National

The Air Quality Index (AQI) provides air quality data that has been translated into numbers and colors that help people understand how clean or polluted your outdoor air is. 

The AARP Livability Index defines the meaning of livability and rates the livability of any neighborhood.

The AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities was launched in 2012 and operates under the World Health Organization's Age-Friendly Cities and Community Program. The website includes introduction of the program, steps of implementation of the project.

The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System is a self-reporting system for colleges and universities to assess their sustainability performance.

The objective of the Active Living Research is to work with governments and the private sector to build activity-friendly communities.

A hub for information pertaining to agriculture law. Contains links to agricultural law journals and law databases. Some sources require a Drake University student ID to access.

American Forests is a nonprofit that dedicates to protecting and expanding American's Forests.

AIA – Design and Health website introduces resources for design & health for promoting human health through design.

A number of resources from the American Planning Association (APA) can be found here. From the APA Iowa Chapter and APA National, resources range from training and educational opportunities to resource links and membership information.

The ASLA – Healthy and Livable Communities website provides resources, projects, research, and organization for public health and community design.

The APA Policy Guide focuses on endangered species and habitat protection from a planning perspective. The Policy Guide aims to minimize negative impact on endangered species and protect ecosystems.

The Planning and Community Health Center website provides featured projects and news.

Association of State Floodplain Managers dedicates to promote education that mitigate loses and costs caused by flooding, and protect floodplains.

Handbook provided by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This document is a resource guide on public involvement best practices and strategies. Better Decisions Through Consultation and Collaboration U.S. EPA Better Decisions Through Consultation and Collaboration 15.00

The Built Environment and Public Health Clearinghouse provides resources and news related to community design and health.

The Built Environment Assessment Tool website includes the definition of built environment, the introduction of the tool and tool manual.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention website provides resources, news, and links for health planning tools.

The CDC - Transportation & Health contains recommendations for improving health through transportation policy, and a link for transportation health impact assessment toolkit.

CHSI builds health profiles based on social indicators and physical environment. The CHSI indicators allow users to compare demographically similar population and help to create healthy lifestyles.

The Healthy Homes website includes resources such as publications, tools and training.

The Center for Watershed Protection provides tools for clean water and healthy natural resources and promotes implementation of state-of-the-art watershed management techniques.

A collection of resources provided by the American Planning Association. The City Parks Forum primarily focuses on how healthy parks are effectively able to create prosperous communities.

Climate Adaptation Knowledge Exchange aims to establish a base for sharing knowledge of climate change and facilitating community of practice.

Community Commons Website provides maps, data, and tools for people to explore community health.

The CNU Health Districts Project website includes introduction of the project and a link for additional resources such as academic research, books, and articles.

Ducks Unlimited conserves, restores, and manages wetlands and associated habitats for North America's waterfowl.

Register listing does not necessarily increase economic value of buildings, instead listing is a tool that can assure the economic value of historic preservation takes its rightful place among values that historic buildings contribute to communities.

Drake University's online source for a variety of links covering environmental and natural resources law.

Climate Action Plan aims to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions and prepare for climate change by adjusting to its impacts. The EPA Website provides a number of models for climate action planning.

The Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) website provides a wide variety of information on disaster planning, mitigation, response and recovery.

Form-Based Codes Institute is a nonprofit that not only dedicates to promoting knowledge and use of form-based codes, but also develops standards for form-based codes.

American Planning Association (APA) recognizes great places in America as a standard in America’s neighborhoods, streets, and public spaces.

The Growing Food Connections aims to promote food security and foster sustainable agriculture by building the capacity of local government to improve community food systems for farmers and community residents.

The Growing Food Connections Website not only contains essential food systems reader, which is a collection of published resources related to community food production, community food security, and community food connections, but also includes local government food policy database provided a collection of local policies that support community food systems.

Guidebook from the Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) and the American Planning Association (APA).

The paper asserts the significance of historic neighborhoods that can provide homes and affordable housing for families and solve the insufficient affordable housing problem.

The report demonstrates the results of a survey about the problems associated with long-term population loss and provides methods to use preservation and related tools to stabilize and revitalize challenged communities.

Found here is a links library of resources for infill development, including guidebooks, funding resources, ordinances, and case studies.

International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) provides regular assessments related to climate change, its impacts and future risks, and response options and mitigation.

The International Property Maintenance Code provides model code regulations that contain clear and specific property maintenance requirements with required property improvement provisions.

KoBooM! is a nonprofit supports bringing active play into daily lives of kids, particularly the kinds living in poverty.

An updated list of LEED certified buildings of each state. 

From the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - The Local Government Climate and Energy Strategy Series gives an overview of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction strategies that local governments can use.

The Report to the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation seeks to establish indicators for measuring the economic impact of historic preservation over time.

Manual providing guidance on achieving balanced street design that accommodates cars while ensuring that pedestrians, cyclists and transit users can travel safely and comfortably.

Provided is a list of model plans and case studies from Iowa and across the country.

This planning links library provides a wide variety of resources for planning.

Safe Route to School develops programs to help make bicycling and walking to school safer and encourage children to bike and walk to school.

A collection of resources provided by the American Planning Assocation (APA). Among the many resources is aggregate census data and GIS-compatible boundary files (1790-2010).

The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) website provides information about grants, education opportunities, and links to parks and recreation publications.

The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) website provides information on how to nominate a historic place, a historic places database, guidelines for evaluating historic places, and more.

The Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service Website offers information of latest river forecasts and precipitation and indicate dangerous areas that floods may occur.

The North American Bike-share Association (NABSA) was incorporated as a non-profit Corporation in 2014. NABSA is a member-driven organization.

This website provides an overview of the purpose and management of the Portland Metro  urban growth boundary.

The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center is funded by the Federal Highway Administration. The website provides pedestrian and bike information, news, and resources.

Included is an overview of the state preservation strategies.

PLAN4Health supports communities to build coalitions and focuses on nutrition and physical activity. Coalitions are working to achieve health equity through policies.

This link will direct you toward PlanIowa.com's website. Website visitors can explore case studies from around the country, as well as access a variety of links to tools for public participation and surveying.

The Orton Family Foundation's Planning Toolbox.

A digital links library of guides, training, tools, model codes and plans, and toolboxes. This link includes additional links to several guides that address the question “why plan?”

Planning Student Organizations (PS0s) connects planning students and chapters across the country and around the world.

The President’s Climate Action Plan aims to develop steps to assist the United States and the world slow the effects of climate change so that leave a stable environment for future generations.    

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is working to expand health coverage to creating healthy communities and to help everyone in America have an equal opportunity to live a healthy life.

The Soil and Water Conservation Society (SWCS) provides website visitors with information on conferences and access to publications.

The Star Rating System website includes the introduction of the rating system, provides framework for communities to follow, and offers latest news.

Here website users will find video, a reference guide, and resource links for community storytelling.

Streetfilms provides short films that display smart transportation design and policy lead to better places to live, work, and play.

Report from Transportation for America that includes 12 case studies on transit in rural areas and small towns.

Transportation Planning Division provides transportation policies and legislations, and connects with transportation planners at APA’s networking events

Included articles green building and an introduction of LEED - a green building certification program.

The United States Census Bureau's American FactFinder website provides access to data about the United States, Puerto Rico and the Island Areas. The data in American FactFinder come from several censuses and surveys.

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service website provides an overview of the National Wetlands Inventory and posts the latest news and reports on wetlands. Related data can be download by using their website as well.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) offers nation-wide topography maps and aerials.

Research, reports, and toolkit that emphasize connections between the design of our built environments and health have been released by ULI.

Basic information on climate change, indicators and impacts of climate change are included in the website. 

Walkscore.com is a website that rates the “walkability” of any neighborhood.

The YMCA of the USA aims to bring meaningful change in individuals and communities by nurturing the potential children and teenagers, improving health and wellbeing, and supporting neighbors.