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The environmental impacts that occur as a result of development activities are well known. The concept of sustainable development focuses on developing high quality communities that support cultural and economic diversity and an ongoing relationship with the environs within which the development occurs. Not apart from the environment, sustainable communities are part of the environment.
Development activities generate large quantities of waste. Construction of an average 2,000 square foot home could easily generate over two and half tons of construction waste. Demolition of old structures not only create solid wastes to be disposed, but potentially hazardous wastes as well; such as lumber and wall board with lead white paint.
Development of new land into urban use changes its environmental viability and performance.
The use of formerly used lands, especially brownfields, is preferred. Environmental viability and function can be restored to formerly used lands when redevelopment occurs thoughfully.
The following links are to some excellent websites related to sustainable development, land redevelopment and local growth management issues. While ASTSWMO does not review or continually check the content of these web pages, we have seen their content as potentially valuable to our members and others accessing our website. We encourage you to review them and take what you find of value when considering development projects.
ASTSWMO Greener Cleanups Task Force
http://astswmo.org/resources_sustainability_greenercleanups.html
Specialized resource page from the Sustainability Subcommittee's Greener Cleanups Task Force.
Smart Growth Network
http://www.smartgrowth.org/Default.asp?res=1280
They provide good information on their website. They also produce an electronic newsletter, free for signing up.
"ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability”
http://www.iclei.org
ICLEI is an international organization that works on sustainability and growth. This is a good technical assistance group.
As described on their webpage: "ICLEI—Local Governments for Sustainability is an international association of local governments and national and regional local government organizations that have made a commitment to sustainable development. More than 475 cities, towns, counties, and their associations worldwide comprise ICLEI".
Sustainable Communities Network
http://www.sustainable.org/
This organization seems more about action than philosophy. On their site you will find access to a guidance document called "Place-making: Tools for Community Action" that looks useful and provides tools for grassroots actions.
Smart Communities Network
http://www.smartcommunities.ncat.org/
This site has a lot of good reference material. Do a search for "tool kit". You'll be surprised at what comes up. SCN is operated by the National Center for Appropriate Technology, which is a great resource for energy alternatives.
US Green Building Council
http://www.usgbc.org/
The USGBC promotes buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and are healthy places to live and work. The USGBC runs the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certification program.
More….
Institute for Sustainable Communities http://www.iscvt.org/
Global Community Initiatives http://www.global-community.org/
Eco IQ http://www.ecoiq.com/sustainability/ http://www.ecoiq.com/onlineresources/anthologies/sustainable/communities/
Communities By Choice http://www.communitiesbychoice.org/
Smart Growth on the Ground http://www.sgog.bc.ca/
Michigan Land Use Institute http://www.mlui.org/index.asp
Federal Government
U.S. Government's Sustainable Development Partnerships Web Site
http://www.sdp.gov/
US Environmental Protection Agency
Sustainability Page
http://www.epa.gov/sustainability/
Brownfields Program
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/
US Department of Agriculture
Sustainability Page
http://www.usda.gov/sustainable/
USDA Rural Development, Sustainable Community Development
http://www.ezec.gov/Toolbox/sustainable.html
US Department of Energy
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
http://www.eere.energy.gov/
US Department of State
http://www.state.gov/g/oes/sus/
US General Services Administration
http://www.gsa.gov/Portal/gsa/ep/channelView.do?pageTypeId=8207&channelPage=%2Fep%2Fchannel%2FgsaOverview.jsp&channelId=-12972
US Department of Defense
Defense Environmental Network and Information Exchange Sustainability page
https://www.denix.osd.mil/denix/Public/Library/Sustain/sustain.html
US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
http://www.susdev.noaa.gov/
US Department of the Interior
http://www.interior.gov/greening/index.html
City Sustainability Programs
Austin, Texas
http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/sustainable/
City of San Diego, California
Sustainable Community Program
http://www.sandiego.gov/environmental-services/sustainable/index.shtml
City of Seattle, Washington
Office of Sustainability and Environment
http://www.seattle.gov/environment/default.htm
City of Bloomington, Indiana
http://www.bloomington.in.gov/commission.php?fDD=102-1921&callerfDD=162-0
City of Palo Alto, California
http://www.pafd.org/sustainability/
City of Portland, Oregon
Office of Sustainable Development
http://www.sustainableportland.org/
City of San Francisco, California
Department of the Environment
http://www.sfenvironment.com/index.htm
City of Santa Barbara, California
http://www.santabarbaraca.gov/Government/Sustainable_City/
City of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
http://www.toronto.ca/sustainability/
City of Santa Monica, California
Environmental Programs Division
http://santa-monica.org/epd/
City of Burlington, Vermont
http://www.ci.burlington.vt.us/mayor/sustainable_communities_200506.php
City of Clearwater, Florida
http://sustainable.state.fl.us/fdi/fscc/news/local/clearw.htm
City of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/sustainability/
Regional Sustainability Organizations
Bay Area Alliance
http://www.bayareaalliance.org/
Southern Appalachian Information Node
http://sain.nbii.org/phpqueries/sust_development.php
Academic
Temple University Center for Sustainable Communities
http://www.temple.edu/ambler/csc/
Global Institute for Sustainability, Arizona State University
http://sustainable.asu.edu/gios/Research.htm
University Leaders for a Sustainable Future
http://www.ulsf.org/index.html
University of Michigan
http://www.umich.edu/~usustain/sustain.html
Louisiana State University
http://www.risk.lsu.edu/sustainabledevelopmentlinks.htm
Sustainability Indicators Tools – Measuring Progress Toward Sustainability
A good way to start down the path of community sustainability is to develop a set of sustainability indicators. Sustainability indicators focus on unique local features, are track-able over time, create a sense of urgency within the community, consider society, economic and environmental aspects of the community and are diverse in appeal to the greater community. Sustainability indicators are developed using community involvement processes. The sites below will be helpful as you get started.
Sustainable Measures
http://www.sustainablemeasures.com/
A Toolkit of Indicators of Sustainable Communities (3rd Edition)
The Housing Corporation and the European Institute for Urban Affairs
http://www.ala.org/ala/srrt/tfoe/lbsc/librariesbuild.htm
Measuring Sustainability
The Sustainability Report, Canada
http://www.sustreport.org/indicators/intro.html
Central Texas Sustainable Indicators Project
http://www.centex-indicators.org/
Sustainable Development Indicators
http://www.sdi.gov/
Measuring Community Success and Sustainability: An Interactive Workbook
North Central Regional Center for Rural Development, Iowa State University
http://www.ncrcrd.iastate.edu/Community_Success/about.html
International Sustainability Indicators Network
http://www.sustainabilityindicators.org/
International
United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development
http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/csd/policy.htm
Centre for Sustainable Community Development, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
http://www.sfu.ca/cscd/index.htm
University of British Columbia James Taylor Chair in Landscape and Livable Environments, Vancouver, British Columbia, CANADA
http://www.sustainable-communities.agsci.ubc.ca/
"Sustainable Urban Landscapes - Site Design Manual"
http://www.sustainable-communities.agsci.ubc.ca/projects/DesignManual.html
United Kingdom Sustainable Development
http://www.sustainable-development.gov.uk/index.asp
Western Economic Diversification Canada
http://www.wd.gc.ca/default_e.asp
Centre for Sustainable Regional Communities, La Trobe University, Bendigo, AUSTRALIA
http://www.latrobe.edu.au/csrc/
Sustainable Communities Knowledge Network: Centre for Sustainable Community Development
Canada’s Web-based clearinghouse for knowledge and best practices in sustainable community development.
http://kn.fcm.ca/ev.php
Nepal Sustainable Community Development Programme
http://www.scdp.org.np/
Global Development Research Center
http://www.gdrc.org/
States
Minnesota
http://www.moea.state.mn.us/sc/index.cfm
Florida
http://sustainable.state.fl.us/fdi/fscc/resource/
Oregon
http://www.sustainableoregon.net/
Colorado
http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/el/elp/
Massachusetts
http://www.mass.gov/envir/Sustainable/default.htm
New Jersey
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/dsr/sustainable-state/
Iowa
http://www.iowadnr.com/energy/sustainable/index.html
Washington
http://www.ofm.wa.gov/sustainability/default.asp
http://www.ecy.wa.gov/sustainability/index.htm
Information Resources
Libraries Build Sustainable Communities
American Library Association http://www.ala.org/ala/srrt/tfoe/lbsc/librariesbuild.htm
The Sustainable Communities Campaign, Audubon International
http://www.auduboncommunities.org/
The Sustainability Report
Institute for Research and Innovation in Sustainability, Canada
http://www.sustreport.org/home.html
Re-source Resources for Sustainable Communities, Bellingham, Washington
http://www.re-sources.org/
Sustainable Seattle
http://www.sustainableseattle.org/
New Jersey Sustainable State Institute
http://www.njssi.net/
Sustainable Communities Network
http://www.sustainable.org/governing/govrelations.html
Urban City
http://www.urbanicity.org/#
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