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Resources

The following is a collection of advocacy organizations, funding sources, media coverage, online tools, and software focused on making cities better, more efficient, and more resilient. The majority are U.S.-based and focused, so we particularly welcome suggestions from other parts of the world. Please email info@thecity2.org
Resources
  • Research
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    The African Centre for Cities (ACC) is an interdisciplinary research and teaching program focused on the dynamics of urbanization processes in Africa.  
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  • Organization
    Saesrq5ktfuwjuen6pcw
    Agile Cities is an initiative connecting cities, innovation leaders in business and society, and civic organizations to promote an open standard for civic efficiency.  
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  • Organization
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    The American Planning Association (APA) is a U.S.-based membership organization focused on community planning and citizen empowerment. 
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  • Funding
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    ArtPlace is a consortium of foundations, federal agencies, and financial institutions created to accelerate creative placemaking in the U.S. 
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  • Organization
    Xmqe81pd1jjb6gofaeixkw
    The Asian Coalition for Housing Rights (ACHR) is a network of grassroots community organizations, NGOs, and professionals involved with urban poor development processes in Asian cities. 
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  • Software
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    Autodesk Infrastructure Modeler is software specifically designed for civil engineering, transportation, and urban planning professionals.
  • Research
    Hbxwth6uphbmxbfdqxwhq
    The Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings analyzes trends and conducts research on issues impacting cities worldwide. 
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  • Organization
    Oci68obkrs3hvypmmaqrma
    The C40 is a network of the world's largest cities committed to implementing sustainable climate-related policies locally to help address concerns globally. 
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  • Organization
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    CEOs for Cities is a cross-sector civic innovation lab and network of urban leaders and change agents. 
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  • Platform
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    Change by Us is an online platform developed by Local Projects to share ideas and undertake projects to improve cities.  
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  • Platform
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    City Atlas is a New Yorker’s com­pre­hen­sive guide to events, ideas and actions that are pos­i­tively impact­ing and form­ing our city’s future. 
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  • Platform
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    City Forward is an online platform created by IBM that enables people to view and interact with data about cities. 
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  • Platform
    P78hjwuuuojhlqi8rhjba
    CityMart.com is a new global marketplace to connect cities with solutions providers in areas such as health, transport, mobility, logistics, public services, tourism.  
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  • Organization
    W53vpu9f5gsgfmj1em4rg
    CfA brings technology to bear on governments and public services, helping them work better for all people. 
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  • Organization
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    CommunityMatters champions the notion that people have the power to solve their community’s problems and shape its future.  
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  • Platform
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    CommunityPlanIT is a game-based, online engagement platform to aid local planning efforts. 
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  • Organization
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    The CNU is a membership organization tha promotes walkable, mixed-use neighborhood development and sustainable communities. 
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  • Exhibition
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    "Design with the Other 90%: CITIES" is an exhibition curated and launched in 2011 by the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum.  
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  • Organization
    Tf2bvoejkrjjnqzc3dhnw
    Embarq's mission is to catalyze and help implement sustainable transport solutions to improve quality of life in cities worldwide. 
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  • Software
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    Esri produces maps and other technology tools for cities using Geographic Information System (GIS) software. 
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  • Platform
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    Give a Minute crowdsources ideas to make cities better, designed by Local Projects, and focused on Chicago and Memphis. 
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  • Media
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    GOOD Ideas for Cities, in partnership with CEOs for Cities, convenes civic leaders and citizens to discuss how to improve their communities. 
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  • Platform
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    I'm a City Changer is a program of UN-Habitat to share and spread individual, corporate, and public initiatives stories about cities. 
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  • Organization
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    ICLEI is an international association of local governments and their associations that have made a commitment to sustainable development. 
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  • Exhibition
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    Intelligent Cities is an initiative of the National Building Museum that explores the intersection of information technology and urban design. 
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  • Funding
    Uojmucd8gbyjcurqkvrdma
    ioby is a crowd-funding platform specifically for environmental projects that improve neighborhoods, communities, and cities. 
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  • Organization
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    The ITDP works with cities worldwide to bring about transport solutions that cut greenhouse gas emissions, reduce poverty, and improve quality of life.  
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  • Funding
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    Living Cities brings together 22 of the world's largest foundations and corporations to bring the power of mainstream markets to underserved urban areas  
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  • Exhibition
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    The Living Lab Global Award (LLGA) aaiming to find innovative technology solutions to improve the quality of life of 100 million citizens in the world. 
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  • Organization
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    Living Labs Global is a nonprofit association based in Copenhagen, Denmark, with the objective to promote innovation in services and mobility in cities. 
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  • Organization
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    The World Association of the Major Metropolises unites cities and metropolitan regions with more than a million inhabitants. 
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  • Organization
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    Meu Rio is an independent popular movement to build a more democratic, just, and livable city as it prepares to host the World Cup and Olympics. 
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  • Organization
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    NLC is an association for U.S. municipalities, dedicated to helping city leaders build better communities. 
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  • Organization
    Rlnqgxpvccqbtp9tne4q
    The National Resources Defense Council addresses sustainable communities at the neighborhood level, throughout metropolitan regions, and across city systems.  
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  • Platform
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    Neighborland is a community-focused, online platform to exchange ideas and connect with people to affect change in cities. 
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  • Organization
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    The New Cities Foundation is an international conglomerate that discusses the quality of life and work in the 21st-century global city. 
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  • Media
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    Next City connects cities and people working to improve them with ideas, information, and analysis. 
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  • Media
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    The NPR Cities Project is calling on Americans across the country to share stories, sounds, and pictures about the heart of their city. 
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  • Software
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    OpenPlans is a nonprofit technology organization helping to open up government and improve transportation systems. 
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  • Funding
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    Our Town is a grants program of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to support public-private partnerships strengthen the arts while shaping communities. 
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  • Media
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    Planetizen is a website dedicated to ideas, information, and news about urban planning, design, and development worldwide. 
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  • Organization
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    Project for Public Spaces is a planning, design, and educational organization advocating for public spaces that build stronger communities.  
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  • Platform
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    Public Stuff is a tech startup creating and web and mobile apps that connect people with their municipal government. 
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  • Organization
    Xzj2zo7isj4kkiooilepcg
    Rio+20 was the 2012 UN Conference on Sustainable Development, focused on safer, more equitable, cleaner, greener, and more prosperous world for all. 
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  • Media
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    City2 is a network of city-focused blogs, based in Santa Barbara, Calif. 
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  • Platform
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    SeeClickFix is an online platform that allows anyone to report and track non-emergency issues anywhere in the world via the web.  
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  • Research
    X0uo6ijta0haxz8cel6osa
    SENSEable City Lab is a research initiative at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology focused on the past, present, and future of cities. 
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  • Organization
    Uqc9yd2kmzs7hwr9rvatxq
    Shack/Slum Dwellers International (SDI) is a network of community-based organizations of the urban poor in 33 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. 
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  • Platform
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    Soul of the Community is a three-year study conducted by Gallup of 26 communities of interest to the Knight Foundation.  
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  • Media
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    Streetfilms produces short films illustrating how smart transportation design and policy can result in better places to live, work and play. 
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  • Media
    Fnyhcanbnlhrhpm9vqoa
    The Streets Blog Network is a daily news source connecting people to issues shaping transportation and public life in cities. 
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  • Organization
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    Sustainable Cities Design Academy (SCDA) provides leadership development and technical assistance to local community leaders engaged in community building projects. 
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  • Platform
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    Textizen is a text-based system for citizen input, feedback, and engagement developed by Code for American in partnership with the City of Philadelphia. 
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  • Media
    Epggnwyq10ifkdc7s1cq
    The Atlantic Cities explores ideas and issues facing today’s global cities, uniting analysis of news, data, policies, and trends. 
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  • Exhibition
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    The BMW Guggenheim Lab is a mobile laboratory traveling to nine major cities worldwide over six years to catalyze dialogue on urban life. 
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  • Platform
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    The Civic Crowd maps initiatives and ideas for citizen-powered change, providing an open platform to share, discuss, propose, and volunteer on projects.  
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  • Organization
    E2gtpl3aubic6viniqnqg
    MICD is a partnership led by the National Endowment for the Arts and focused on preparing mayors to be the chief urban designers of their cities. 
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  • Platform
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    The Noun Project is a database of graphic icons and symbols representing civic activities, services, and spaces.  
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  • Platform
    Ianmean0qy4pedxnpua
    TheSmarterCity is an interactive experience created by IBM to visualize how cities can better integrate data and technology. 
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  • Organization
    Utw2eoogx6bfyppzen8haq
    The U.S. Conference of Mayors is a non-partisan organization for American cities with populations exceeding 30,000.  
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  • Organization
    Xi8f2brge5ylmcdvvg3xug
    UN-Habitat is the United Nations agency focused on human settlements, promoting sustainable urban development and adequate shelter for all. 
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  • Media
    Kzo1xeypyosplgv4vycxjw
    Urban Omnibus is an online project of the Architectural League that explores design, city planning, and public life in New York City. 
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  • Research
    U8gf7rmzduduqrosv0sxw
    Walk Score calculates the walkability of any address and helps you find walkable apartments and rentals in select U.S. cities. 
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  • Organization
    S5rwdaikjgki38spzfsocw
    Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing (WIEGO) is a global action-research-policy network to improve the status of the working poor in the informal economy. 
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  • Platform
    E5qjrjrlyy23grnlthfmq
    The World Urban Campaign, coordinated by UN-Habitat, is a global platform dedicated to creative, resilient and sustainable cities and communities. 
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  • Platform
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    Worldchanging is an online, open-source community dedicated to improving living conditions through innovative and sustainable design. 
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