Orton Planning Tool Exchange

The Orton Family Foundation’s new Planning Tool Exchange (PlanIt X) is a free, community-driven website designed to help people find and share tools and resources to support community planning and civic engagement. PlanIt X is written by you and for you – contributions, edits, comments and improvements all come directly from our users – and it’s only as good as you make it. Visit PlanItX at www.orton.org/tools/planning_tool_exchange.

PlanIt X is a community planning database owned and administered by the Orton Family Foundation. PlanIt X embraces an open source philosophy and welcomes contributions from all registered users.

Launched in 2010, PlanIt X is a free, community-driven website geared towards citizen and professional planners, community builders, and elected officials. It allows people to find and share resources for community planning and civic engagement, whether they seek ideas for a single new tool or resources to help run a soup-to-nuts planning process. We will continue adding new functionality and features based on continued user feedback.

Content is organized in four categories:

• Tools – Comprehensive processes, activities, software, web tools and methods designed to help communities make smart growth decisions.
• Projects – Case studies representing a wide range of geographic locations, community types, planning processes and outcomes.
• Resources – Publications, websites, toolkits, databases and other resources for community planning.
• Organizations – Non-profits, businesses, consultants, government agencies, and other organizations working in the community planning field or providing related services.

PlanIt X is part of a central network of tools databases called the Planning Collaborative, founded and developed by PlaceMatters. PlaceMatters is a non-profit organization that engages communities in more informed, inclusive decisions that foster sustainable, vibrant communities. The Planning Collaborative, currently under development, will consist of sister sites that share tools and resources. The Ecosystem-Based Management Network and Oregon State University are currently members; contact PlaceMatters if your organization is interested in joining.

PlanIt X can be found at www.orton.org/tools/planning_tool_exchange.

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