| General Geography | Social Aspects | Earth Science/Environment |
| Regional Planning | Cartography/Maps | Special topics |
CIESIN (Consortium for International Earth Science Information Network)
http://www.ciesin.org/
"CIESIN was established in 1989 as a non-profit, non-governmental organization to provide information that would help scientists, decision-makers, and the public better understand their changing world." Provides information about geography, environment, demography and population, health and so on. Searchable.
Geography and Regional Planning Related Web Sites (WSU)
http://www.westfield.ma.edu/prospective-students/academics/geography-and-regional-planning/garp-student-resources/#links
From WSU Geography and Regional Planning Department, provides unannotated links to web sites divided by topic: Atmosphere, Biosphere, Hydrosphere, Lithosphere, Other Geography Links, Planning, Transportation, Census,, and Urban Design.
Geoplace.com
http://www.geoplace.com/
"World's leading provider of geospatial information." Includes news, online journals (GIS World, Business Geographics, GIS Europe, Mapping Awareness, etc.) plus other resources, conference information,
etc.
United States Geological Survey
http://www.usgs.gov/
"The U.S. Geological Survey provides the Nation with reliable, impartial information to describe and understand the Earth...The USGS Web comprises more than 150 servers distributed nationwide which collectively serve approximately 250,000 web pages. The four major USGS Web servers besides this one are: Biology, Geology, Geography, Geospatial Information, and Water." Browse or search each site for information.
Urban Planning, 1794-1918: An International Anthology of Articles, Conference Papers, and Reports
http://www.library.cornell.edu/Reps/DOCS/homepage.htm
Look here for information on how urban planning developed. Included are statements about techniques, principles, theories, and practice by those who helped to create [this] new professional specialization.
American Planning Association
http://www.planning.org/
Information about the APA, Job listing, Certification information, the APA National Planning Conference schedule, Press Releases which include "hot topics" and "points of view", and Planning Research which provides links to research of the American Planning Association (e.g. City Parks Forum and Smart Growth Agenda).
PlannersWeb
http://plannersweb.com
This searchable site provides information on articles appearing in the Planning Commissioner's Journal. There are also some excerpts from books and other sources of interest. No articles are available in full text..
Center for Neighborhood Development: Resources (Cleveland State University)
http://urban.csuohio.edu/cnd/resources.html
This resource page includes Principles, a Timeline, and funding information. See also the link for "Links."
Community Planning and Development (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development)
http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/about/cpd_programs.cfm
Check here for government information on Affordable Housing issues, Block Grants, Community Renewal, Brownfields Economic Development Initiative, Special Needs Assistance, Community Viability, etc.
U.S. Library of Congress - Country Studies / AreaHandbooks
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/cshome.html#toc
"A continuing series of books prepared by the Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress under the Country Studies/Area Handbook Program sponsored by the Department of the Army. This online series presently contains studies of 100 countries." Information included: History, Society and its environment (physical geography), Economy, Government, National Security, etc. A wealth of information is available.
Society for Community Research and Action - Community Psychology
http://www.scra27.org/
The Society for Community Research and Action - Community Psychology, Division 27 of the American Psychological Association - is an international organization devoted to advancing theory, research, and social action. Its members are committed to promoting health and empowerment and to preventing problems in communities, groups, & individuals. SCRA serves many different disciplines that focus on community research and action
Journal of Rural Community Psychology
http://www.marshall.edu./jrcp/
"The Journal of Rural Community Psychology is a peer-reviewed, scholarly journal published in electronic form by Marshall University, in Huntington, West Virginia. This journal is devoted to the dissemination of information related to the sociological, psychological and mental health issues in rural and small community settings." Currently it is available without charge...
USGS National Map(U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey)
http://nmviewogc.cr.usgs.gov/viewer.htm
Here find an interactive mapping system that shows elevations, roads, structures, landuse & landcover, and more, down to a very precise level (you can even find out the difference in elevation between South Lot and the Campus Green!). This will launch the National Map Viewer where you can "Find Place" on the left (recommended) and then specify what you see on the right.
Westfield River Watershed Association
http://www.westfieldriver.org
The website of the WRWA includes educational and recreational links to local resources, museums, parks, organizations and government agencies. The WRWA aims to "protect and improve the natural resources of the Watershed, as well as to expand recreational and other land use opportunities for people's enjoyment and for sound ecology."
Blank & Outline Maps (About Network)
http://geography.about.com/od/blankmaps/Blank_and_Outline_Maps.htm
Although this site contains many advertisements to help fund it, the maps are perfect for a variety of projects. Watch out for extra browser windows that emerge with ads....
Map Collections 1500-2003
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/gmdhtml/gmdhome.html
U.S. Library of Congress Geography and Map Division.
"The Geography and Map Division of the Library of Congress holds more than 4.5 million items, of which Map Collections represents only a small fraction, those that have been converted to digitalform. The focus of Map Collections is Americana and Cartographic Treasures of the Library of Congress." Covers the years 1500-2003. Topics include: Cities and Towns, Military Battles and Campaigns, Immigration and Settlement, General Maps, Discovery and Exploration, and Conservation and Environment. Browse through topics or search for maps. Once you have a map you can zoom in on the area of interest.
Map History/History of Cartography: The Gateway to the Subject
http://www.maphistory.info/
Provides links to different web pages and resources focusing on the study of the history of maps. Useful for the academic or layperson.
Map Images and GIS Data
http://www.library.umass.edu/maps/index.html
University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
Provides information on using maps and GIS data. Includes historical maps and current GIS data for areas of Western Massachusetts.
MapQuest
http://www.mapquest.com/
Includes: Interactive Atlas (Maps), TripQuest (Driving directions), TravelPlan USA (Plan a trip with Mobil Travel Guide)
Massachusetts Electronic Atlas
http://hcl.harvard.edu/maps/massatlas.html
Maps of Massachusetts made based on criteria you choose in the following categories: Boundaries, Communication, Construction/Development, Crime, Education, Employment, Environment, Environmental Regulation, Health, Income, Index, Miscellaneous, Municipal Revenues, Population, Race/Ethnicity, Real Estate, Tax Rates, Tourism and Recreation, Transportation, Utilities, Voting.
Harvard Map Collection - Digital Maps
http://hcl.harvard.edu/libraries/maps/digitalmaps/
The Harvard Map Collection is one of the oldest and largest collections of cartographic materials in the United States with over 500,000 items. Resources range from 16th century globes to modern maps and geographic information systems (GIS) layers. A selection of our materials has been digitally imaged and is offered both as true picture images and georeferenced copies.
National Geographic Map Machine & Atlas
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/resources/ngo/maps/
Creates Physical or Political Maps of areas you specify. Also includes atlas information (maps, facts, flags and profiles.)
TopoZone
http://www.topozone.com/
Provides topographic maps for the U.S. Maps may be sized, zoomed and printed. Beware that after a certain level of detail, you will be asked to subscribe if you want more. For direct (and free) access to the USGS maps, see above.
My Environment (Environmental Protection Agency EPA)
http://www.epa.gov/myenvironment/
This tool "provides a wide range of federal, state, and local information about environmental conditions and features in an area of your choice." Searches can be done by zip code or city/town. Maps for selected areas feature watersheds, regulated sites, political boundaries, flood zones, and more.
Sustainable Development (The World Wide Web Virtual Library)
http://www.ulb.ac.be/ceese/meta/sustvl.html
Provides over 1,000 annotated links to web resources linked by subject, alphabetically or search for your topic.
Information Center for the Environment
http://ice.ucdavis.edu/
ICE performs research and development on environmental information systems in partnership with a variety of state, federal, and international agencies and a number of environmental and land management organizations. The Center hosts a number of public environmental and natural resource databases, most available over the Internet, and provides technical support to decision makers in a number of areas of public policy. Research and development projects include, biodiversity in parks and reserves, invasive species, water quality in rivers, sources and management practices for non-point-source water pollution, protection of drinking water, watershed assessment and monitoring, floodplain restoration, land use planning and law, and stakeholder processes for watershed protection, as well as research into the next generation of remote sensing, geographic analysis, and semantic web technologies.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
http://www.noaa.gov/
"NOAA's mission is to describe and predict changes in the Earth's environment and to conserve and manage wisely the Nation's coastal and marine resources. From this page, you can take a tour of NOAA programs and activities, acquire data collected from NOAA projects, locate NOAA staff, and learn about opportunities within NOAA." Includes: National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service (NESDIS); National Weather Service (NWS); Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR); National Ocean Service (NOS); NOAA Fisheries (NMFS). Plus Special Events, NOAA People Locator and lots of other environmental information.
The World's Water (Information on the World's Freshwater Resources)
http://www.worldwater.org/
With links to water data, including "renewable freshwater supply," "access to safe drinking water in developing countries," and "hydroelectric capacity and production," to a "water conflict chronology," and to the "International Water Law Project," this site contains substantial information about the limited supply of H2O on our planet.
Glossary of Geological Terms (UC Berkeley Seismological Laboratory)
http://seismo.berkeley.edu/seismo/geotour/geoterms.html
This site includes definitions and links to other glossary sites.
EPA's page on Sustainability
http://www.epa.gov/region1/topics/envpractice/index.html
University and College Sustainability Websites (University Leaders for a Sustainable Future)
http://www.ulsf.org/resources_campus_sites.htm
Brownfields in New England (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)
http://www.epa.gov/region1/brownfields/index.htm
This site contains legal and liability information, laws, and links to other great sites for the planner.
The Brownfields & Land Revitalization Technology Support Center
http://www.brownfieldstsc.org/
This site has free publications and resources regarding Hazardous Materials clean-up.
Emergency Management Web Sites - WSU
http://lib.westfield.ma.edu/geoemerg.htm
This page was created for a Special Topics GARP course. Links are provided to various emergency management web sites.
URL: http://lib.westfield.ma.edu/geog.htm
Revised and maintained by Corinne Ebbs
Last update August 10, 2012/bh