Outstanding resources are available for those who want to know more about transit-oriented development, or who want to become more involved

• Greenbelt Alliance has publications, news, and links to numerous other organizations related to their mission of protecting the Bay Area's open space and promoting livable communities in their Resource Center. Their Smart Infill report has a good summary of policies and strategies.
• Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California has their publications, policy memos, legislative updates, and links on affordable housing in their Knowledge Bank.
• Transportation and Land Use Coalition has several reports, news items, and other information in their library, including three reports in particular: IT TAKES A TRANSIT VILLAGE; BEST AND WORST DEVELOPMENTS OF THE BAY AREA; HOUSING SHORTAGE/PARKING SURPLUS.
• Urban Habitat has published several reports on community participation in planning, gentrification and displacement, brownfields, and other environmental justice issues, along with their magazine Race, Poverty & the Environment.
• Urban Ecology has a Walkable Streets Toolkit, neighborhood plans for several Bay Area neighborhoods, and links to dozens of other groups.

 
WALKING TOURS, TALKS AND OTHER EVENTS

Several organizations routinely sponsor tours to good examples of infill development, affordable housing, transit-oriented development, and urban revitalization in existing Bay Area communities. For more information:

• Greenbelt Alliance Urban Outings
• Urban Ecology’s Event Calendar
• San Francisco Planning and Urban Research (SPUR)

 
NATIONAL RESOURCES

The following lists ten national organizations, in alphabetical order, that have useful resources or services on issues related to transit-oriented development. Please contact us to suggest other links we should add!

• Active Living Network promotes activity-friendly community design, which creates safe and convenient opportunities for people to walk or bike between destinations. Their website has a "Resources" section with numerous fact sheets and reports, "In Focus" examples from around the country, a "Communications Toolkit", and other resources.
• Congress for New Urbanism is a Chicago-based non-profit that teaches development practitioners how to implement the principles of the New Urbanism. Key resources on their website include an image bank and links to detailed reports, organized by keyword.
• GreenInfo Network is a non-profit that supports public interest organizations with computer mapping (GIS) and other information technology (GreenInfo provides the Collaborative with its primary mapping and database functions).
  
• Funders' Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities brings together foundations, nonprofit organizations and other partners to support organizations working to improve communities through better development decisions and growth policies. Their website's "Resources" section includes "Translation Papers" on key topics, "Spotlight" case studies of foundation initiatives, "@Work" papers on practical aspects of making better planning decisions, and other resources.
• Local Government Commission's Center for Livable Communities helps local governments and community leaders be proactive in their land use and transportation planning, and adopt programs and policies that lead to more livable and resource-efficient land use patterns. Targeted mostly at local elected officials, their website has articles, reports, back sheets, PPT presentations, and many other resources.
• National Charrette Institute provides trainings and technical assistance – targeted at professionals and community leaders – in how to run design charrettes and design public land-use processes.
• Nelson/Nygaard Consulting Associates is a transportation planning firm with offices around the country (including in San Francisco). The "Articles" section of their website includes numerous articles about key issues involved in transportation and TOD planning.
• PolicyLink has an online Equitable Development Toolkit with detailed descriptions of policy options to advance economic and social equity, as well as numerous other publications. PolicyLink is a national nonprofit research, communications, capacity building, and advocacy organization working to advance policies to achieve economic and social equity.
• Project for Public Spaces has a wealth of information based on their 30+ years promoting "place-making" in 1500+ communities in the U.S. and around the world. Their website has an image library, issue papers on a wide range of issues, critical reviews of great (and terrible) public spaces, and descriptions of PPS's wide array of services.
• Reconnecting America's Center "Center for Transit-Oriented Development" intends to build the infrastructure – the financial, urban design, institutional, legal and regulatory tools and techniques – and develop the standards that will bring transit-oriented development to scale nationally. CTOD published "Hidden in Plain Sight", documenting the huge increase in demand for compact housing near transit and The New Transit Town, a book detailing best practices in transit-oriented development, among other resources.
• Smart Growth America a coalition of national, state and local organizations working to improve the ways we plan and build the towns, cities and metro areas we call home. The Resources section of their website has links for “Choosing Our Community’s Future: A Citizen’s Guide to Getting the Most Out of New Development”, a CD of “Smart Growth Shareware”, a bi-monthly newsletter, and numerous other resources.