The Center For Land Use Interpretation
The Center for Land Use Interpretation (CLUI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research and education organization, founded in 1994 and based in Culver City, California, that produces public exhibits, publications, and freely accessible online databases interpreting American land use for a general-interest audience of researchers, artists, and the public.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersCulver City, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Center For Land Use Interpretation does
The Center for Land Use Interpretation (CLUI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research and education organization founded in 1994 and headquartered at 9331 Venice Blvd., Culver City, California (EIN 94-3198743). Its mission is to increase and diffuse knowledge about how the nation's lands are apportioned, utilized, and perceived — producing public exhibits, books, periodicals, tours, and lectures on American land use while maintaining freely accessible online databases and photo archives. CLUI operates a network of physical facilities including its main exhibit space in Culver City (open Fridays through Sundays, 12-5 PM, free admission), CLUI Wendover in Utah (a residence program and exhibition site in the Great Salt Lake Desert), and the Desert Research Station near Barstow, California. The organization serves a general-interest audience of researchers, artists, academics, and the public interested in landscape, geography, and the built environment.
CLUI's core products are content-led: the Land Use Database (LUDB), the Photo Archive, the Collections (including the Los Alamos Rolodex and Coast Realty Archive), the annual "Lay of the Land" newsletter (currently in its 49th issue, Spring 2026), and a rotating exhibition program. The technical architecture is conventional — a Drupal CMS-hosted website with public databases, a Square-based e-commerce shop, and analog physical exhibitions. The organization also operates a seasonal artist/researcher residence program at Wendover (April 1 to November 20) and contributes to traveling exhibits at public institutions across the U.S. and overseas.
The business model is donation-driven. Suggested contribution tiers range from $25 ("Guidepost") to $5,000+ ("Scenic Overlook"), with donors receiving the annual newsletter and event notifications. No institutional investors, equity backers, or disclosed funding rounds are present; the organization is independent and governed in-house under Director Matthew Coolidge. Marketing is content-first and community-driven: the newsletter, free public databases, press coverage (New York Times, academic endorsements), and university partnerships (Texas Tech Land Arts, Montana State, Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design) form the primary audience-acquisition channels. Direct revenue includes modest donations, merchandise sales, and occasional commercial book publication (e.g., Los Alamos Rolodex via Blast Books).
The Center For Land Use Interpretation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Center For Land Use Interpretation
- Legal name
- The Center for Land Use Interpretation
- Website
- https://clui.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Center for Land Use Interpretation (CLUI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research and education organization, founded in 1994 and based in Culver City, California, that produces public exhibits, publications, and freely accessible online databases interpreting American land use for a general-interest audience of researchers, artists, and the public.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Center For Land Use Interpretation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cultural Education & Land Use Research
- NAICS
- Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (925120)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)
Keywords
Where The Center For Land Use Interpretation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Culver City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices7 records
Markets served
The Center For Land Use Interpretation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Membership: CLUI is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dependent on public donations. Donors of $25 or more ($50 for international addresses) receive The Lay of the Land newsletter and postcard notices of exhibits, tours, and events. Donation tiers range from $25 'Guidepost' to $5,000+ 'Scenic Overlook'. The organization's EIN is 94-3198743.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Entry-level supporter tier |
| Subscription | Annual | International supporter tier |
| Subscription | Annual | Mid-level supporter tier |
| Subscription | Annual | Major donor tier |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
The Center For Land Use Interpretation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Center for Land Use Interpretation (CLUI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research and education organization that operates a physical and online land use research center. It produces exhibits, publications, tours, and a residency program that together document and interpret how land in America is used. Its work is funded primarily through donations and grants, with free public access to its programs and archives.
Product overview
The Center for Land Use Interpretation (CLUI) is a research and education organization offering a portfolio of public programs focused on understanding human interaction with land. The organization operates as a multi-platform entity combining physical exhibits shown at its own network of exhibit facilities (Los Angeles, Wendover, Desert Research Station) and public institutions, with digital resources including the Land Use Database, Photo Archive, and the annual newsletter 'The Lay of the Land.' Physical collections include the Los Alamos Rolodex, Coast Realty Archive, and Merle Porter Postcards. CLUI also publishes books including the Meadowlands Map and the Los Alamos Rolodex publication, conducts public tours, and hosts a residence program at Wendover for artists and researchers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Exhibits and Public Programs Physical exhibits and public programs (tours, events, presentations) at the LA exhibit space and through traveling exhibits, presented free to the general public as part of the organization's educational mission.
- Lay of the Land Newsletter Regular published newsletter from The Center for Land Use Interpretation that distributes its research, commentary, and observations on American land use to subscribers and supporters.
- Land Use Database Searchable online database of American land use sites, locations, and information, providing a primary research resource for the organization's work and for public use.
- Photo Archive Photographic archive of American land use sites, providing visual documentation of landscapes and locations, made available to the public and to researchers.
- Collections Maintained collection of objects, materials, and artifacts related to American land use, accessible to the public and researchers as part of the organization's archive.
- Publications (e.g., Los Alamos Rolodex, Meadowlands Map) Individual published works produced by The Center for Land Use Interpretation, including specific titles such as the Los Alamos Rolodex and the Meadowlands Map, sold through the online shop.
- Residence Program Residency program at the CLUI Wendover research station in Utah that hosts researchers, artists, and writers undertaking work on land use, providing on-site access and context.
Companies that use The Center For Land Use Interpretation
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Center For Land Use Interpretation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Center For Land Use Interpretation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- Albuquerque AcademyminorCLUI partnered with Albuquerque Academy students and teacher Louis Schalk to produce exhibits at the New Mexico Exhibit Unit. Students from the school researched and created exhibits about local land use topics, including Sandia National Laboratories and Mesa del Sol development project. The collaboration produced exhibits from 2010 to 2013, with students contributing photographs, text, paintings, and drawings.
- Milwaukee Institute of Art and DesignminorA group from the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design visited CLUI Wendover for a week-long tour of land art sites in the region, spending two days at the CLUI Wendover facility as part of their educational programming.
- Montana State UniversityminorA class from Montana State University visited the CLUI Wendover facility as part of their land arts or landscape-oriented curriculum.
- Texas Tech — Land Arts of the American West ProgramminorThe Texas Tech Land Arts of the American West program visited CLUI Wendover for a week, conducting projects in the region. The UNM (University of New Mexico) Land Arts program also visited separately, each year.
- Utah Museum of Fine ArtsminorCLUI contributed to the Great Salt Lake Landscan project commissioned by the Utah Museum of Fine Arts (January 24 to May 4, 2014), shown alongside Tacita Dean's film JG and paintings by Alfred Lambourne.
- MAK Center (Los Angeles)minorCLUI images of interstate culverts along the salt flat stretch of I-80 were shown in the 'Double Crossings' exhibit at the MAK Center in Los Angeles, alongside work by Austrian artist Hans Schabus documenting bridges and pipelines crossing the Los Angeles River.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Center For Land Use Interpretation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- National Trust for Historic Preservation: Large nonprofit focused on preservation of historic places and cultural landscapes. Comparable to CLUI in mission around land stewardship, public engagement, and education.
- The Trust for Public Land: National nonprofit conserving land for public use. Comparable to CLUI in operating at the intersection of land use, public benefit, and education, though much larger in scale.
- Center for Architecture Foundation: Nonprofit promoting public understanding of architecture and design through exhibits, lectures, and publications. Comparable to CLUI in operating a public exhibit space and cultural programming around built environment.
- American Planning Association: Professional organization advancing urban and land-use planning. Comparable to CLUI in addressing how lands are apportioned and utilized, though as a broader industry/membership body.
Direct peers
- Places Journal: Public-interest journal covering architecture, landscape, and urbanism. Comparable to CLUI as a publication-driven, education-focused platform engaging critically with land and built environment.
- The Cultural Landscape Foundation: Nonprofit dedicated to increasing public understanding of designed landscapes and land use through research, publications, and education. Closest functional peer to CLUI in mission, structure, and audience.
Emerging players
- Landscape Architecture Foundation: Nonprofit supporting landscape architecture research, education, and scholarships. Comparable to CLUI as a grant and research-oriented nonprofit engaging with land use and design.
- The Land Institute: Nonprofit research organization focused on land use and sustainable agriculture. Comparable to CLUI as a nonprofit research and education entity investigating how lands are used and shaped.
- Land Arts of the American West (Texas Tech University): University academic program engaging with land use and land art in the American West. Direct partnership counterparty to CLUI and comparable in mission focus on landscape interpretation.
Others
- Surface Design Journal: Publication and event series focused on material and surface aspects of the built environment. Comparable to CLUI as an adjacent publication-driven platform engaging with the constructed landscape.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Center For Land Use Interpretation social profiles
Digital presenceThe Center For Land Use Interpretation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Center For Land Use Interpretation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
The Center For Land Use Interpretation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Center For Land Use Interpretation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Center For Land Use Interpretation
What does The Center For Land Use Interpretation do?
The Center for Land Use Interpretation (CLUI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research and education organization that operates a physical and online land use research center. It produces exhibits, publications, tours, and a residency program that together document and interpret how land in America is used. Its work is funded primarily through donations and grants, with free public access to its programs and archives.
Is The Center For Land Use Interpretation a public or private company?
The Center For Land Use Interpretation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Center For Land Use Interpretation founded?
The Center For Land Use Interpretation was founded in 1994. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Center For Land Use Interpretation based?
The Center For Land Use Interpretation is headquartered in Culver City, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Center For Land Use Interpretation make money?
One revenue line is on record: donations and Membership.
Who are The Center For Land Use Interpretation's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are National Trust for Historic Preservation, The Trust for Public Land, Center for Architecture Foundation and American Planning Association. Direct peers are Places Journal and The Cultural Landscape Foundation. Emerging players are Landscape Architecture Foundation, The Land Institute and Land Arts of the American West (Texas Tech University). Surface Design Journal is listed as an others.
Does The Center For Land Use Interpretation have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Center For Land Use Interpretation.
What industry is The Center For Land Use Interpretation in?
The Center For Land Use Interpretation's product category is Cultural Education & Land Use Research. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGALAC, Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts). Its NAICS code is 925120.