Holy Spirit Library

Reference Wiki for SEM 300 Norristown Small Business

Wiki Hint:  Use the right mouse click on any hyperlink to open the web page in a new window.

 Recommended Websites

• American Planning Association - http://www.planning.org/ 
  • This site provides information about the APA’s current and completed research projects and links to separate sites for many of these projects that go into further detail about the current research and findings. There are also links for the APA’s National Centers for Planning and the APA Library’s searchable catalog (a good place to look for books that can be requested through ILL). When looking for information on this site, use the links under “Resources” from the menu at the top of the page or scroll down to the bottom left of the main page for more detailed drop-down menus.
•  Center for Urban Policy Research - http://www.policy.rutgers.edu/cupr/
  • The Center for Urban Policy Research at Rutgers University performs basic and applied research on a broad spectrum of public policy issues such as land use, environmental impact, public finance, transportation information systems, affordable housing and more. The website provides background information on a variety of topics as well as links to the Center’s many projects, institutes, and publications. 
  • This site also houses a searchable database, The State of the Nation’s Cities: A Comprehensive Database on American Cities and Suburbs which contains statistics such as employment, housing and land use, and fiscal conditions. It can be accessed directly here: http://policy.rutgers.edu/cupr/sonc/sonc.htm
•  Cyburbia – urban planning community - http://www.cyburbia.org/
  • Cyburbia is an aggregator of blogs and news sources related to urban studies and city planning. The feeds are organized by topic. Using the menu at the top of the page, select “Resource Directory” for the most comprehensive list of topics covered.
•  The Global Development Research Center: The Urban Sphere - http://www.gdrc.org/spheres/urban.html
  • This section of the GDRC provides links, special features and keywords for Urban Governance and Urban Heritage and Conservation. It is also a designated “WWW Virtual Library” on Urban Environmental Management, providing links, documents, how-tos, and other resources.
•  Groundswell, from the Museum of Modern Art - http://www.moma.org/exhibitions/2005/groundswell/flash.html
  • This site shows the Groundswell exhibit from 2005 of new urban public landscapes around the world. A truly beautiful site, it does not contain much information beyond the specifics of each project presented, but will certainly be an inspiration for the things that can be made from reclaimed urban space.
•  International Downtown Association - http://www.ida-downtown.org/eweb/StartPage.aspx
  • The International Downtown Association has more than 650 member organizations worldwide that pool a rich body of knowledge about creating vital and dynamic urban centers. Its resources are mostly limited to members, but the list of links is extensive and available to non-members.
•  Placemaking for Communities: Project for Public Spaces (PPS) - http://www.pps.org/
  • PPS is a non-profit organization dedicated to creating and sustaining public spaces based on the insights of William Whyte (former NYC planner and founder of the Street Life Project) into how urban public spaces are used. The website has a variety of free and downloadable resources in such topics as mixed-use development, public markets, and downtowns as well as an extensive list of links.
•  United States Conference of Mayors: Best Practices Database - http://www.usmayors.org/bestpractices/
  • The Best Practices Database is searchable by keyword or a drop-down menu and contains policies and reports from many of the 1,200 cities in the United States with populations over 30,000.
•  Urban Institute: Nonpartisan Economic and Social Policy Research - http://www.urban.org/index.cfm
  • Founded through a commission of President Johnson in the 1960s, the Urban Institute continues to investigate social and economic problems. It gathers data, conducts research, and evaluates programs. The site is searchable and includes a FAQ section and thematic categories broken down into issues, sectors, places and people.
• Issues PA:  An Initiative of the Pennsylvania Economy League:  http://www.issuespa.net/
  • This website contains support information on a variety of governmental issues in PA. 

 Journals

Cityscape – Multidisciplinary research covering many aspects of urban studies ranging from architecture to sociology. Available at http://www.huduser.org/periodicals/cityscape.html

The rest of the journals are available through Holy Spirit Library’s journal tab:

City – Looks at cities and their futures through a variety of lenses such as environmentalism and multi-culturalism 

Journal of Urban Planning and Development - Covers the civil engineering aspects of urban planning

Planning – The members’ journal of the American Planning Association

Urban Affairs Review - Covers such topics as urban policy, urban economic development, residential and community development, and social, spatial, and cultural dynamics

Urban Studies - Urban and regional planning from the perspectives of economics, geogrpahy, political science, public administration, and population studies 

Norristown-specific resources:

Economy League of Greater Philadelphia-  Norristown:  The Best Argument For Reducing Local Government Fragmentation In Pennsylvania

http://economyleague.org/node/1010?f=issues/governance

Norristown Municipal Website:

http://www.norristown.org/

Studio Centre Article from the Philadelphia Inquirer (February, 2009).

NorristownStudio Centre.pdf