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Urban Management, Sustainable Development and Smart Growth

This section focuses on the improvement of land use management, planning, and building operations and reducing the environmental impacts of urban areas with innovative approaches such as smart growth and sustainable urban and green planning.

Innovative Programs and Policies
Tools and Guidelines
Databases and Case Studies
Newsletters, Publication Collections and Reports of Interest
International Organization and Government Web sites

Photograph of a rooftop garden in Stuttgart, Germany.

Rooftop gardens, like this one in the Stuttgart region of Germany, help moderate temperatures in urban areas, facilitate absorption of rain water, and help change carbon dioxide to oxygen.

Northern Virginia Planners Take Lessons from Stuttgart, Germany

Smart Growth and transportation planners in Virginia aspire to duplicate the successes that Stuttgart, Germany attained in planning over the last decade. In a formal region-to-region agreement signed in February 1999, the first ever international cooperative agreement between two regional governmental agencies, the Northern Virginia Regional Commission (NVRC)-made up of the five Virginia counties of suburban Washington, D.C.-agreed to share planning and environmental management practices with the Verband Region in Stuttgart, Germany.

As a part of the agreement, a delegation of Northern Virginia local government officials traveled to the Verband Region Stuttgart in Germany in July of 2000, to learn and discuss issues that local governments face in both countries. German officials presented information on projects that have made their communities more livable while Northern Virginia officials shared local efforts in economic development and the environment. NVRC's report on the exchange stated, "the delegates felt that this exchange proved to be one of the most valuable experiences of their professional and political lives."

Lessons learned from Stuttgart include holistic watershed management, integrated land-use and regional planning, regional governance, "green" air corridors, sustainable transportation, and constructed wetlands. As a direct result of the partnership and exchange, the Virginia State Legislature passed a bill in Spring 2002 initiating a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) project for the purpose of sharing air flow mapping and health data. NVRC Executive Director G. Mark Gibb wrote: " This is just one of many useful ideas that are being discussed and implemented in Northern Virginia as a result of the partnership.Other localities are implementing rooftop gardens, car sharing, new traffic calming techniques, open space planning, and town modeling as a result of our trip and information exchange. I think it is important to know that our international partnership is paying back with both interest and dividend."

To learn more about NVRC's exchange, see their report: "Building on an International Partnership" (PDF 31 pgs, 1.42M).

To learn more about this partnership and the ways in which NVRC is learning from international best practices, email NVRC at info@novaregion.org.

U.S. EPA - International Urban Environments
International urban environmental partnerships focus on brownfields redevelopment, smart growth, sustainable transportation and landuse, urban watershed management, green buildings, and solid waste recycling. This Web site provides resources on these topics.

Innovative Programs and Policies

European Commission's LIFE-Environment Initiative Exit Disclaimer
The LIFE-Environment Initiative contributes to the development of innovative techniques and methods by cofinancing demonstration projects in a number of areas including land-use development and planning . This Web site provides information on LIFE projects and hosts a database of over 1,000 state, municipal, and local level projects funded through this program, including case study reports of particular success stories.

European Local Transport Information Service (EU) Exit Disclaimer
European Local Transport Information Service (ELTIS) is an initiative of the European Commission's Directorate General for Energy and Transport, Clean Transport Unit that aims support a practical transfer of knowledge and exchange of experience in the field of urban and regional transport in Europe. ELTIS's Web site provides information on EU transportation-related projects and policies, case studies and events, and resources for policy makers.

European Sustainable Cities and Towns Campaign Exit Disclaimer
The European Sustainable Cities and Towns Campaign promotes development towards sustainability at the local level and supports European local authorities in developing and implementing appropriate policies and actions. This Web site provides information on the Campaign and its activities and events.

ICLEI's Local Agenda 21 Activities Exit Disclaimer
Local Agenda 21 is the action plan for a sustainable development of a municipality, set up by a local authority together with the local stakeholders and citizens. The mandate for setting up a Local Agenda 21 was given to local communities world-wide at the UN Conference on the Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. This Web site of the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives provides information on Local Agenda 21 and its events and activities.

"Local Sustainability:" the European Good Practice Information Service's Policy Documents Exit Disclaimer
'Local Sustainability' has been conceived and developed as a service of many partners, disseminating and making accessible the good practice experiences of European cities, towns, counties and their associations, national and regional governments, research and educational institutions, and Directorate Generals of the European Commission. This electronic library contains international and European policy documents and reports relevant to local sustainability issues.

Malmö, Sweden, the Eco-City Exit Disclaimer
This city is well-known for its innovative solutions to environmental problems. Ekostaden.com (Eco-city) publicizes the steps taken by Malmö to ensure its sustainability. These efforts include the world’s first electric street train; environmentally sustainable architecture; plans to reduce resource use by 20% and water and electricity consumption by 10%; and the reuse or recycling of 90% of the district of Augustenborg’s waste.

Mobility Services for Urban Sustainability (MOSES) Exit Disclaimer
MOSES is a car-sharing service initiative based out of cities across Europe, researching practical ways to increase car-sharing practices among the general public. It provides a number of technologies, services modules, projects and workshops, as well as framework instruments. MOSES involves research institutions, regional and local authorities, mobility operators and technology providers and covers North, South, West and East of Europe.

Sister Cities Network for Sustainable Development Exit Disclaimer
The Sister Cities Network for Sustainable Development is a network of sister city partnerships committed to implementing sustainable development concepts. Based largely on concepts emerging from the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) of 2002 in Johannesburg, South Africa, this site offers information on members, conferences, as well as toolkits and guides.

The European Commission's CORDIS Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development Projects Exit Disclaimer
CORDIS is the European Commission's Information Service on European Research and Innovation activities. A comprehensive database of projects, groups, contacts and news for environmental R&D in the EU for which EURO 55 million have been set aside (6 th Framework - FP6). The European Commission's list of research projects offers innovative sustainable development programs being explored. Key Action 4 deals specifically with sustainable city planning and rational resource management. Details of projects can be found in the CORDIS RTD projects database.

The Netherlands Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment's Cross-Border Cooperation Program Exit Disclaimer
The Netherlands is at the forefront of international environmental cooperation, and has many different programs throughout its ministries. This Dutch government site that provides examples of both international cooperative agreements as well as multi-national agreements which the Netherlands has established to promote cross-border spatial planning goals to prevent sprawl.

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Tools and Guidelines

Adelphi Research of Denmark Exit Disclaimer
This independent, non-profit, Danish institute works at development and implementation of innovative sustainable development strategies. Through their research they promote innovative and sustainable solutions based on constructive international dialogues among policy-makers, business leaders, expert bodies, and civil society groups. The group is made up of an array of NGO's and businesses that all play a part in new modes of urban development, and is a worthwhile tool for finding comprehensive research.

American Planning Association Planning for Sustainability Policy Guide Exit Disclaimer
The American Planning Association (APA) is an American nonprofit public interest and research organization committed to urban, suburban, regional, and rural planning. APA's Planning for Sustainability guide presents comprehensive sustainability objectives and planning policies for sustainable communities based upon the Swedish Natural Step framework.

Dutch-Sustainable Energy Exit Disclaimer
This Dutch government site is funded by the Netherlands Foreign Trade Agency and is dedicated to facilitate US companies searching for Dutch sustainable energy partners. The site includes a directory of Dutch sustainable energy partners, the ability to join their newsletter, and "cutting-edge" projects and events sponsored between companies throughout the year.

EPA's International Brownfields Partnerships Web site As many OECD countries endeavor to rehabilitate polluted industrial sites economically, socially, and environmentally, they have developed new and innovative approaches to brownfields redevelopment worth sharing with many U.S. communities. These countries have created new strategies for urban development, economic revitalization, risk assessment, housing and building, industrial heritage, spatial planning, and labor re-training. This Web site provides links to several brownfields case studies, workshop proceedings and information on a U.S.-German partnership.

European Environment and Sustainable Development Advisory Councils (EEAC) Exit Disclaimer
Network of around 30 advisory councils for environmental policy and sustainable development around Europe actively participating to enrich the quality of policy advice on national and regional levels. The group site aids the discourse of sustainable development by exchanging information with colleagues from other countries in order to influence policy developments at the EU level by acting cooperatively.

Link to the 2003 Chairman's Paper of Recommendations Exit Disclaimer from the EEAC Working Group on Sustainable Development as a contribution to the review of the European Sustainable Development Strategy and the preparation of the EU Spring Council in 2004.

European Spatial Planning Research and Information Database (ESPRID) Exit Disclaimer
ESPRID is a web-based Information Source operated by various university faculty-members from around Europe made for researchers and policy-makers concerned with strategic spatial planning. It contains material from academic books and journals, policy reports, plans and policy statements, other databases and websites. The site also includes information on relevant experts in the field.

European Commission's Propolis Project Exit Disclaimer
Research project supported by the European Commission and contributing to the implementation of the key action "The City of Tomorrow and Cultural Heritage" Exit Disclaimer. This group's objective is to research, develop and test integrated land use and transport policies, tools and comprehensive assessment methodologies in order to define sustainable long-term urban strategies and to demonstrate their effects in European cities. The site offers a number of different tools including a more detailed description of their case cities and a recently published final report of their findings on their research topics.

Green Building Council of Australia Exit Disclaimer
The Council is an independently operated non-profit Australian research and policy network that works to disseminate information, policy ideas, and research on sustainable properties and green buildings. They have also developed a rating system of "green stars" to be used for economic incentives and international recognition for green building

Green Plans: A Primer Exit Disclaimer
The Resource Renewal Institute's Green Plans, working strategies for a sustainable future, a primer provides information on what green plans are and how they are used to promote sustainable development. It provides examples of green plans in the Netherlands, New Zealand and the United States.

International Institute for Sustainable Development Exit Disclaimer
Founded in 1990, this Canadian based, yet internationally operated organization focuses heavily on research and development in a wide array of sustainable development fields. This all-inclusive resource focuses on promoting change towards sustainable development through advancing policy recommendations on international trade and investment, economic policy, climate change, measurement and indicators, and natural resources management.

Local Evaluation 21 Exit Disclaimer
Local Evaluation 21 is the European local authorities' online self-assessment tool for local sustainable development processes. Local Evaluation 21 was created as a follow-up to the research project LASALA (Local Authorities' Self Assessment of Local Agenda 21), funded by the European Commission, DG Research. Still, the self-evaluation can also be applied in other geographic areas where the specific laws may not apply. It is based on two questionnaires that can be used free of charge to evaluate processes and progress towards sustainable development from a local authority perspective.

Quality Planning: the Environmental Planning Resource Site Exit Disclaimer
The purpose of the Quality Planning website is to provide guidance on best practice in developing regional and district plans under New Zealand's Resource Management Act (RMA) and resource consent processing. The website also contains a database of RMA publications and articles, discussion forums and contact details for councils and practitioners throughout New Zealand.

Smart Growth Online Exit Disclaimer
Smart Growth Online is a web-based catalogue of Smart Growth related news, events, information and resources. Developed and funded through a cooperative agreement between the U.S. EPA and the Sustainable Communities Network, this tool is designed to advance public understanding of smart growth and how growth can improve community livability.

Transportation Cost and Benefit Analysis Exit Disclaimer
This online guidebook by the Victoria Transport Policy Institute is a comprehensive study of transportation benefit and costing research, and guidebook for applying this information in planning and policy analysis.

United Nations Sustainable Building and Construction Forum Exit Disclaimer
The United Nations Environment Programme's Sustainable Building and Construction (SBC) Forum was created as an online forum to link the SBC organizations represented, to showcase initiatives and to enable communication between partners, co-ordination of ongoing activities, news dissemination, and direct collaboration. This Web site provides information on Forum events and activities and links to other resources.

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Databases and Case Studies

European Academy of the Urban Environment's SURBAN Database Exit Disclaimer
The European Academy of the Urban Environment was established in 1992 to facilitate transition towards sustainable development and cooperation between the capital cities of Central Europe as well as between other European cities. This Web site hosts the SURBAN database, a searchable database of case studies on best practices in European urban development.

European "Best Practices for Sustainable Urban Infrastructures" Exit Disclaimer
Founded in 1971, COST is an intergovernmental framework for European Co-operation in the field of Scientific and Technical Research, allowing the co-ordination of nationally funded research on a European level. COST8, an activity in identifying best practices for sustainable urban infrastructures, has assembled a series of 50 European case studies demonstrating various aspects of sustainability in the built environment.

European Commission's Database on Good Practice in Urban Management and Sustainability Exit Disclaimer
This Web site is a searchable database of European best practices in urban management and sustainability, covering a wide range of environmental and smart growth topics. It is designed to help local European authorities to work towards sustainability by disseminating good practice and policy, facilitating the exchange of experience, and raising awareness about how cities and towns can be managed in more sustainable ways.

European Commission's LIFE-Environment Database Exit Disclaimer
The LIFE-Environment Initiative contributes to the development of innovative techniques and methods by cofinancing demonstration projects in a number of areas including land-use development and planning . This Web site hosts a database of over 500 sustainable development related projects funded through this program, including case study reports of particular success stories.

European Energie-Cités Case Studies Exit Disclaimer
Energie-Cités is an association of European local authorities that promotes local sustainable energy policies. Energie-Cités'database includes European good practice cases in sustainable urban development and urban mobility.

European Local Transport Information Service Case Studies Exit Disclaimer
European Local Transport Information Service (ELTIS) is an initiative of the European Commission's Directorate General for Energy and Transport, Clean Transport Unit. The aim of ELTIS is to provide information and support a practical transfer of knowledge and exchange of experience in the field of urban and regional transport in Europe. This link provides access to the ELTIS case study database, which contains more than 500 good practice case studies.

European Thematic Network on Construction and City Related Sustainability Indicators (CRISP) Exit Disclaimer
This French site operates under the EU's 5 th framework and serves as a clearinghouse for environmental indicators, including a comprehensive links section for products, buildings, urban blocks and communities and a miscellaneous or overall issues section. The site provides newsletters, a database, and research and development progress in urban sustainability.

International Institute for Sustainable Development Country Case Studies Exit Disclaimer
Founded in 1990, this all-inclusive resource for sustainable development is focuses on promoting change towards sustainable development through advancing policy recommendations on international trade and investment, economic policy, climate change, measurement and indicators, and natural resources management. These 19 country case studies form the knowledge base for the full report on sustainable development. The information was up-to-date as of May 2004. These case studies are in an unedited, working paper format.

"Local Sustainability:" European Good Practice Information Service's Case Studies Database Exit Disclaimer
'Local Sustainability' has been conceived and developed as a service of many partners, disseminating and making accessible the good practice experiences of European cities, towns, counties and their associations, national and regional governments, research and educational institutions, and Directorate Generals of the European Commission. This Web site provides a searchable database of good European sustainable practices.

Smart Growth British Colombia Exit Disclaimer
A Canadian provincial non-governmental organization working towards effectively managing development and responsible land-use. The group addresses sustainable development through many different channels, and has a good section of links on community involvement. The site has a collection of reports and publications Exit Disclaimer, as well as a helpful toolkit that spells out and gives strategies for implementation.

Sustainable Building Information System ( International Initiative for Sustainable Built Environment) Exit Disclaimer
The Sustainable Building Information System (SBIS) system is designed to provide users with non-commercial information about sustainable building around the world, and to point or link the user to more detailed sources of information elsewhere. SBIS's database allows the user to search nine main topic areas, including Methods and Tools, Policies and Programs, and Events.

Sweden's Green Zone Eco-Park Exit Disclaimer
The Green Zone Eco-Park is an almost completely sustainable business park in Sweden, with Ford, Statoil, and McDonald's as eco-park occupants. This Web site describes this eco-park as well as providing more general information on how to construct an eco-park.

The European Commission's CORDIS Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development Projects Database Exit Disclaimer
CORDIS is the European Commission's Information Service on European Research and Innovation activities. CORDIS offers a comprehensive database of projects, groups, contacts and news for environmental R&D in the EU for which over € 55 million have been set aside (6 th Framework - FP6). The European Commission's list of research projects offers innovative sustainable development programs being explored. Key Action 4 deals specifically with sustainable city planning and rational resource management. Details of projects can be found in the CORDIS RTD projects database.

United Nations' Best Practices Database Exit Disclaimer
This searchable database, a joint product of UN-HABITAT and The Together Foundation, contains proven solutions to common social, economic and environmental problems of an urbanizing and globalizing world. Over 1600 practices from 140 countries demonstrate practical ways in which public, private and civil society sectors are working together to improve governance, eradicate poverty, provide housing, land and basic services, protect the environment and support economic development.

United Nations Division for Sustainable Development's CSD Partnerships Database Exit Disclaimer
Enables you to search over 290 sustainable development partnerships around the world by title, geographic scope, or lead partner. The site has a more specific Case Studies by Major Environmental Category Exit Disclaimer as well. The site also allows you to browse programs by geographic scope, title of the project, or lead partner.

World Business Council for Sustainable Development: Sustainability Case Studies Exit Disclaimer
The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) is a coalition of international companies united by a commitment to sustainable development via economic growth, ecological balance and social progress. This Web site provides several sustainability case studies and a searchable database for case studies on additional subjects.

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Newsletters, Publication Collections and Reports of Interest

Newsletters

Building Design and Construction Newsletter Exit Disclaimer
This Web site provides archives on the Building Design and Construction e-newsletter.

Euractiv Email Updates Exit Disclaimer
EurActiv.com is now the leading online media on European Union policies. Its page on the Environment gives up-to-date, in-depth policy analysis of selected policies under consideration and underway within the EU. Their email update service also allows the user to subscribe to updates in particular areas of EU policy, including sustainable development, so that the only information you'll find in your email inbox is information you need.

International Institute for Sustainable Development Quarterly Newsletter Exit Disclaimer
Founded in 1990, this all-inclusive resource for sustainable development is in the business of promoting change towards sustainable development through advancing policy recommendations on international trade and investment, economic policy, climate change, measurement and indicators, and natural resources management.

Download National Strategies for Sustainable Development: Challenges, Approaches and Innovations in Strategic and Co-ordinated Action (2004) (PDF 71pp., 554.8KB) Exit Disclaimer

World Business Council for Sustainable Development: E-Newsletters Exit Disclaimer
The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) offers subscription to a number of e-newsletters on sustainable development, including Business and SD, Sustainable Livelihoods, Sustainable Mobility, and WBCSD Update.

Publication Collections

European Conference of Ministers of Transport Exit Disclaimer
The European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT) is an intergovernmental European organization in which Ministers responsible for transport openly discuss transport problems and agree upon joint approaches aimed at improving the utilization and at ensuring the rational development of European transport systems. This Web site offers documents and publications from conferences and other resources on transportation management issues.

Green Planning Reports (Resource Renewal Institute) Exit Disclaimer
Green plans are comprehensive and integrated strategies for the deliberate pursuit of sustainable development. The Resource Renewal Institute's Web site provides links to reports of countries that are taking the lead in implementing innovative strategies for a sustainable future.

Program for Research and Documentation for a Sustainable Society Exit Disclaimer
University of Oslo's Center for Development and the Environment hosts this catalogue of research documents and general reference papers on sustainable development issues which all can be browsed by title and type of paper. It also offers wide-ranging resources on international organizations and businesses as well as specific resources for government and consumers.

Smart Growth British Colombia Exit Disclaimer
Smart Growth BC is a Canadian provincial non-governmental organization working towards effectively managing development and responsible land-use. The group addresses sustainable development through many different channels, and has a good section of links on community involvement. The site has a collection of reports and publications, as well as a helpful toolkit that spells out and gives strategies for implementation.

The Natural Step Publications Exit Disclaimer
The Natural Step, a non-profit, international organization, aims to accelerate global sustainability by guiding companies and governments onto an ecologically, socially and economically sustainable path. This Web site provides links to articles, reports and case summaries.

United Nations' Sustainable Development Publications Exit Disclaimer
The United Nations' Department of Technology, Industry, and Economics (DTIE) encourages decision-makers in government, local authorities and industry to develop and adopt policies, strategies and practices that are cleaner and safer. The Web site offers links to many publications on sustainable development.

Urban Travel and Sustainable Development Workshops Papers (ECMT/ OECD) Exit Disclaimer
Many interesting papers have been prepared for the joint European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT)/ Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development ( OECD) workshops on urban travel and sustainable development. This Web site provides descriptions of the workshops that have taken place as well as links to the papers presented at these workshops.

World Business Council for Sustainable Development: Sustainability and Market Publications Exit Disclaimer
The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) is a coalition of international companies united by a commitment to sustainable development via economic growth, ecological balance and social progress. This Web site provides core publications on sustainability by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.

Reports of Interest

Danish Ministry of the Environment's Spatial Planning Department report "Spatial Planning as an instrument for promoting sustainable development in Nordic countries" Exit Disclaimer
Danish government white paper that examines strategies undertaken by some of the most "sustainable minded" countries in Europe. The paper is useful in giving numerous case examples in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Iceland that can be further examined.

European Commission's Sustainable Development Strategies
The EU is also committed to promoting Sustainable Development at the global level. In June 2001, the European Council at Göteborg discussed a strategy for Sustainable Development proposed by the European Commission. This strategy proposed measures to deal with important threats to Europeans' well being, such as climate change, poverty, and emerging health risks. A second paper covering the EU's external policies was adopted by the Commission in February 2002, adding a global dimension to the EU strategy.

Funder's Network "Learning From Abroad" Paper Exit Disclaimer
Written by Eric J. Siy for the Funders' Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities, this paper is designed to help further the understanding of and contribute to learning from international approaches to smarter growth policies and sustainable development.

Local Climate Protection Measures in Sweden Exit Disclaimer
This report issued by the Swedish Ministry of the Environment seeks to spread sustainable development ideas already in practice within the Swedish government. Practices in this paper are focused on Local Investment Projects (LIP) in which the local municipalities are responsible for developing innovative ideas to cut energy use, specifically carbon dioxide emissions.

London, United Kingdom's Urban Task Force White Paper: Our Towns and Cities Exit Disclaimer
This paper lays out a new vision of urban living in London set out by the UK's Office of the Deputy Prime Minister focused on bringing populations into urban areas to reduce the strain on rural areas, and how to prepare for new development challenges to be faced as population levels become more concentrated.

MPG International's Paper for UNEP -- Sustainable Motivation: Attitudinal and Behavioral Drivers for Action Exit Disclaimer
Sustainable Motivation is a project being undertaken on behalf of ESOMAR and UNEP who are concerned that for all the available information about sustainable production and consumption, progress in implementation appears to be painfully slow. The project aims to identify what motivates people to take the actions necessary and how to maintain that motivation. The ideas and statements expressed in this project do not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations Environment Programme, but rather the research group MPG.

Quality of Life in New Zealand's Eight Largest Cities 2003 Exit Disclaimer
This report was developed by the city councils in the eight largest cities of New Zealand - North Shore, Waitakere, Auckland, Manukau, Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. It presents a picture of the quality of life in the largest metropolitan centers, which are home to just under half the New Zealand population.

Sustainable Development in Germany (Federal Environment Agency of Germany, 1997) Exit Disclaimer
The German Environmental Agency study "Sustainable Development in Germany" points the way to long-term environmental development. This study finds that technological efficiency improvements and change in consumer behavior and in legal and economic structures are necessary for progress in sustainable development.

Sustainable Motivation: Research into Consumer Behavior and Attitudes Exit Disclaimer
Sustainable Motivation is a project being undertaken on behalf of UNEP who are concerned that for all the available information about sustainable production and consumption, progress in implementation appears to be painfully slow. The project aims to identify what motivates people to take the actions necessary and how to maintain that motivation.

Phase I Report (PDF, 33pp., 737kb) Exit Disclaimer

Towards a Thematic Strategy on Urban Development Communication (European Union, 2004) Exit Disclaimer
This European Communication sets out the problems and challenges facing Europe's urban areas, namely urban environmental management, urban transport, sustainable construction and urban design, and discusses the nature of the challenges, what action has been taken so far at the European level, and ideas for what further action should be undertaken to address better the challenges identified.  As a thematic strategy, this communication will be proposed to the EU Parliament to create a law.

White Paper on Sustainability (2003) (PDF, 48pp., 1.18MB)Exit Disclaimer
In this white paper, the editors of Building Design and Construction offer a brief history of green building in the U.S. and Canada; present the results of a specially commissioned survey of its readers; and analyze the chief trends, issues, and published research, based on interviews with experts and participants in green building. The White Paper concludes with an Action Plan, a set of recommendations designed to encourage further dialogue about sustainable development.

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International Organizations and Government Web sites

Adelphi Research of Denmark Exit Disclaimer
This independent, non-profit, Danish institute works at development and implementation of innovative sustainable development strategies. Through their research they promote innovative and sustainable solutions based on constructive international dialogues among policy-makers, business leaders, expert bodies, and civil society groups. The group is made up of an array of NGO's and businesses that all play a part in new modes of urban development, and is a worthwhile tool for finding comprehensive research.

African Sustainable Cities Network Exit Disclaimer
The African Sustainable Cities Network (ASCN) was established in 1995 within the framework of Local Agenda 21 by a group of elected officials and senior professional staff from African cities. The purpose of the ASCN is to build the capacity of local authorities in Africa to institute participatory environmental planning as an ongoing function of local public administration. This Web site contains information on the work of ASCN and links to its members' websites.

COST- European Co-operation in the field of Scientific and Technical Research Exit Disclaimer
Founded in 1971, COST is an intergovernmental framework for European Co-operation in the field of Scientific and Technical Research, allowing the co-ordination of nationally funded research on a European level. This Web site provides information on COST activities and the 46 European countries involved.

European Commission's European Green Building Forum Exit Disclaimer
The forum is supported by the European Commission's Energy, Environment, and Sustainable Development Programme, and provides research and resources relating to green buildings. The site gives a newsletter of European green buildings, programs, policies, as well as a catalogue of best practices and brief case studies of a number of European Green Buildings accompanied by well-taken photographs.

European Commission's LIFE-Environment Initiative Exit Disclaimer
The LIFE-Environment Initiative contributes to the development of innovative techniques and methods by cofinancing demonstration projects in a number of areas including land-use development and planning . This Web site provides information on LIFE projects and hosts a database of over 1,000 state, municipal, and local level projects funded through this program, including case study reports of particular success stories.

European Commission's Sustainable Development Web site Exit Disclaimer
The EU is also committed to promoting Sustainable Development at the global level. In June 2001, the European Council at Göteborg discussed a strategy for Sustainable Development proposed by the European Commission ("A sustainable Europe for a better world: A European strategy for Sustainable Development"). That strategy and other initiatives and legislation relevant to sustainable development can be found on this Web site.

European Conference of Ministers of Transport Exit Disclaimer
The European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT) is an intergovernmental European organization in which Ministers responsible for transport openly discuss transport problems and agree upon joint approaches aimed at improving the utilization and at ensuring the rational development of European transport systems. This Web site offers documents and publications from conferences and other resources on transportation management issues.

European Directorate-General for Energy and Transport Exit Disclaimer
This European Directorate-General for Energy and Transport is responsible for ensuring that European energy and transport policies are designed for the benefit of all sectors of the society, businesses, cities, rural areas and above all of citizens.. This Web site provides information on energy and transport policies and legislation in the EU as well as reports and publications.

European Environment and Sustainable Development Advisory Councils (EEAC) Exit Disclaimer
Network of around 30 advisory councils for environmental policy and sustainable development around Europe actively participating to enrich the quality of policy advice on national and regional levels. The group site aids the discourse of sustainable development by exchanging information with colleagues from other countries in order to influence policy developments at the EU level by acting cooperatively.

Institute for European Environmental Policy Exit Disclaimer
The Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) is a leading centre for the analysis and development of environmental and related policies in Europe. IEEP focuses primarily on European Union (EU) environmental and sustainable development policies, and relevant aspects of other policies such as agriculture, transport, rural and regional development and fisheries. This Web site contains information on IEEP's activities and links to other European environmental organizations.

International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives Exit Disclaimer
The International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) is an international association of local governments implementing sustainable development. Its mission is to build and serve a worldwide movement of local governments to achieve tangible improvements in global sustainability with special focus on environmental conditions through cumulative local actions. ICLEI's Web site provides information on its international campaigns and projects and other resources on sustainable development.

International Initiative for Sustainable Built Environment Exit Disclaimer
International Initiative for Sustainable Built Environment ( iiSBE) is an international non-profit organization whose overall aim is to actively facilitate and promote the adoption of policies, methods and tools to accelerate the movement towards a global sustainable built environment. This Web site links to the Green Building Information Center and the Sustainable Building Information System.

International Institute for Sustainable Development Exit Disclaimer
Founded in 1990, this Canadian based, yet internationally operated organization focuses heavily on research and development in a wide array of sustainable development fields. The research group focuses on promoting change towards sustainable development through advancing policy recommendations on international trade and investment, economic policy, climate change, measurement and indicators, and natural resources management.

New Zealand Ministry for the Environment: Urban Issues Web site Exit Disclaimer
With 86% of its population living in urban areas, New Zealand is exploring ways to improve the quality of its urban environments, while supporting economic growth and social well-being. This Web site provides information on Ministry for the Environment programs targeting sustainable urban development and management.

Resource Renewal Institute Exit Disclaimer
The Resource Renewal Institute (RRI) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to solving complex environmental problems by developing, promoting and facilitating innovative strategies for a sustainable future. This Web site provides information on RRI projects and activities, including group exchanges, and a link to the Green Plans Web site, which is devoted to highlighting creative approaches to building a sustainable future.

The Natural Step Exit Disclaimer
The Natural Step, a non-profit, international organization, aims to accelerate global sustainability by guiding companies and governments onto an ecologically, socially and economically sustainable path. This Web site provides information on The Natural Step's research, services and education efforts.

United Nations International Environmental Technology Center Exit Disclaimer
The International Environmental Technology Center (IETC) promotes the use of technology in UN nations to address urban environment problems. This Web site provides links to the UN's urban activities to promote sustainable building and innovative communities.

World Business Council for Sustainable Development Web site Exit Disclaimer
The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) is a coalition of 170 international companies committed to providing business leadership as a catalyst for change toward sustainable development and to promoting the role of eco-efficiency, innovation and corporate social responsibility. This Web site contains information on a number of WBCSD's activities and events and offers case studies and newsletters on relevant subjects.

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