General Sites and Reports

• Global Footprint Network - Nonprofit organization based in Oakland, CA whose mission is to increase the effectiveness of the ecological footprint as a measurement and management tool that makes the reality of planetary limits relevant to decisionmakers and for promoting ecological, social and economic sustainability.
• Redefining Progress, Ecological Footprint Analysis - Policy institute that works with a variety of partners to shift the economy and public policy towards sustainability.
• "Revisiting Carrying Capacity: Area-Based Indicators of Sustainability," by William E. Rees, University of British Columbia, founder of the ecological footprint concept.
"Ecological Footprints and Carrying Capacity: Measuring Our Impact," by A. R. Palmer, Institute of Cambrian Studies, Boulder, CO.
• Happy Planet Index – Ecological Footprint - An index of human well-being and environmental impact indicators.
• Heartland All Species Project - Neighborhood Ecological Footprint - Project mission is to encourage neighborhood community that addresses protection of the environment through a range of programs.

City and Regional Ecological Footprint and Sustainability Sites (communities in Canada and California have taken a leading role in ecological footprint analysis)

• Toronto, ON - Ecological Footprint - includes report, "How Big Is Toronto’s Ecological Footprint?"
• Vancouver, BC - EcoDensity Initiative
• Seattle, "The Influence of Development Characteristics on the Ecological Footprint of an Urban Household," by Signe Gilson for Seattle Office of Sustainability and Environment, March 2004
• Santa Monica, CA - Ecological Footprint
• Austin, TX - Stewardship: An Ecological Concept
• Sustainable Sonoma County, CA - Ecological Footprint
• Marin County, CA - "Measuring Marin County’s (CA) Ecological Footprint: A planning report for the Marin Community Development Agency," Feb. 2006

See also MRSC's Web page on Smart Growth, General Resources on Sustainability

New Planning in Focus E-Newsletter from MRSC (January 26)
MRSC is pleased to announce the debut of our new Planning in Focus e-newsletter. Planning in Focus is a free, subscription-based, monthly e-mail newsletter featuring selected planning related information, Washington news clippings, MRSC inquiry responses, Planning Advisor articles, and much more. View a sample issue and subscribe today.

100-Hour Agenda Holds Little for Local Government Issues (January 23)
When the 109th Congress left town in November 2006 it also left unattended scores of issues important to county governments and the citizens they serve. More from NACo's County News.

The Economic Potential of American Cities (January 23)
A recent Brookings Institution report examines the profound demographic and economic changes roiling the nation and outlines six key strategies, and their federal policy components, for American cities to leverage these trends for greater prosperity. More from Brookings.

Mandates Can't Force Good Behavior (January 23)
Rules can prevent bad behavior. But they are not as useful at producing good behavior. More from Bob Behn's Public Management Report (106KB).

E-Greetings from Bothell (January 23)
The city of Bothell's Web site lets residents compose and send e-card greetings to friends and family complete with selected photos showing off local points of interest.

Smart City - Strategic Thinking for Cities (January 23)
This week's guests on Smart City make their living thinking about the future and its implications for cities and for business. More from Smart City.

Grants Announced for Infrastructure Protection (January 23)
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently released their fiscal year 2007 grant guidance and application kits for five grant programs that will total roughly $445 million in funding for state, local and private industry infrastructure protection initiatives. More from DHS.

Crown Communities Award Winners (January 23)
American City & County's Crown Communities Awards recognize the extra steps local governments take that have lasting effects on residents, businesses and the environment. More from American City & County.

Rain Gardens Will Be Coming To A City Near You (January 23)
Because of the benefits of pollution reduction and management, cities are building rain gardens and encouraging their citizens to build them as well. More from Nation's Cities Weekly.

Wetlands Funding Available in Region 10 (January 23)
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Regions 9 and 10 are now accepting applications for the Wetlands Program Development Grants. More from EPA (150KB).

Top Planning Issues of 2006 (January 18)
From green building to the housing bubble, the editors of Planetizen review the most talked about stories of 2006.

Affordable Housing Handbook (January 18)
The Center for Housing Policy's new publication, Increasing the Availability of Affordable Homes: A Handbook of High-Impact State and Local Solutions, identifies 22 high-impact policies that state and local leaders can implement to expand the supply of affordable homes in their jurisdictions. More from Homes for Working Families.

FY 07 Homeland Security Grant Program (January 18)
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently released their fiscal year 2007 grant guidance and application kits for five grant programs that will total roughly $1.7 billion in funding for state and local counterterrorism efforts. More from DHS.

Performance Measurement - A Results Battle Royal (January 18)
The Governmental Accounting Standards Board considers urging states to report performance results — and kicks off a slugfest. More from Governing.

NCSL's Top 10 Policy Issue Forecast (January 18)
The heat is on in the public policy kitchen as the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) recently released its predictions on the key issues for 2007 that includes a mix of issues from immigration, state-issued identification cards, state revenues, health insurance, privacy, and others. More from NCSL.

Mayors Launch Web Campaign to Promote Climate Protection (January 18)
More than 400 mayors in 43 states are leading 66 million Americans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to Mayors for Climate Protection.

Modeling Community Containment for Pandemic Influenza (January 18)
The National Academies’ Institute of Medicine, has released a report that explores the quality of influenza pandemic models and their utility for predicting the effects of various community containment policies on disease mitigation. More from the Transportation Research Board.

Benefiting from a Cover Up (January 18)
Cities reap rewards for decking highways with parks. More from Governing.

In Focus for Councilmembers and Commissioners (January 10)
MRSC's free bi-weekly In Focus e-newsletter is an excellent way for Washington councilmembers and commissioners to stay informed about the latest news, research, events and trends affecting Washington city and county governments. View a sample issue and subscribe today!

Seven Big Lessons for Local Governments (January 10)
Otis White shares his list of "seven big lessons for local governments" based on some 1200 "Urban Notebook" columns he has written for Governing Magazine.

Washington Sustainability Strategies (January 10)
The National Trust Main Street Center profiles community sustainability strategies from Seattle and other Washington State communities in the November 2006 edition of Main Street News (881KB).

Performance Measurement - "Stat" Fever (January 10)
The practice of collecting data to monitor and improve government performance continues to gain momentum and evolve. More from Governing.

Making Other Arrangements (January 10)
The far-flung housing subdivisions, commercial highway strips, big-box stores, and all the other furnishings and accessories of extreme car dependence will function poorly, if at all, in an oil-scarce future. More from Orion Magazine.

NACo's County Codes and Ordinances (January 10)
The National Association of Counties’ (NACo) "County Codes and Ordinances" Web page offers a access to a large collection of county codes and ordinances pertaining to selected subject areas.

Unloading Assets (January 10)
Cities and states are selling off bits and pieces of infrastructure. Is it a sweet deal or a mistake? More from Governing.

State and Metropolitan Area Data Book (January 10)
The 2006 State and Metropolitan Area Data Book (11.7MB), published by the U.S. Census Bureau, offers a convenient summary of statistics on the social and economic structure of the states, metropolitan areas, and micropolitan areas in the United States.

Talk to Me (January 10)
While governments continue to work with vendors on developing appropriate tools, technology is no longer the sole impediment to true interoperability — people are. More from American City & County.

Smart City - Development and Land Use (January 10)
Robert Puentes, a fellow with the Brookings Institution's Metropolitan Policy Program Katherine Perez is Vice President of Development at Forest City Development, talk about development and land use on this week's Smart City.

Web Sightings 2006 (January 05)
In case you missed them, here's a look back at 2006's Web Sightings:

• Public Safety
• Puget Sound and Water Resources
• Flexible Environmental & Land Use Regulatory Tools and Incentives
• Community Festivals and Fairs
• Public-Private Partnerships
• Waterfront Redevelopment
• Youth Programs
• Grant Funding Resources
• GIS

Revenge of the Small (January 03)
Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver are creating strategies to encourage the development of modest, more affordable houses. More from Business Week.

Ten Noteworthy Trends of 2006 (January 03)
The Brookings Institution's Metropolitan Policy Program reviews the ten most noteworthy trends affecting urban America in 2006. More from Brookings.

Do You Know What You Own? (January 03)
A surprising number of states and localities don’t have the kind of inventory of their assets that a decent shoe store has. More from Governing.

Crime-Free Rental Housing (January 03)
The Everett Police Department initiated their crime-free rental housing program in response to repeated calls from the same few rental properties for noise or disturbance complaints, drug activities, and other crimes that were directly affecting the quality of life in the community. More from The Police Chief.

Smart City - Living in a Learning City (January 03)
Imagine a Learning City where everything - literally everything - is turned into an opportunity to teach something new and all day, everyday is considered a teachable moment. Living in a Learning City is this week's topic on Smart City.

Blackout (January 03)
Big-city newspapers aren’t telling citizens the things they need to know. More from Governing.

New Transportation Law Guidebook Available (January 03)
A new guidebook from the Surface Transportation Policy Partnership (STPP) reviews how federal surface transportation law can be used to support local and statewide efforts to build more livable communities and expand travel options. More from the STPP.

Pulling in the Money (January 03)
Although collecting outstanding debts can be difficult for local governments that focus primarily on providing services to their communities, some simple steps can dramatically increase the collection rate. More from American City & County.