Resources on Population and Planning
Introduction
Course Objective
A list of Web resources are provided for continued learning on how to use population information and demographic tools in planning. Sources include:
- Planning resources
- Population information
- Population estimation and projection tools
Virtual Planning Libraries
These are the two largest web-based planning libraries.
- Cyburbia: Internet Resources for the Built Environment
- Covering a range of planning topics this is one of the oldest virtual planning libraries on the Web, and is based at the State University of New York at Buffalo. While most of the materials focus on United States planning issues, there are materials on other countries.
- Environmental Design Library, University of California at Berkeley
- This virtual library has an excellent section devoted to international planning. There is a comprehensive section on statistics and data bases.
Statistics Offices
Links to government statistics offices around the world. Possibly, the offices may help researchers collect demographic information needed for population projections; they might also assist in obtaining population-related surveys.
- United States Bureau of the Census — International Division
- Links to government statistics offices worldwide.
- United Nations Statistics Division
- Another list of statistics centers worldwide.
- Governments on the WWW
- Information on national and regional government institutions for 220+ countries. The list includes ministries, parliaments, city councils, and embassies.
- PopNet — Population Reference Bureau
- Links to international organizations that provide demographic information. Includes the donor community, universities that have data bases, and a list of government offices within countries that provide population information.
Population Information
- Demographic and Health Surveys
- The survey provides regional information on fertility trends, maternal and child health, demographic characteristics of households and data on housing quality and infrastructure. Survey reports and data sets are available for Sub-Saharan African countries, Asian countries, Latin America and Caribbean countries and European/Eurasian countries. Data sets are available free at the DHS web site.
- World Health Organization
- Information fact sheets on HIV/AIDS in countries throughout the world. Use this information to decide if it is necessary to adjust projections to account for deaths due to AIDS.
- International Database — United States Bureau of the Census
- Offers population data and population pyramids on countries. Country data sets can be downloaded.
Demographic Methods
- United States Bureau of the Census
- The US Census Bureau provides information on methods used to perform projections and estimations. Demographers present the tools in a way that is easy to understand. Contact your regional and/or national statistics office and ask for information on the methods employed in their office. Each country's approach will be different.
- Spectrum
- There are several demographic software packages on the Internet that are available free of charge. There are two programs that may be of interest to planners: DemProj and AIM. DemProj is a population projection tool that can be used to perform the cohort component population projection. AIM is a software package that projects the consequences of the AIDS epidemic on the population. These packages and manuals can be downloaded from their web site.
