Real estate and planning: useful websites

This page lists useful, free internet resources for real estate and planning. See databases for real estate and planning for a list of key online sources purchased by the University to help you find information in this subject.

Key sites

• Centre for Education in the Built Environment (CEBE)
  This subject centre is part of the Higher Education Academy. It aims to improve learning and teaching in the disciplines of architecture, planning, landscape, building and surveying. The web site includes news, events and discipline related links.

Guides and tutorials

• Internet: Social research methods
  One of a series of tutorials written for the Intute Virtual Training Suite. This tutorial aims to improve Internet information skills, knowledge of key Internet sites, Internet search skills and critical thinking skills. The links basket option provides a useful listing of sites.
  Other tutorials available include:
  Internet for business and management
  Internet for economics
  Internet for Law
  
  
• Evaluating websites: a guide
  Hints on assessing the reliability of information you find on the Internet.
  
  
• The web 
  A brief guide to finding information which includes links to the main search engines.

General real estate and planning-related sites

• E-library for Global Welfare
  A collection of online resources for international and comparative policy analysis, research and teaching. It covers topics such as sustainable development and social policy.
  
  
• PINAKES
  A subject launch pad hosted by Heriot-Watt University. Includes links to major subject gateways such as:
  Biz/ed - business and economics information for students, teachers and lecturers
  Eldis - development and the environment
  RUDI - urban design (contact staff in the ARC for information about the password to access this site)
  Intute: Social Sciences - includes local government and statistics. Please note: Updates to Intute ceased in July 2011. Links on the site will no longer be updated.
  
  
• WWW Virtual Library
  The WWW Virtual Library is made up of a large number of subject sections compiled by volunteers expert in their subject areas.
  The following subjects are relevant to the study of real estate and planning:
  E-library for Global Welfare
  Sustainable Development
  Urban and environmental management

Real Estate

• EGI (Estates Gazette Interactive)
  Searchable full text of the key real estate and planning journal Estate Gazette, plus other online property related databases. The department pays an annual subscription for student access to the EGi archive and some of the other databases. Contact staff in the ARC (see  Other libraries for real estate and planning)  for information about the password to access this site.
  
  
• Property Mall
  A portal for commercial property and related products and services. It provides property news and links to major surveyors and other property companies.

Planning

• Planning Portal
  This is an online planning service intended to provide an electronic gateway into the planning system in England and Wales. It contains latest planning news, development plans, regulations and guidance notes as well as links to other relevant sites.
  
  
• Planning Resource
  Produced by the publishers of the weekly journal Planning, this UK web site provides news, job advertisements and useful links to other sites.
  
  
• Online Planning Resource
  This site was originally developed by the University of Nottingham, Institute of Urban Planning, but is now part of RUDI. It is freely accessible and provides extensive planning bibliographies and lists of planning related organisations and websites.
  
  
• Cyburbia: Urban Planning Portal
  This is a key US gateway for planning. It is produced by the University of Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning and provides access to a large number of planning related resources.

Environment

• Intute: Geography
  (Formerly known as GEsource) provides free access to high quality evaluated internet resources covering Geography and the environment further subdivided into five sections: Environment, General Geography, Human Geography, Physical Geography, and Techniques and Approaches. It forms part of the online subject resource called Intute which covers resources from the sciences, social sciences, arts and humanities.
  
  
• Oxford Brookes University - Impacts Assessment Unit
  The web site provides a series of links relating to Environmental Impact Assessment.

Organisations & institutions

• British Property Federation
  This is the trade association of the property industry. It provides information about current issues and policy and lobbies on behalf of investors in commercial and residential property.
  
  
• Department for Communities and Local Government
  This government web site includes consultation papers, other publications and information about regeneration, housing, planning and urban policy.
  
  
• RICS (Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors)
  The professional body of chartered surveyors. Includes information about training, education, research and RICS contributions to public policy and debate.
  
  
• Royal Town Planning Institute
  The professional body for town planning. Includes information about training and education, continuing professional development and information for the public.
   
• Town and Country Planning Association
  The TCPA is a charity, which campaigns for reform of the UK's planning system. The web site includes many useful links to related organisations.

Please note: our site descriptions are based on information available on the site described at the time it was evaluated.

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