The Housing + Transportation Affordability Index, developed by CNT and its collaborative partners, the Center for Transit Oriented Development (CTOD), is an innovative tool that measures the true affordability of housing. Planners, lenders, and most consumers traditionally measure housing affordability as 30 percent or less of income. The Housing + Transportation Affordability Index, in contrast, takes into account not just the cost of housing, but also the intrinsic value of place, as quantified through transportation costs. Click here to explore how this looks in 52 metropolitan areas in the US.

The "walk score" uses the proximity of various businesses - grocery stores, drug stores, movie theaters - to calculate the walkability of neighborhoods. Allows visualization of this aspect of accessibility and may help diagnose what works to promote this kind of development.

The DSIRE website provides a fast and convenient method for accessing information about renewable energy and energy efficiency incentives and regulatory policies administered by federal and state agencies, utilities, and local organizations.

In early 2008, the NACo Green Government Initiative launched this searchable database of county green programs, policies, plans, staff descriptions and more. Meant to be a comprehensive resource on all things green for counties, NACo continually seeks submissions in any of the below green categories from counties throughout the country.

The Building Codes Assistance Project is a joint initiative of the Alliance to Save Energy, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, and the Natural Resources Defense Council that provides information about and advocacy for energy codes. Their online resources explain how codes work and track what kinds of codes are in effect where.

Japan is known for innovation, and the contents of the Japan for Sustainability newsletter don't disappoint. There's a lot going on in the field of sustainability in Japan; both social and technical advances are documented here. Read for inspiration, edification, and a global perspective.

Where are the power plants, refineries, importation sites for energy in your state? How does energy use compare to the national average? What kinds of fuels are most used? The EIA's State Energy Profiles and related reports offer a wealth of information about energy in the United States: how and where it's made, where it's used, and what it costs.

Carbon Monitoring for Action (CARMA) is a massive database containing information on the carbon emissions of over 50,000 power plants and 4,000 power companies worldwide. Power generation accounts for 40% of all carbon emissions in the United States and about one-quarter of global emissions. CARMA is the first global inventory of a major, emissions-producing sector of the economy.

As local governments take the lead in climate protection, a new tool is available to help them rapidly advance green buildings, neighborhoods and infrastructure. Called the "Playbook," this web-based resource shows how strategic actions in these sectors promote economic development, build healthier communities, strengthen energy independence, and support climate protection.

Assessing current resource use is an important step in planning for future use, and necessary for measuring the effectiveness of changes. Portfolio Manager is an internet-based interactive energy management tool from Energy Star, created to track and assess energy and water consumption within individual buildings as well as across an entire building portfolio.