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Events

Earth Day Rally in Market Square!

Wednesday, April 22
11:00 am - 1:00 pm
Market Square, Downtown Pittsburgh
Free and open to the public!
Contact: Lindsay Baxter at 412-255-2152 or lindsay.baxter@city.pittsburgh.pa.us

The City of Pittsburgh, in partnership with the region’s Business Sustainability Coordinators, is hosting an Earth Day celebration in downtown Pittsburgh’s Market Square. The public is invited to check out music deejayed by Solar Powered Industries--where the setup is powered completely by solar panels--and sample free refreshments with a sustainability theme, courtesy of the Culinary Institute, Franktuary, and other local food vendors. Mayor Luke Ravenstahl will speak at noon about sustainability initiatives in the region and will challenge citizens to do their part by signing up to volunteer with one of several local environmental organizations participating in the festivities. Sign-ups for various activities will be available during the celebration.

Additionally, those attending the event will learn about successful green initiatives the region’s Business Sustainability Coordinators have implemented within their respective businesses, making a significant impact on our region’s prosperity. These business leaders, facilitated by Sustainable Pittsburgh’s Champions for Sustainability network, represent corporations in southwestern Pennsylvania that are implementing sustainable practices and policies in their operations. Together, these professionals exchange ideas about and actively address business-related sustainability issues.

Participating organizations for this Earth Day event include:
BNY Mellon
Bayer Corporation
Champions for Sustainability, Sustainable Pittsburgh
Chatham University
City of Pittsburgh
Eat’n Park Hospitality Group
FedEx Ground
Giant Eagle
HDR Inc.
UPMC

Events Continued

Resources

Earth Day Rally in Market Square!

Wednesday, April 22
11:00 am - 1:00 pm
Market Square, Downtown Pittsburgh
Free and open to the public!
Contact: Lindsay Baxter at 412-255-2152 or lindsay.baxter@city.pittsburgh.pa.us

The City of Pittsburgh, in partnership with the region’s Business Sustainability Coordinators, is hosting an Earth Day celebration in downtown Pittsburgh’s Market Square. The public is invited to check out music deejayed by Solar Powered Industries--where the setup is powered completely by solar panels--and sample free refreshments with a sustainability theme, courtesy of the Culinary Institute, Franktuary, and other local food vendors. Mayor Luke Ravenstahl will speak at noon about sustainability initiatives in the region and will challenge citizens to do their part by signing up to volunteer with one of several local environmental organizations participating in the festivities. Sign-ups for various activities will be available during the celebration.

Additionally, those attending the event will learn about successful green initiatives the region’s Business Sustainability Coordinators have implemented within their respective businesses, making a significant impact on our region’s prosperity. These business leaders, facilitated by Sustainable Pittsburgh’s Champions for Sustainability network, represent corporations in southwestern Pennsylvania that are implementing sustainable practices and policies in their operations. Together, these professionals exchange ideas about and actively address business-related sustainability issues.

Participating organizations for this Earth Day event include:
BNY Mellon
Bayer Corporation
Champions for Sustainability, Sustainable Pittsburgh
Chatham University
City of Pittsburgh
Eat’n Park Hospitality Group
FedEx Ground
Giant Eagle
HDR Inc.
UPMC

Blue Gold and Green: Celebrating a Sustainable Community

DATE CHANGE: Was April 9, now is Wednesday, April 22
9:00 am – 4:00 pm
William Pitt Union and Schenley Plaza, Oakland
More information

Join friends and colleagues for the first-ever University of Pittsburgh Blue Gold & Green celebration! Learn how to make your home, workplace, and neighborhood more sustainable. Sustainable Pittsburgh's Matthew Mehalik will present on the "Latest Trends in Sustainable Business." Other session topics include (but are not limited to): Practicing Sustainability: Green Chemistry Initiatives in Pittsburgh, Sustainability and Green Initiatives at the University of Pittsburgh, Bike Commuting 101, and Go Green Oakland: A Sustainable Community Campaign. Pre-registration is recommended for attendance to any of the speaker sessions due to limited seating. All registered attendees will be eligible to be entered into a prize drawing during each session.

29th Annual National Association for Recreation Resource Planners Conference

Get to the Point: Pittsburgh 2009
April 27 - May 1, 2009
Hilton Gateway Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Visit www.narrp.org for more details.

This event is the premier annual conference focusing on the topic and profession of outdoor recreation planning. The 2009 conference theme, Creating Sustainable Communities through Regional Recreation Planning, is an important and timely concept to convene around (and in what better a place than Pittsburgh!). Sustainable Pittsburgh's Ginette Walker Vinski will present on "Branding the Outdoor Recreation Community", why Walls are Bad. Sustainable Pittsburgh will also be leading a Sustainable City walking tour during the conference. Join NARRP and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to foster connections among the nation's leading recreation planners, to learn from each other, generate new ideas for collaborative approaches among planners within state and federal agencies, the private sector, as well as university programs.

Walls are Bad Happy Hour

Thursday, April 30
5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
OTB Bicycle Café, 2518 East Carson St, South Side
Contact: info@wallsarebad.com or 412-258-6646

Walls are Bad.

Yeah, we know. That’s why it’s important to get outside and enjoy the fresh air. But what does Walls are Bad really mean? Find out on April 30 during happy hour at the OTB Bicycle Café on Pittsburgh’s South Side. Sustainable Pittsburgh and its outdoor recreation partners, along with the OTB Bicycle Café, invite leaders and members of local outdoors groups to learn about Walls are Bad over a cold brew and some free food.

For the last ten years, Sustainable Pittsburgh, a nonprofit organization working to accelerate the policy and practice of sustainability in southwestern PA, has been working with a core group of partners to promote the region’s natural amenities through various programs. In 2008, this group launched Walls are Bad, a campaign designed to increase awareness of and participation in outdoor recreation in southwestern Pennsylvania. Come learn how Walls are Bad can strengthen and support your outdoors groups. Which wall will you break down?

Register Now: 2009 9th annual SWPA Smart Growth Conference

"Sustainable Community Essentials: applying the policy and practice"
Thursday, May 21
9:00 am - 5:00 pm (continental breakfast and lunch included; reception to follow)
David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Downtown Pittsburgh
Keynote speaker: Douglas Farr, AIA, author of Sustainable Urbanism and founding principal of Farr Associates
Cost: Early Registration: $30. After May 1: $50 (Elected officials attend for free)
Register Now

- Keynote: Douglas Farr, AIA, author of Sustainable Urbanism and founding principal of Farr Associates, an architecture and planning firm regarded as one of the most sustainable design practices in the country. Having a mission to create sustainable human environments, Farr Associates' unique niche is in applying the principles of LEED at the scale of the neighborhood.

- Update by James Ritzman, Deputy Secretary for Planning, PennDOT, on the Federal Stimulus Package and PennDOT Smart Transportation Initiative

- Panel review of sustainable community initiatives around the region featuring:
Lindsay Baxter, Sustainability Coordinator, City of Pittsburgh
Jason Dailey, Cranberry Township
Mark Alan Hughes, Director of Sustainability, City of Philadelphia
Murray Rust, Montgomery & Rust, Inc.
Jesse Jon Salensky, Vandergrift Improvement Program
Nathan Wildfire, Sustainable Policy Coordinator, East Liberty Development, Inc.

- Workshops tracking new "Essentials of Sustainable Communities" resources (14 topics from which to choose via conference registration)

- Distribution of the SWPA Sustainable Community Rapid Assessment worksheet

- Reception featuring table displays by lead organizations per the 14 Essentials of Sustainable Communities

Today's difficult times are placing extraordinary strains on our region's communities. Rising costs of all types are putting a tight squeeze on municipalities and residents. Expectations and needs are also increasing. The policy and practice of sustainable development offers solutions. Come learn how your community, municipality, or county can put sustainability to work to save taxpayer dollars and avoid costs, meet needs equitably, conserve resources, and attract investment. Sustainability is central to professional management of local government and a collective imperative for Southwestern Pennsylvania's competitiveness and quality of life. Learn how to accelerate your community's success on environmental stewardship, social equity, economic development as well as fiscal viability and organizational capacity to learn, innovate and adapt.

Presented by:
Community Design Center of Pittsburgh
Local Government Academy
Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development
Pittsburgh Partnership for Neighborhood Development
Smart Growth Partnership of Westmoreland County
Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission
Sustainable Community Development Network, Sustainable Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics
Sponsored by:
Babst, Calland, Clements and Zomnir, P.C.
Michael Baker Corporation
Bombardier

Smart Growth Annual Awards Dinner

Thursday, May 21
6:30 pm - 9:00 pm
University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, Chambers Hall
Cost: $50 per person, $250 corporate table of 6
To register, please contact the Smart Growth Partnership at 724-552-0118 or click here to see the invitation.

The Smart Growth Partnership will be recognizing smart growth developments, plans and individuals/groups that have distinguished themselves by achieving the smart growth cause at its 7th annual awards dinner.

Sustainable Community Development Essentials: Tools, Strategies, and Case Studies

Thursday, June 4
9:00 am - Noon (8:30 am registration)
Avalon Borough Municipal Building, 640 California Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15202
Fee: $35 per person (Includes registration, handouts, light refreshments, and certificate of attendance)
Members of the NEOC Alumni Association receive a $10 discount.
More information

This seminar will review practical tools, strategies and case studies for pursuing the process of sustainability in municipal government in Southwestern Pennsylvania. No matter the “stage” a community may find itself in—whether in need of redevelopment, in the stage of figuring out how to maintain a current trajectory, or in a stage of managing growth in smart ways, the framework of sustainable development offers a practical compass for getting this right today and in the future. Through this session participants will:
- Experience how sustainability principles are tools that support local government decision making.
- Learn strategies for introducing & adopting sustainability guidelines for your municipality.
- Explore case studies of how other early adopters have benefited from implementing policies and programs to advance sustainable development.
- Consider tools and strategies for sustainable approaches to energy, resource management, waste and recycling, green procurement, human resources, etc. and for enhancing governance systems including the budget and capital improvement process.

Instructors:
Court Gould, Sustainable Pittsburgh
Susan Hockenberry, Local Government Academy
Matthew Mehalik, Sustainable Pittsburgh
John Trant, Cranberry Township
Joy Wilhelm, DCED Governor’s Center for Local Government Services

Fourth Annual Environmental Film Festival

Saturday, April 18
6:00 pm - 10:00 pm (come at any time)
Environmental Charter School, Henrietta and Milton Sts, off Braddock (Regent Square)
Free!
Contact: Donald Gibbon at dongibbon@earthlink.net
For movie listings, visit www.alleghenysc.org and click Events.

There is still one evening remaining of engaging and thought-provoking films with an environmental theme. The event is family-friendly, refreshments will be available for a small donation, and donations will be accepted to offset cost of films. These films are alternately funny, peculiar, challenging, always interesting and often downright fun. The YERT film on the 18th will feature the film-maker and a lightning, funny monologue, plus Q&A. Great fun, guaranteed.

Engineering Sustainability 2009

April 19-21, 2009
David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Downtown Pittsburgh
Conference webpage
Questions? Contact Gena Kovalcik at 412-624-9698 or gmk9@pitt.edu

Conference Topical Areas:
- Green building design and construction
- Greening the indoor environment
- Sustainable distributed power for the built environment
- Sustainable urban drinking water, stormwater & wastewater infrastructure
- Design of more sustainable transportation grids
- Using principles of sustainability to foster innovation and economic development

Design Excellence Lecture Series: Walter J. Hood

Monday, April 20
6:00 pm - 8:30 pm
University Center at Point Park University, 414 Wood Street, Downtown Pittsburgh Cost: $20 (Includes lecture, a panel discussion, and a reception)
For tickets please visit the CDCP website or call 412-391-4144 for more information.

Landscape architect, architect, and UC Berkeley College of Environmental Planning and Urban Design professor Walter J. Hood is guest speaker at the final event of the inaugural season of the CDCP's Design Excellence Lecture Series. The topic - Multiplying and Enlarging: Improving Ecologies - touches upon his advocacy of improvisation as a design process because he believes it demands creativity and collaborative thinking. Neighborhood development, community planning, and citizen participation - particularly ethnic groups - are central to his approach. A recent interest of Walter's seems particularly relevant to Pittsburgh: how, staying in the community scale, you look at the larger scale and understand its role on the small scale. Come and hear Walter Hood, and join the discussion on the recurring Design Excellence Lecture Series themes of city-building, visionary planning, sustainability, community engagement, and civic awareness.

reSOLUTION store opens next week!

April 20-24, 2009
10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Fifth Avenue Place, Downtown Pittsburgh
More information

To encourage customers to rethink their practices, refocus on the environment and resolve to lessen their impact on the world, reSOLUTION will accept recyclable or reusable materials that will then be donated or made into other items. Consumers can drop off the following items at the reSOLUTION shop: denim jeans and other denim apparel, which will be recycled into UltraTouch™ Natural Cotton Fiber Insulation through the COTTON. FROM BLUE TO GREEN.® denim drive; athletic shoes, which will be made into eco-friendly sport surfaces; cell phones, which will be collected by HopeLine from Verizon Wireless to assist victims of domestic violence; old art supplies, used CDs and DVDs, which will be reused in arts activities through Creative Reuse Pittsburgh; eyeglasses, which will be donated to the Lions Club for use in underdeveloped countries; and rechargeable batteries, ink and toner cartridges, which will be recycled by Office Depot. Those who donate items will receive $1 off in the Fifth Avenue Place food court. All denim collected at reSOLUTION through the COTTON. FROM BLUE TO GREEN.® denim drive will be sent to NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC KIDS magazine, who, in partnership with Cotton Incorporated, will attempt to set a Guinness World Record™ for the largest amount of clothing ever collected to be recycled.

Fair Housing Accessibility Training

Thursday, April 23
8:00 am – 12:00 pm
Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland Conference Center, 717 Grant Street, Downtown Pittsburgh
To register, visit www.fairhousingfirst.org and click on the “CALENDAR” link.
Questions? HUD supports a dedicated call center, the FIRST Design and Construction Resource Center: 888-341-7781 (VTTY)

This Training will feature a Section 3 Training and a Fair Housing Act Accessibility Requirements Overview. Section 3 is a provision of the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Act of 1968 that promotes local economic development, neighborhood economic improvement, and individual self-sufficiency. HUD’s Fair Housing Accessibility FIRST program promotes compliance with the Fair Housing Act design and construction requirements. The program offers comprehensive and detailed instruction, useful online web resources, and a toll free information line for technical guidance. For more information contact Andrea Metz at andrea.metz@bearingpoint.com 703-747-5161. Note: This program is registered with the American Institute of Architects. Architects will receive up to 3 continuing education credits per day. Seating for this session is limited and will be granted on a first come, first served basis. Light refreshments will be provided.

Commute Info Webinar: Employer Efforts

Thursday, April 23
Noon - 1:00 pm
Free to participate
Must sign up to get the log-in information
Learn more about the webinars and/or to register for next week’s session on-line, visit: http://www.commuteinfo.org/comm_webinar.shtml

The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission’s CommuteInfo program sponsors webinars on commuting alternatives, employer transportation programs and other related topics. During this webinar, Eric Loughner with the Employee Relations Department within Highmark, Inc. will speak about their internal efforts to promote ridesharing. Christine Bell from the Airport Corridor Transportation Association (ACTA) will also speak about the efforts they have made in working with various employers within their area.

Public Meeting Pennsylvania Budget Proposals

Featuring: Estelle B. Richman, Secretary of the Department of Public Welfare & Mary A. Soderberg, Secretary of the Budget
Friday, April 24
10:00 am – Noon (Refreshments and Sign-In at 9:30 am)
William Pitt Union, Assembly Room 1st Floor, 3959 Fifth Avenue, University of Pittsburgh (Oakland)
Parking is available at Soldiers and Sailors
Main number: 412-648-7815
Please email United Way’s office at arind@uwac.org should you have questions, need further information, or require special accommodations to attend the meeting.

As the grip of the national recession continues to impact families across Pennsylvania, community stakeholders are encouraged to attend this briefing session to discuss strategies to ensure that short term basic needs are met while also preserving cost effective prevention services.

The Economic Stimulus Package and Your Community: Opportunities and Responsibilities

Friday, April 24
9:00 am - 12:30 pm
Green Tree Borough Municipal Center, 10 W. Manilla Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15220
Fee: $35 per person (Includes registration, handouts, light refreshments, and certificate of attendance)
Members of the NEOC Alumni Association receive a $10 discount.
More information and to register

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, better known as the economic stimulus package, was signed into law in February. Local governments play a vital role in carrying out the intentions of the Act. Join LGA and Sustainable Pittsburgh to learn how to avail your community to the funds, work effectively with the various departments and agencies involved, and assure accountability and sustainability of public efforts. Secretary James Creedon, Pennsylvania Department of General Services, and speakers from HUD, PennDOT, PENNVEST, USDA Rural Development and the Office of Senator Arlen Specter will present up-to-date and relevant information for communities of all size.

Air, Heart, and Lungs: Making the Connection

Monday, May 11
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Imagine Environmental Charter School, 829 Milton Street, Pittsburgh, 15218 (Regent Square)
Free and open to the public
Contact: 412-325-7382 or lee@gasp-pgh.org

Did you know?
- While the Pittsburgh region has the same rate of asthma in the nation, use of emergency services by local children with asthma is 300 percent to 400 percent above the national average.
- Diesel exhaust can increase the risk of heart disease.

Join GASP in examining how air pollution in the Pittsburgh area affects respiratory and cardiovascular health. Presentations by Dr. Fernando Holguin, nationally renowned asthma researcher at the Pediatric Environmental Medicine Center, and Dr. Donald Grandis, cardiologist at the Jefferson Regional Medical Center.

Resources

Altmire says commuter train to Pittsburgh can work

Altmire said Congress is trying to determine how it will continue to fund transportation projects. The federal Highway Trust Fund went bankrupt because spending exceeded what was being collected through the federal gasoline tax. . .Some include: Increasing the federal gas tax, which now is 18.4 cents per gallon; Creating a tax based on how many miles a person drives; Increasing registration fees so that motorists with heavier vehicles pay more. Any option or combination of options chosen in the end will have to weigh the reality of increasing fuel efficiency in vehicles and commuting habits, Altmire noted. Court Gould, executive director of Sustainable Pittsburgh, said he would prefer whatever option "gives us transformative change." "I think we should be funding options," said Scott Bricker, executive director of Bike Pittsburgh.

Unemployed Steelworkers and Environmentalists Unite for Ad

The Environmental Defense Fund has launched a new ad with Braddock Mayor John Fetterman, claiming carbon caps could offer relief to former steel towns.

More

Companies Develop Green Products to Differentiate and Lead: Survey

The most commonly cited reason (71 percent) for companies to develop greener products and services is product differentiation, followed closely by 61 percent of companies saying they want to be a leaders in the world of green products. The third reason mentioned the most by companies (35 percent) was cost savings. As for who within companies is influencing the switch towards green, 58 percent of companies said product managers and strategists are leading the charge, and 46 percent said CEOs are the ones pushing to develop green products.

Norwegian fund proposes $3 billion green investments

“The investments must be aimed at eco-friendly assets or eco-friendly technology that is expected to yield indisputable environmental benefits, such as climate-friendly energy, improving energy efficiency, carbon capture and storage, water technology, and management of waste and pollution,” it said.

FACING OUR FUTURE: Outdoor Recreation Adapting to Connecticut’s Changing Climate

The changing climate in Connecticut is impacting when and how residents and tourists will enjoy the outdoors. . .These higher ozone levels may trigger asthma and other respiratory ailments. Associated air quality alerts recommend that those susceptible to respiratory problems refrain from activities involving exertion outside. At the same time others will seek relief from this extreme heat at our shoreline and other parks that offer opportunities for swimming. . .Tick and mosquito seasons are expanding and will present additional public health challenges.

Improving Regional Transportation Decisions: MPOs and Certification

This paper examines the MPO certification process, what it has accomplished to date, some of the issues it has raised, and its prospects for improving metropolitan transportation planning further in the future. . .Among the factors to be considered in the MPO planning process (as well as in the statewide planning process) are the potentially adverse impacts of transportation proposals on the environment, energy consumption, quality of life, and the efficiency of transportation systems. Included are such concerns as environmental justice and taming urban sprawl. . .It takes the direct involvement of elected officials and citizens to shift the thinking of policy boards from paving roads and operating transportation systems to pursuing smart growth, sustainability, livability, job access, and social equity.

Rep. Doris Matsui Introduces Smart Planning for Smart Growth Act of 2009

“The Smart Planning for Smart Growth Act creates the framework needed for states and communities to meet greenhouse gas reduction goals through more focused short-, medium- and long-term land use and transportation planning,” said Congresswoman Matsui. “This bill addresses the climate crisis by giving larger communities the incentives they need to grow and develop in a way that complements our national global warming strategy.”

Law to elevate 'smart growth': Agency prepares to fight global warming through planning

Specifically, the Sustainable Communities Strategy (SCS) must show how the region will meet its greenhouse gas reduction targets through development patterns, infrastructure investments, and transportation measures and policies, while ensuring sufficient housing and natural habitat protection.

Sin aqua non - Water

But there is some admittedly patchy evidence that, given current patterns of use and abuse, the amount now being withdrawn is moving dangerously close to the limit of safety—and in some places beyond it. An alarming number of the world's great rivers no longer reach the sea. They include the Indus, Rio Grande, Colorado, Murray-Darling and Yellow rivers. These are the arteries of the world's main grain-growing areas.

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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 2009 from:

Bayer Corporation
Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation
Dollar Bank
FedEx Ground
The Giant Eagle Foundation
The Heinz Endowments
Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield
Elsie H. Hillman Foundation
Richard King Mellon Foundation
Dylan Todd Simonds 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