2001 Accomplishments

In 2001, Sustainable Pittsburgh (SP) advanced its mission of broadening regional decision making through a number of targeted programs and projects.  SP Affiliates and our Topic Teams continue to be the key means to grassroots collaboration around advancing a vision for our region's long-term well-being.  Accomplishments include:

Smart Land Use Team

• SP submitted a letter of recommendations to the Port Authority regarding the Transit Vision Plan.

• Partnered with numerous other organizations to establish the Farmers' Market Alliance and hosted a series of programs on to raise public awareness to agriculture's contribution to sustainability.

• Launched a project to present an interactive and highly visual presentation of our region's land use trends over time

• Conducted the first annual Southwestern Pennsylvania Smart Growth Conference in partnership with many organizations sponsors include: DEP, Governor's Center for Local Government Services, ULI, LGA, PEC, PHLF, and the Port Authority, Heinz Endowments, WPC

• Partnered with the national Surface Transportation Policy Project to release analysis of local data on transit ridership

• Completed inventory of municipalities in the region that are working on joint comprehensive planning

• Partnered with the Urban Lab, CMU to focus on community design relative to impacts of the Mon-Fayette Expressway

• Launched a sustainability assessment of the Mon-Fayette Expressway beginning with information sessions for community leaders with representatives of the PA Turnpike Commission.

Amenities & Lifestyle Team

• Published "Quality of Place & The New Economy: Positioning Pittsburgh to Compete", a report by Richard Florida that has effectively staked a place in the regional agenda for amenities and smart growth strategies as central to regional prosperity.

• Collaborated with the Port Authority and New Idea Factory to install 85 bike racks on buses in Pittsburgh

• Launched a project to develop a CD-ROM promoting the region's amenities for dissemination to regional businesses in partnership with the PRA

• Orchestrated Venture Outdoors (VO2) in partnership with many affiliates to showcase and provide hands-on experiencing of our region's wealth of outdoor recreation activities

• Initiated the SP Urban Cycling Committee to address promote infrastructure improvements and facilitate biking as a viable means of commuting and traveling 

"Champions of Sustainability" Networking Forums Series

• Conducted the third year of nine "Champs" forums sponsored by the Giant Eagle Foundation.  The series is presented in partnership with WDUQ radio and supported by the Katherine Mabis McKenna Foundation.  Each forum was broadcast to the station's 125,000 weekly listeners.

Sustainability Indicators

• Conducted six "Making Communities Great ... and Measuring Progress" meetings around the region to gain input to drafts of the Regional Sustainability Indicators Report and the Community Indicators Handbook

• Partnering in a consortium introduce comprehensive Environmental Management Systems approach for municipalities enlisting community planning and indicators of progress as a means for communities to manage their operations, infrastructure, and physical and natural assets in environmentally sound ways.

Additional Education and Policy

• Updated the SP strategic plan

• Assisted the Pittsburgh Technology Council in presenting environmental programs to its membership

• issued a "Sustainability Assessment" of the proposed turnpike mega truck plaza in New Sewickley Township

• Delivered an increasing number of presentations on sustainability and smart growth, provided comment on public issues, and achieved significant media attention to sustainability considerations of pressing regional issues.

• Advancing its “Invest in Diversity” project, the Diversity & Civic Engagement team facilitated five focus groups to  on recruiting and sustaining people of color to diversify the workforce and groom future leaders through inclusion in the nine-county region.