Criterion Planners has released Version 9.3 of North America's leading sustainability modeling tool: INDEX PlanBuilder. In addition to ArcGIS 9.3 compatibility, INDEX improvements include a Cool Spots module for evaluating the climate change effects of land-use/transportation scenarios, as called for in California Senate Bill 375, Florida House Bill 697, and similar legislation in other states.

"It's an exciting time time to help communities address global warming," says Thom York, Criterion's project manager for the INDEX 9.3 upgrade. "Measuring the carbon footprint of alternative land-use scenarios is a powerful example of the tool making a difference in decision-making on key issues of sustainability." Recent applications include Lafayette CA, Bloomington MN, Birmingham AL, and the six counties of metropolitan Baltimore.

INDEX 9.3 improvements also include high-precision geodatabase support, enhanced compatibility with regional transportation models, and faster processing for real-time digital charretting. First introduced in 1994, the tool now supports over 175 organizations throughout the U.S. and Canada, including urban designers, land-use agencies, MPOs, and university graduate programs in planning.

Additional information at www.crit.com or [email protected].