An Explanation of Community Attachment - Soul of the Community Project

Knight Soul of the Community is a new approach to community development and local economic growth, based on a three-year study produced by Gallup in partnership with John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

The information in our study covers the city of Long Beach, Calif. In each community, the Knight Soul of the Community study identified factors that emotionally attach residents to where they live

The Jefferson Institute is an independent research and education institute. We are inspired by Thomas Jefferson's challenge to pursue truth, wherever it may lead. Our mission is simple: informing decision with alternative solutions.

The closing keynote at the Economist Conferences Event, "Creating tomorrow's liveable cities", presented by Professor Jan Gehl, founding partner of Gehl Architects,Copenhagen.

Smart Investments and Common Sense Solutions Smart Growth America is the only national organization dedicated to researching, advocating for and leading coalitions to bring smart growth practices to more communities nationwide.

Smart Growth America advocates for people who want to live and work in great neighborhoods. We believe smart growth solutions support businesses and jobs, provide more options for how people get around and make it more affordable to live near work and the grocery store. Our coalition works with communities to fight sprawl and save money. We are making America's neighborhoods great together.

Forums at Caltech bringing technology and entrepreneurship together. Videos of the 2010-11 season

The mission of Strong Towns is to support a model for growth that allows America's towns to become financially strong and resilient. The American approach to growth is causing economic stagnation and decline along with land use practices that force a dependency on public subsidies. The inefficiencies of the current approach have left American towns financially insolvent, unable to pay even the maintenance costs of their basic infrastructure. A new approach that accounts for the full cost of growth is needed to make our towns strong again.

Strong Towns is an education and advocacy organization committed to creating durable, fiscally sustainable and desirable communities.

Our national transportation policy has barely changed since the 1950s, when gas was 20 cents a gallon and President Eisenhower launched the interstate highway system. Today, we live in a very different world. The interstates have been built. Americans are paying record prices at the pump and feeling stuck with costly commutes and congestion. Bridges are crumbling. As our population becomes ever more urban, more are breathing dirty air. Our climate is threatened. Too many older, younger and rural Americans are stranded. Volatile areas of the world literally have us over a barrel - millions of barrels a day, in fact.

Transportation for America is a broad coalition of housing, business, environmental, public health, transportation, equitable development, and other organizations. We're seeking to align our national, state, and local transportation policies with an array of issues like economic opportunity, climate change, energy security, health, housing and community development. Together we can realize a better transportation system that works for all Americans.

Agenda 360 is a regional initiative to identify, encourage, measure and connect action in six priority areas: business growth, qualified workforce, transportation, inclusion, government collaboration and quality place. In combination, these efforts will lead to a region that offers a high quality of life and a sustainable economy.

The Agenda 360 organizers began with the framework of Northern Kentucky's Vision 2015 growth plan as a way to closely align the two plans once Agenda 360 was complete. Developing a shared agenda is a novel approach to regional civic leadership, and it includes a strong bias toward action. Our intention was not to re-create the outstanding long-range planning and visioning work completed by various other public and private organizations over the years, but instead to synthesize and focus the results of previous initiatives and develop bold and inclusive action strategies.

The National Complete Streets Coalition works for the adoption and effective implementation of Complete Streets policies at the local, regional, state, and federal levels.

An ideal complete streets policy: Includes a vision for how and why the community wants to complete its streets Specifies that 'all users' includes pedestrians, bicyclists and transit passengers of all ages and abilities, as well as trucks, buses and automobiles. Applies to both new and retrofit projects, including design, planning, maintenance, and operations, for the entire right of way. Makes any exceptions specific and sets a clear procedure that requires high-level approval of exceptions. Encourages street connectivity and aims to create a comprehensive, integrated, connected network for all modes. Is adoptable by all agencies to cover all roads. Directs the use of the latest and best design criteria and guidelines while recognizing the need for flexibility in balancing user needs. Directs that complete streets solutions will complement the context of the community. Establishes performance standards with measurable outcomes. Includes specific next steps for implementation of the policy

Public transportation provides an affordable choice for personal mobility and freedom for people from every walk of life. We hope you find our site developed by the American Public Transportation Association easy to navigate and the information useful as we show you how public transportation is on the move in the 21st century.

APTA members are public organizations that are engaged in the areas of bus, paratransit, light rail, commuter rail, subways, waterborne passenger services, and high-speed rail. Members also include large and small companies who plan, design, construct, finance, supply, and operate bus and rail services worldwide. Government agencies, metropolitan planning organizations, state departments of transportation, academic institutions, and trade publications are also part of our membership.

To strengthen and improve public transportation, APTA serves and leads its diverse membership through advocacy, innovation and information sharing. APTA and its members and staff work to ensure that public transportation is available and accessible for all Americans in communities across the country.

The National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation (NCDD) actively promotes learning and collaboration among practitioners, public leaders, scholars and organizations involved in dialogue, deliberation, and other innovative group processes that help people tackle our most challenging problems.