Professional institutions, associations, societies and groups
| The Academy of Urbanism has been formed to extend urban discourse beyond built environment professionals, and to create an autonomous, politically independent and self-funded learned voice. |  | UK |
| The site for the Royal Institute of British Architects is architecture.com, which includes the RIBA library catalogue; a free index to 150,000 articles from 300 journals in 20 languages, and 50,000 books, drawings, and photographs. The Find an Architect button leads to the RIBA Directory of Practices. |  | UK |
| The ACN (Architecture Centre Network) coordinates, supports and advances the work of architecture and related centres in the United kingdom. The network is working to raise awareness of the importance of the built environment by securing greater knowledge, access, participation and influence, at all levels, in the creation of an excellent built environment for all. |  | UK |
| The American Institute of Architects gives 'Information for Consumers' and 'Information for Architects' including details about jobs, events, publications etc. |  | USA |
| The American Planning Association gives details about the organisation, how to become a certified planner, APA conferences, research, publications, people, jobs and consultant services, planning advisory, educational opportunities, current issues in planning and some public information guides. |  | USA |
| The Architecture Centre in Bristol is an independent organisation dedicated to the promotion and exploration of excellence in all aspects of the built environment. It was founded by the Bristol Centre for the Advancement of Architecture (BCAA), a charitable trust. The Centre's programme includes exhibitions, guided tours, visits, discussions, workshops and lectures. |  | UK |
| The Asla website includes information about the work of a professional landscape architect and events. |  | USA |
| The APaNGO project aims to increase community involvement in regional planning across NWE by jointly planning, designing and implementing a network of resources and skills. APaNGO will enhance understanding and awareness of the importance of effective community engagement in planning. |  | EU |
| The Architecture Foundation aims to promote high quality contemporary architecture and urban design. The website includes events, competitions and projects. |  | UK |
| The Australian Institute of Urban Studies, an independent non-profit organisation, is a national grouping of diverse professionals, practitioners, academics, researchers, companies and organisations which take part in the making and management of the urban environment and/or participate in the pursuit of knowledge about urban places. The website is organised by regions and give details of membership and events. |  | AUS |
| The Blank Family Foundation is a US based grant awarding foundation that has been involved in preserving public green space. Features a gallery of completed projects and links to organisations who have benefited from grants. |  | USA |
| The BCSC (British Council of Shopping Centres) promotes best practice in the development and management of the retail environment and to portray a common vision, helping our members work together, exchange and develop information and advance the professional and commercial aims of the retail property industry as its centre of excellence. |  | UK |
| The British Urban Regeneration Association (BURA) is the leading independent organisation concerned with the renewal of towns and cities. It brings together a broad cross-section of members from the public, private and voluntary sectors and provides a forum for the exchange of ideas, experience and information on urban regeneration. This site includes press releases, an events diary and a course list. | UK | |
| Concerted Action on Brownfield and Economic Regeneration Network (CABERNET) is the European Expert Network addressing the complex multi-stakeholder issues that are raised by brownfileld regeneration. |  | UK |
| Childrens' Play Council featuring the 'home zones: reclaiming residential streets' initiative. |  | UK |
The Cityscape Institute is based in New York and aims to be an urban design resource for public space improvement, serving city government and the private sector. It's website includes a definition for public space, Cityscape News, current projects, books and an events calendar. |  | USA |
| The Civic Trust is Britain's leading charity devoted to enhancing the quality of life in Britain's cities, towns and villages: the places where people live, work, shop and relax. |  | UK |
| Congress for the New Urbanism: This revamped site includes information about its charter, news & events, resources, forums and task forces. (USA) |  | USA |
| Centre for the Understanding the Built Environment: Launched in November 1998, CUBE is committed to the investigation, discussion and advancement of design quality within the built environment. Based in Manchester, CUBE is a prime example of the Northwest's increasing confidence in how it articulates itself through its built environment. |  | UK |
The Centre for the Urban Built Environment is dedicated to broadcasting the ideas that lie behind the buildings, spaces and environments that make up our built environment. |  | UK |
| Ciq is a not for profit company which aims to develop creative and digital industries in Sheffield's Cultural Industries Quarter. Features profiles interesting digital and cultural projects run by the agency in the city. |  | UK |
| The EHTF (English Historic Towns Forum) was founded to establish and encourage contact between local authorities having responsibility for the management for historic towns and cities, and between these authorities and other public, private and voluntary sector agencies. |  | UK |
| The European Sustainable Cities & Towns Campaign aims to promote the development of local agenda 21 action plans in Europe. |  | EU |
| GEN (Global Ecovillage Network) is a grassroots non-profit organization that links together a highly diverse worldwide movement of autonomous ecovillages and related projects. GEN's main aim is to support and encourage the evolution of sustainable settlements across the world. |  | INT |
| The Glass-House is a national charity offering design advice, training and project support to community, tenant and resident groups and professionals throughout Britain who are effected or involved in neighbourhoods undergoing change and renewal. |  | UK |
Groundwork London's vision is of a society made up of sustainable communities which are vibrant, healthy and safe, which respect the local and global environment and where individuals and enterprise prosper. The aim of Groundwork is to build community groups, young people and businesses to make social, environmental and economic improvements that change lives for the better. |  | UK |
The Housing Design Award contains downloadable versions of the Winners' Book from 1997 onwards, a comprehensive database going back to 1950, and details on how to enter next years awards. The catalogue of winners from 1997 -2003 is an excellent record of good housing design practice. |  | UK |
| The Home Builders Federation (HBF) is the trade association representing the interests of homebuilders in England and Wales. Members only site. |  | UK |
| Heritage organisations in the voluntary sector in England set up Heritage Link to provide a national forum to promote changes in policy and to share information. |  | UK |
| IHBC (Institute of Historic Building Conservation) is an institute set up to establish the highest standards of conservation practice. It is the first in the UK to offer a professional qualification in conservation. The website gives details about events, publications and membership. |  | UK |
| The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) is a charity that exists to promote and progress civil engineering. It covers the latest ICE news and information about the library, events, courses, jobs and publications. |  | UK |
| The International Downtown Association seeks to help communities build partnerships and contribute to downtown's renaissance. This site details events, publications, projects amd members' benefits. |  | USA |
| The International Urban Development Association (INTA) is an international network that encourages the exchange of information, experience and best practices on urban development and renewal across the world. |  | INT |
| Institute for Public Policy Research - Innovative policy on all matters of social and environmental development. Policy areas range from housing and communities to public attitudes and involvement. |  | UK |
| The Joseph Rowntree Foundation is an independent, non-political body which supports programmes of research and innovative development in the fields of housing, social care and social policy. The web site contains several hundred research summaries (Findings) which can be accessed by Keyword and Research category. |  | UK |
| The Landscape Institute is the national organisation in the UK for landscape professionals concerned with enhancing and conserving the environment. The Institute makes sure its members give the best possible service in the planning, design and management of open spaces, whether in rural or urban locations. |  | UK |
| MADE (Midlands Architecture and the Designed Environment) covers the West Midlands region of England, UK. MADE is committed to promoting best practice in architecture and the built environment and seeks to engage with communities that design, procure, use and enjoy buildings and the spaces around them. |  | UK |
| Since 1980, the National Main Street Center has been working with communities across the nation to revitalize their historic or traditional commercial areas. Based in historic preservation, the Main Street approach was developed to save historic commercial architecture and the fabric of American communities' built environment, but has become a powerful economic development tool as well. |  | USA |
| Megacities describes the Megacities initiative which originates from the awareness of the future role of cities as the dominant type of settlement for humanity. Cities will play this role not only as a matter of fact, but also as a matter of necessity, as the only other way of housing the increasing world population. |  | NL |
| Placecheck is a method of assessing the qualities of a place, showing what improvements are needed, and focusing people on working together to achieve them. A Placecheck can cover a street (or part of one), a neighbourhood, a town centre, or a whole district or city. | UK | |
| PIA (Planning Institute of Australia) is the peak body representing professions involved in planning Australia’s cities, towns, regions and places. The website features news, careers & courses information and a useful consultants directory. |  | AUS |
| Planning Society Officer primarily provides information about the Good Practice Guide - a toolkit aimed at Planning Officers and others responsible for delivering Best Value in Local Planning Authorities. |  | UK |
| The Prince's Foundation helps community-based groups find new economically sustainable uses for redundant heritage industrial buildings by providing skills and support from the business sector, and advice on conservation and architecture. The initiative is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and supported by, among others, English Heritage and the Architectural Heritage Fund. |  | UK |
| Project for Public Spaces is a nonprofit organisation based in the United States dedicated to creating and sustaining public places that build communities. The website contains a wealth of topical information including success stories, toolkits, and discussion groups about parks, squares, public buildings, markets, transport and local economics. Recent additions include city commentaries including images on Barcelona and London. PPS are also known for their placemaking course, 'How to turn a place around'. |  | USA |
| Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland. Offers Scottish events, professional services and membership news. |  | UK |
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) website includes the RIBA library catalogue; a free index to 150,000 articles from 300 journals in 20 languages, and 50,000 books, drawings, and photographs. |  | UK |
| The RIBA Competitions Office runs a continuous series of architectural design competitions. Its website announces current competitions and reports competition results. | UK | |
| The RICS is the UK forum for professionals in land, property and construction dealing with market analysis, public policy issues, technical guidance, ideas and views. |  | UK |
| The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) of Great Britain gives information about careers, news, press releases, policy statements, events, publications and planning advice. See Planning Matters. |  | UK |
| The Scottish Architecture web site includes news, events and the latest developments in the world of Scottish Architecture. |  | UK |
| SITRA is an umbrella organisation committed to raising standards in the housing, care and support sector. Policy, training and consultancy for supported housing. Features information on upcoming conferences, regional information and selected publications. |  | UK |
| The TCPA (Town and Country Planning Association) web site includes news, events and the contents of its journal 'Town and Country Planning'. |  | UK |
| The Urban Design Alliance (UDAL) was launched in London on December 1, 1997. It has been formed by a group of leading professions and other bodies committed to improving the quality of urban life through urban design. UDAL's goals are to foster greater awareness of urban design and to promote higher standards of urban design. |  | UK |
| The Urban Design Group was founded in 1978 in the United Kingdom to provide high standards of performance and inter-professional cooperation in planning, architecture, urban design and other related disciplines and to educate the relevant professions and the public in matters relating to urban design. |  | UK |
| URBAN FORUM is an umbrella body for community and voluntary groups with interests in urban and regional policy, especially regeneration. |  | UK |
| URBED (Urban and Economic Development Group) is an independent research and consultancy firm specialising in the fields of urban regeneration, local economic development, sustainability and urban design. |  | UK |
| The Urban Land Institute is a nonprofit education and research institute based in the US. The site includes events, awards, journal contents, bookstore and a project database which details some 250 top residential, retail, resort, office, mixed-use, industrial and special use projects (abstracts freely available, fulltext for members only). |  | USA |
Planning Matters is a knowledge resource for RTPI members and Town Planners. It enables problem solving, which may occur in the workplace. The site has been developed by the Royal Town Planning Institute to assist its users in handling their jobs effectively and in continuing their professional development. The website provides the option of a CPD Log which allows users to log not only the modules they download, but also any other areas of their CPD. The material is divided into the following types:
The resource is working towards providing 150 spatial planning modules and some 200 business and management modules. Modules are reasonably priced, between £2 and £10, and there are discounts available when buying on account. Companies can register for varying numbers of users for a monthly subscription fee. | ||
