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Events

7th Annual Southwestern Pennsylvania Smart Growth Conference
"Focusing Growth for Regional Prosperity"

Featuring:

• Keynote address by Don Chen, Smart Growth America

• Public Presentation and Comment on Draft Long Range Transportation and Development Plan for Southwestern Pennsylvania (Project Region)

• Public input to work to date by the SWPA Smart Growth Community Committees

• Reaction panel featuring state, regional and local leaders

Friday, May 18, 2007
8:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Omni William Penn Hotel
530 William Penn Place - downtown Pittsburgh
No fee to attend
For full conference agenda and to register go to: www.sustainablepittsburgh.org/2007_Conference/Main.htm

Conference Highlights
This year’s conference picks up from past Smart Growth Conferences in serving again as a public comment session to the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission's process of updating the region's Long Range Transportation and Development Plan for Southwestern Pennsylvania (Project Region).

Attendees will also hear progress reports and provide input to the on-going work of the three Smart Growth Community Committees that were created in response to the regional priorities voted upon at last year's conference:

• Leveling the Field for Redevelopment: redevelopment efforts benefit from state funding and other assistance; however there are recommended ways to make the process easier to navigate and more effective.

• Promoting Regionalism: case studies of intergovernmental cooperation around the state will be assessed for opportunities to replicate them throughout the region and advance policies and assistance to speed the process.

• Funding Public Transportation: examples around the nation of citizens approving local funding for transportation provide insight on options that might gain favor in our region.

Toward addressing the challenges of revitalizing the region's communities, these committees are working on practical policy options and practices, the type of which will be necessary to realize the regional plan's focused growth strategy for the region's development and prosperity.

Project Region: The Southwestern Pennsylvania Growth Plan will be the mechanism for connecting the region’s vision to an official, coordinated implementation program of projects and actions. Through Project Region, the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission looks to raise the level of transparency in regional planning and further improve its utility by focusing on the functional rather than the jurisdictional/geographic aspects of desired improvements.

Come be part of this important regional planning process which represents a milestone in the region's heightened resolve to integrate and focus transportation and development for quality of life and competitiveness in the global economy.

Events Continued

Resources

Westmoreland Conservation District’s Conservation Tour

Friday, April 13
8 am - 3 pm
Stratigos Banquet Centre, 131 Colonial Manor Road
North Huntingdon
Cost: $25
RSVP (space is limited): 724-837-5271 ext. 210 or christie@wcdpa.com

Join the Westmoreland Conservation District for a first-hand look at local sites featuring Low Impact Development and Innovative Stormwater Measures.

Rally on the River for Global Warming Solutions

Saturday, April 14
11 am - 3 pm
The Homestead Pump House E. Waterfront Dr.
Munhall
More Information

Join the Blue-Green Alliance - a strategic alliance of the Sierra Club and the United Steelworkers - for a Rally on the River for Global Warming Solutions. This event will be an opportunity to learn about how we can solve global warming and create good jobs through smart energy solutions, have some fun, and take action. Featuring live music, speakers, food, door prizes, and activities for kids and adults.

Steel Mills to Windmills: A Pittsburgh Climate Action Rally

Saturday, April 14
12 - 2 pm
Lower Frick Park - Corner of Forbes Ave. and Braddock Ave.
http://stepitup2007.org/

Pittsburgh residents concerned about the catastrophic effects of global warming will hold a rally, “Steel Mills to Windmills,” on April 14, 2007 to urge Congress to put America on the path towards reducing carbon emissions 80% by 2050. The event is part of the Step it Up campaign, the largest day of citizen action focusing on global warming in our nation’s history. Hundreds of people are expected to attend the local event, which will include presentations from Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future, the Audubon Society, and The Climate Project – volunteers trained by Al Gore to present the slide show on which An Inconvenient Truth was based. The event will feature live music, information booths, a petition campaign, and an address by City Councilman Bill Peduto.

Step it Up is a nationwide campaign consisting of over 1,000 events in all 50 states rallying around the need for bold and immediate action on the issue of global warming. Events are being held in every corner of the country, from Maine to Hawaii, Seattle to Key West. The events are being held in major cities, iconic locations, and small towns across America. The events have been organized by groups and individuals from all walks of life who agree on one thing: the need for substantial and rapid action in order to stave off the disastrous effects of global warming. For more information, please visit www.stepitup2007.org.

The Business of Brownfields Conference

April 18-20
David L. Lawrence Convention Center
Pittsburgh (Downtown)
More information and registration

The charter of the Engineers’ Society of Western Pennsylvania is “to advance the professions of engineering, architecture, and applied sciences through technical activities” such as the Business of Brownfields Conference. The 12th brownfields conference will return to the Society's technical roots, targeting a program that is not for the fainthearted. Building on the foundations of previous brownfields conferences and years of collective experience, we aim to provide our audience with the latest advances in subjects such as investigation methodologies, remediation technologies, legal considerations, financial strategies and insurance options.

Air, Art & Life: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Air Quality in the Pittsburgh Region

Saturday, April 14
9-3 pm
GASP office
Wightman School Community Building
5604 Solway Street, #204
Pittsburgh

Saturday, June 9
9 - 3 pm
Conservation Consultants, Inc.
64 S. 14th St.
Pittsburgh
Information: 412-325-7382 or www.gasp-pgh.org

With funding provided by the PA DEP, this workshop will examine the connection between the Donora Smog Disaster of 1948 and current air quality regulations and concerns in Southwestern PA. Science, art and regional history will be used to provide teachers with a strong background to air quality as well as exciting ways to present the information in the classroom.

Engineering Sustainability 2007 Innovations that Span Boundaries

Saturday, April 15 - Wednesday, April 18
Sheraton Station Square Hotel
Pittsburgh
Info

Conference topical areas will include: green building design and construction; sustainable distributed power for the built environment; design of more sustainable transportation grids; housing and water solutions for megacities; water solutions for the developing world; water intensity in industry; economics of sustainability; toward the "zero operating costs" building; and the intersection of technology and policy.

Business Strategies in a Carbon-Constrained World

Wednesday, April 18
1 - 4 pm
Carnegie Mellon University
Chosky Theatre, Purnell Center for the Arts
Reception 4 pm
Regina Miller Gallery, Purnell Center for the Arts
No fee to attend
RSVP by April 13
412.268.5280 or mmgrelli@andrew.cmu.edu

Host: Dr. Jared Cohon, President, Carnegie Mellon University

Featuring: Pete Engardio, Senior Writer, Business Week

Panelists:
Christopher Flavin, Worldwatch Institute
M. Granger Morgan, Ph.D., Carnegie Mellon University
William Rosenberg, Harvard University
Kevin Fay, VP of Environmental Health & Safety, PPG
Robert Bear, Chief Environmental Officer, Alcoa

For the Pittsburgh region, which is emerging as a leader in the policy, practice, and business of sustainable development, addressing climate change presents an economic opportunity and necessity. Challenge can create opportunity. The coming of a carbon-constrained future is drawing entrepreneurs at all levels and the Pittsburgh region is well-served to be out front of the changing landscape.

Business Strategies in a Carbon Constrained World will explore sustainable business strategies and highlight initiatives that address the challenges and opportunities inherent in climate change. Representatives from Environmental Health and Safety, Marketing, Public Relations, Finance, Research and Development, Real Estate, Strategic Planning, and Investor Relations departments are encouraged to attend.

Presented by The Steinbrenner Institute for Environmental Education and Research at Carnegie Mellon in partnership with Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future (PennFuture), Sustainable Pittsburgh, and World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh.

Women’s Health and the Environment: New Science, New Solutions Conference

Friday, April 20
9 am - 4:30 pm
David L. Lawrence Convention Center
Pittsburgh (Downtown)
Register Online

Join women – and men who care about the women in their lives – from around the region and beyond for Women’s Health & the Environment: New Science, New Solutions, a free day-long conference featuring nationally renowned scientists, environmentalists and activists who will inform attendees about environmental health risks and the protective steps they can take as they make everyday decisions about their health and lifestyles. This free conference is sponsored by: Teresa Heinz, The Heinz Endowments, and Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC.

Rachel Carson Legacy Celebration

Friday, April 20
5 - 8 pm
Senator John Heinz History Center
Pittsburgh (Downtown)
Register Online

Don't miss this chance to join with our host, Teresa Heinz, and special grammy-award winning guests, The Indigo Girls, to celebrate the woman whose words and personal commitment moved the world to action in defense of our environment and our health. Make a commitment to the Rachel Carson Legacy Challenge: green steps to a sustainable future - permanent, measurable changes in behavior and policies that promote Rachel Carson’s environmental ethic - and learn about others working to meet this challenge.

Smart Growth Brown Bag Forum - "Negotiating Better Design for New Development"

Friday, April 27
11:30 am - 1:00 pm
O'Neil Room, 23rd Floor
Regional Enterprise Tower - 425 Sixth Avenue
RSVP 412-258-6642 or info@sustainablepittsburgh.org

Hosted by : Local Government Academy and Sustainable Pittsburgh

Please bring a brown bag lunch, refreshments will be provided.

The forum panelists will offer tips and tools on how to negotiate better design for your communities. These tools can be helpful to participants in community-planning processes, to newly elected officials and civic leaders, and anyone who would like to get a leg-up on better development. Panelists will provide case studies, "profiles of development" and the lessons they have learned to succeed.

Panelists:
John Barrett - Municipality of Murrysville
Jeff Funovits - Burt Hill
Andrea Geraghty - Geraghty and Associates

GASP 2007 Spring Teacher Workshops: Fueling the Future

Saturday, April 28
9 am - 1 pm
Westmoreland Conservation District
218 Donohoe Road
Greensburg

Saturdays, May 5 & May 12
9 am - 1 pm
GASP office
Wightman School Community Bldg.
5604 Solway Street, #204
Pittsburgh

Saturday, June 16th
9 am -1 pm
Crooked Creek Environmental Center
142 Kerr Road
Ford City

Information: 412-325-7382 or www.gasp-pgh.org

Ever wonder how transportation pollution affects our lives? With the help of Steel City Biofuels and funding provided by the EPA, this teacher workshop will address environmental and health hazards associated with diesel and gasoline powered motor vehicles. Will include alternative fuels such as biodiesel, hybrid vehicles, idling regulations, GASP air monitors, carpooling and other strategies for reducing the impact from motor vehicles. One lucky teacher will go home with their own biodiesel production kit! So sign up now before the workshop “fills up!”

Corridor of Opportunity Workshop Events Open to Public

Town Hall Meeting
Wednesday, May 2
7:30 - 9 pm
Shaler Intermediate School Auditorium

Community Dinner
Thursday, May 3
6 - 8 pm
Bethlehem Lutheran Church
Shaler Township
Info: (412) 486-9700 x 230 kcreagh@shaler.org

Six national experts in the redevelopment arena will convene on Shaler Township May 2 through May 4 for The Corridor of Opportunity Workshop to study a one-and-a-half mile light industrial corridor along Route 8. Shaler Township and the Allegheny Rivertowns Enterprise Zone, in partnership with The Western Pennsylvania Brownfields Center at Carnegie Mellon University, initiated this workshop to explore the redevelopment potential of the corridor stretching from Glenshaw Glass to Nicklas Supply Inc. and to address the flooding, land-use, traffic, and transportation concerns expressed by the property owners in the area.

During the three-day workshop, Charlie Bartsch of ICF International, Greg Hurst of EDAW Inc., Sue McNeil of The University of Delaware, Jan Rosholt of Gary Struthers Associates, Joe Schilling of Virginia Tech, and Kenneth Tamminga of Penn State will meet with local property owners and stakeholder groups. The experts will unveil their proposed action items for the municipality and property owners Friday, May 4, 2007. “We are very anxious to proceed with the workshop,” said Tim Rogers, Township Manager. “This corridor is currently economically challenged, as it moves from industry to whatever the future should be. We are anxious to hear from the experts as well as from the community,” said Rogers. These recommendations will mark neither the beginning nor the end to redevelopment efforts, according to Deborah Lange, Executive Director of The Western Pennsylvania Brownfields Center at Carnegie Mellon. “While the insights of unbiased experts from across the country are invaluable, it is important also to recognize the value already gained from the planning process,” says Lange. “Over the several months,” Lange continues, “the Corridor of Opportunity Planning Committee, comprised of members from Shaler Township, Carnegie Mellon University, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Environmental Council, Allegheny Rivertowns Enterprise Zone, and the Allegheny Land Trust, has devoted much thought and energy to the great potential and needs of this corridor.”

Going with the Flow: Governance Options for Clean Water Act Compliance 2007 Road to Excellence Conference

Thursday, May 3
9 am - 3 pm
Sheraton Station Square
Pittsburgh
Click for more information

The 2007 Road to Excellence Conference will feature as its keynote speaker Dr. Bruce Stiftel, editor of Adaptive Governance and Water Conflict. Adaptive governance is a relatively new concept. Based upon the principles of adaptive management of environmental systems, adaptive governance emerges as "the kind of governance that can both preserve the strengths of existing specialized authorities to exploit natural resources and alternatives in order to ensure the sustainability of both human and nature systems." In addition to Dr. Stiftel's presentation, join local, state and regional leaders in a discussion of local concerns and the steps we must take to overcome barriers to adaptive governance for Clean Water Act Compliance.

2007 Nonprofit Summit

Thursday, May 10
8 am - 4:45 pm
David L. Lawrence Convention Center
1000 Fort Duquesne Blvd.
Pittsburgh (Downtown)
Cost: $100 for the first person and $75 for each additional person from the same organization
Click to Register

The 2007 Nonprofit Summit is a follow up to the 2006 Summit, which consisted of an electronic town hall designed to increase participants' vision of their potential for collective community action. The 2006 Summit was devoted to thinking and planning; the 2007 Summit is focused on action. The 2007 Summit is designed to: contribute to the effectiveness of individual nonprofit leaders; help to build the capacity of nonprofit organizations; and build the collective strength of the nonprofit sector.

7th Annual Southwestern Pennsylvania Smart Growth Conference "Focusing Growth for Regional Prosperity"

Friday, May 18, 2007
8 am - 3:30 pm
Omni William Penn Hotel
530 William Penn Place, downtown Pittsburgh
No fee to attend
Click here for more details
Featuring:
- Keynote address by Don Chen, Smart Growth America
- Public Presentation and Comment on Draft Long Range Transportation and Development Plan for Southwestern Pennsylvania (Project Region)
- Public input on work to date by the SWPA Smart Growth Community Committees
- Reaction panel featuring state, regional and local leaders

This year’s conference picks up from past Smart Growth Conferences in serving again as a public comment session to the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission's process of updating the region's Long Range Transportation and Development Plan for Southwestern Pennsylvania (called Project Region).

Attendees will also hear progress reports and provide input to the on-going work of the three Smart Growth Community Committees that were created in response to the regional priorities voted upon at last year's conference:
- Leveling the Field for Redevelopment (Diane Sheets & Laura Zinski)
- Promoting Regionalism (Commissioner Tom Ceraso & David Miller)
- Funding Public Transportation (Steve Bland & Mary Jo Morandini)

Toward addressing the challenges of revitalizing the region's communities, these committees are working on practical policy options and practices, the type of which will be necessary to realize the regional plan's focused growth strategy for regional development and prosperity.

Project Region: The Southwestern Pennsylvania Growth Plan, will be the mechanism for connecting the region’s vision to an official, coordinated implementation program of projects and actions. Through Project Region, the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission looks to raise the level of transparency in regional planning, and further improve its utility, by focusing on the functional rather than the jurisdictional/geographic aspects of desired improvements.

Come be part of this important regional planning process which represents a milestone in the region's heightened resolve to integrate and focus transportation and development for quality of life and competitiveness in the global economy.

Presented by:
PA Department of Community and Economic Development
Pittsburgh Partnership for Neighborhood Development
Regional Coalition of Community Builders
Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission
Sustainable Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics

Sponsored by:

Supported by:
Richard King Mellon Foundation
The Heinz Endowments

To register:
Call: 412-258-6642
Email: info@sustainablepittsburgh.org
To become a sponsor call: 412-258-6643

Save the Date! Great Outdoors Week 2007

Friday, May 18 - Sunday, May 27

Leading the region to fun and healthy lifestyles one week at a time!

The sixth annual Great Outdoors Week begins on Friday, May 18 thru Sunday, May 27, 2007!

While Great Outdoors is a great communications campaign to highlight the amazing number of outdoor happenings scheduled throughout the week, it is also a great opportunity to sample many fun ways to start a healthier lifestyle!

2007 Great Outdoors Week partners include: Bike Pittsburgh, Community Design Center of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Rachael Carson Homestead, Rack ‘n Roll, REI, Sustainable Pittsburgh, Three Rivers Rowing Association, Venture Outdoors, and the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy.

Everyone is invited to participate! To explore how to engage your constituents in taking part in Great Outdoors Week and reap year-long benefits, call (412) 258-6646 or kadams@sustainablepittsburgh.org.

Save the Date: Venture Outdoors Festival

Saturday, May 19
Pittsburgh's North Shore
http://www.ventureoutdoors.org/

The seventh annual Venture Outdoors Festival is scheduled for Saturday, May 19, 2007. The festival is an all day event and is being held on Pittsburgh's North Shore - right in front of Heinz Field. As always, the goal of Venture Outdoors is to introduce as many people as possible to the wide variety of outdoor recreational activities easily accessible right here in Western Pennsylvania. Together with the region's abundant environmental assets & the rivers, the mountains, and numerous bike and walking trails - these activities demonstrate the terrific quality of life available to residents and visitors. We invite you to be a part of the excitement so please save the date!

Join the Rails to Trails Conservancy for the Grand Opening Ride of the Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C. Trail

June 23-30
$700
More

The 6th Annual Greenway Sojourn, June 23–30, 2007, will lead 500 cyclists on the ride of their lives on the longest multi-purpose trail in the country. After 20 years of trail building, the Great Allegheny Passage in southwestern Pennsylvania and western Maryland is now linked to the popular C & O Canal Towpath in the offsite linkChesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park. Creating 335 miles of continuous trail connecting suburban Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C., together these trails make up the spine of the offsite link Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail.

Resources

Governor Rendell's planned Energy Independence Strategy

The Energy Independence Strategy covers all the bases of smart energy policy. It will boost energy conservation and renewable energy supply, cut peak electricity usage and decrease our reliance on foreign oil. It will change - powerfully and forever - how energy is used and produced in Pennsylvania. It will cut our production of heat trapping gases that cause global warming.

Supreme Court Pushes EPA on Climate Change

The U.S. Supreme Court announced today a long-awaited ruling on global warming-causing greenhouse gases. In a 5-4 decision in Massachusetts v. EPA , the Court ruled that the EPA has the authority to regulate greenhouse gases, and that states can sue to force it to comply.

A New Breed of Leaders Tackles World's Big Problems

Renewable energy, affordable and effective health care, and fighting climate change are just three of the major global problems currently being addressed by a new model of entrepreneurship, according to a new report by SustainAbility, an independent think-tank and consultancy.

The Top 10 Greenest Cities

Is your community among them?

21st-century task: building the 'humane metropolis'

And, of course, they aim to create welcoming, green places in cities — nature within urban places that will draw people together to rub shoulders, recreate, have fun and, with luck, even get to know each other. Adding, they hope, social justice: as Ford Foundation official Carl Anthony writes, "issues of race and poverty, social environmental justice, must be central to the way we envision a truly humane metropolis, bringing together people and nature in the 21st century."

Penn Future Podcast of the Week: The Humane Metropolis

The world's population has just reached the point where 50 percent is urbanized and the other half is not. As a result, development pressure is increasing at an ever-faster rate, and open space is disappearing. But there are ways to discourage sprawl and to redirect development. In this podcast, Sustainable Pittsburgh's Court Gould, recently featured at the event "Pittsburgh: A Humane Metropolis," (hosted by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy shares concrete examples from Pittsburgh, describing ways that the region that is our metropolis can and is being developed in a humane way.

The Humane Metropolis is defined as a city that develops through an understanding that space is a finite commodity. Building green, environmentally-friendly buildings and neighborhoods, utilizing previously-developed space through rehabilitation, creative urban planning, and maintaining a clear focus on the arts and cultural development are all hallmarks of a Humane Metropolis.

Pittsburgh ranks at the top of U.S. cities when measured in those fields. Whether it's greening our hospitals, enacting permanent zoning protections for our hillsides, bringing car-sharing to the city through a new endeavor with Flexcar (PennFuture is a charter member!), or providing education to residents about energy efficiency, these and hosts of other reasons make Pittsburgh a leader nationwide. Listen as Court describes how Pittsburgh is well on the path to becoming a truly Humane Metropolis.

18 Seconds

A new group of organizations and individuals committed to energy efficiency has launched a nationwide effort to raise awareness of the benefits of switching to compact fluorescent lamps. Consisting of companies, government entities, non- governmental organizations, religious groups and academic institutions, the "18Seconds" movement emphasizes that the small action of replacing conventional incandescent bulbs with Energy Star compact fluorescent light bulbs can dramatically cut energy use, benefit the environment - and takes just 18 seconds to accomplish. If every U.S. household swapped just one bulb for a CFL, it would collectively prevent the burning of 30 billion pounds of coal and keep two million cars worth of greenhouse gas emissions from entering the atmosphere.

Sustainable Dream Jobs: Green Building Alliance

Green Building Alliance has three positions open (all will open as Microsoft Word Documents):

Warming 'already changing world'

Climate change is already having major impacts on the natural world, a UN report is set to announce. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) believes there is also a discernible, though less marked, impact on human societies.

Be Part of the Solution: Support Cool Pennsylvania Campaign

Pennsylvania alone produces more heat-trapping gas emissions than 105 developing countries combined. This means that Pennsylvania alone is responsible for producing one percent of the world’s total global warming pollution, but we have less that 0.2 percent of the world’s population. We rank third worst in the U.S. among states in global warming pollution, behind only Texas and California. If we don’t act now to change state policies on global warming, the Commonwealth’s economy will suffer: losses due to increasing extreme weather events alone such as flooding and high winds are estimated to be in the hundreds of millions annually. Local jobs and tourism dollars are at risk (think skiing industry, sugar maple production, fall foliage, trout fishing). The health of Pennsylvanians, especially those least able to afford to deal with the impacts, are also at risk. Join the nearly 200 businesses, organizations, congregations, healthcare providers, schools, clubs, and municipalities that have already joined together as part of the Cool Pennsylvania Campaign, and help stop global warming at home. Click here to endorse as an organization, or here to endorse as an individual. You will receive regular updates on global warming news and ways you can help make Pennsylvania part of the solution instead of a part of the problem.

For information on becoming a Member of Sustainable Pittsburgh, please visit our website.

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Sustainable Pittsburgh affects decision-making in the Pittsburgh Region to integrate economic prosperity, social equity and environmental quality bringing sustainable solutions to communities and businesses.

Sustainable Pittsburgh benefits from support in 2007 from:

Elsie H. Hillman Foundation
Dollar Bank
The Heinz Endowments
Richard King Mellon Foundation
Roy A. Hunt Foundation
University of Pittsburgh


Special thanks to the SP Members

Sustainable Pittsburgh
425 Sixth Avenue, Suite 1335
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
(412) 258-6642
fax (412) 258-6645
E-mail SP