability.

Sustainable Measures,P.O. Box 370502, West Hartford, CT 06137 P: 860-808-7487

Toxtown [http://toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/]
Slick site displaying through graphics and text the hazards in your environment. 11/05

Traditional Neighborhood District Criteria Manual [http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/tnd/TOC1TND.html]
"This criteria manual contains the administrative rules for a Traditional Neighborhood District (TND) and includes supplemental information and illustrations on the standards for planning, architectural design, streets and streetscapes, open space, location of utilities, drainage, and landscaping." Austin Texas. 3/00

Transit Villages [http://www.transitvillages.org/]
Transit villages discussed in the context of new urbanism, livable communities and the cost of sprawl. 11/05

Urban Archives Database [http://content-dev.lib.washington.edu/uaweb/index.html]
Student project documenting Seattle's streets. 11/05

Urban Growth Seen from Space [http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a000900/]
Satellite images of growth in such urban areas as Atlanta and Washington, D.C., showing patterns of growth, heat island effects, and impacts on weather. 5/00

Urban Parks Online: Great Park Places [http://pps.org/upo/]
Gathering place for brief information on parks projects, those considered to be good places. Part of the Project for Public Spaces site. 6/99

Urban Planning 1794-1918 [http://www.library.cornell.edu/Reps/DOCS/homepage.htm]
"An International Anthology of Articles, Conference Papers, and Reports." Edited by the well-known John W. Reps, this is a wonderful resource. Includes bibliographies as well, and is searchable by author, date, subject, or key word. 174 documents as of April 1998.

Urbanisme [http://www.urbanisme.equipement.gouv.fr]
The Centre de Documentation de l'Urbanisme section contains bibliographies, research papers, information on the group Urbandata, and more. In French, bien sur. 4/99

Van Alen Institute [http://www.vanalen.org]
"Van Alen Institute's program represents the Institute's response to the most important urban crisis of our day - the continuing decline of the physical public realm ... from streets and parks to schools and housing." Competitions, project areas. New York based. 4/99

Worldview Cities [http://www.worldviewcities.org/]
Produced by the Architectural League of New York, the site includes profiles of firms, historical and statistical information, articles on critical issues, and photographs for each city in its collection. Cities as of 11/05 include:
Caracas http://www.worldviewcities.org/caracas/main.html --
Oslo http://www.worldviewcities.org/oslo/main.html --
Tijuana http://www.worldviewcities.org/tijuana/main.html --
Dhaka http://www.worldviewcities.org/dhaka/main.html