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Events

Focusing Growth for Regional Prosperity

The May 18, 2007 Smart Growth Conference Highlights

• Keynote Address by Don Chen, Founder and Executive Director of Smart Growth America

• Public presentation and comment on the near final updating of the Long Range Transportation and Development Plan for the region. Project Region: The Southwestern Pennsylvania Growth Plan

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

• 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.

• Reaction panel featuring state, regional and local leaders

Participate in the process of defining the region's future. Register today for the May 18 Smart Growth Conference. It's free. Lunch will be provided. The program will benefit from your insights. The full conference agenda is found at: sustainablepittsburgh.org

Kudos to the Table Exhibitors

Smart Growth Partnership of Westmoreland County
Environmental Planning and Design LLC
Pashek Associates
Three Rivers Workforce Investment Board
Local Government Academy

There is still time to reserve a display table. E-mail info@sustainablepittsburgh.org or call (412) 258-6642 for details

Supported by:
Richard King Mellon Foundation
The Heinz Endowments

Learn more about the Smart Growth Conference.

Resources

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.

COMTO-Pittsburgh luncheon

Friday, May 11
10 am
Engineers' Society of Western Pennsylvania, 337 Fourth Ave.
Downtown Pittsburgh
Tickets and info: 412-566-5351

COMTO-Pittsburgh Chapter will hold its 2007 Scholarship Luncheon on Friday, May 11. William Millar, President of the American Public Transportation Association, and Richard Adams, Assistant Dean of Multi-Cultural Affairs for the Community College of Allegheny County, will be the keynote speakers at the luncheon.

PRC kicks off sixth year of hosting "hard to recycle" collections

Saturday, May 12
10 am - 2 pm
523 Bingham Street
M. Berger Industrial Park
Pittsburgh
prc.org

Now that spring has finally arrived, it's time to clean out the garage and basement. And what better time than now to take advantage of the Pennsylvania Resources Council's collection for "hard to recycle" materials! Not to be confused with household hazardous waste, "hard to recycle" materials include such things as tires and major appliances.

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

Great Outdoors Week 2007

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! To explore how to engage your constituents, employees, family and friends, go to www.greatoutdoorsweek.org and learn of the amazing number of outdoor happenings throughout the week.

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.

For more information, please call (412) 258-6646.

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!

Resources

Sustainable Dream Jobs Opening at SP

Braddock shop performs conversions that allow used vegetable oil to power diesel vehicles

Yesterday, Mr. Huwyler and business partner David Rosenstraus, 25, opened the doors to Fossil Free Fuel LLC, a shop in Braddock that designs and installs fuel systems that allow diesel vehicles to operate on processed waste vegetable oil.

Harvesting houses for the planet

Buildings are expected to feature as a crucial area for energy-saving in the UN's third report on climate change this week.

Prince's 'mayday' climate alert

Prince Charles has issued a "mayday" alert to curb greenhouse gas emissions. "This is an emergency we face", he told a climate summit of more than 1,000 business leaders, and added that the time for discussions was over.

Allegheny County loses EPA matching funds for air quality

The Allegheny County Health Department has lost out on more than half of a $2 million U.S. Environmental Protection Agency air quality program operating grant because the county didn't provide the necessary local matching funds. The federal money, part of an annual grant, could have been used to pay for employee salaries, hire additional employees, buy monitoring equipment, and hire contractors and consultants for the air program.

Rendell's plan to generate transit, highway money in limbo

Legislative leaders said alternatives will surface in May and June. Sen. Barry Stout -- a Bentleyville Democrat and minority chair of the Senate Transportation Committee -- said lawmakers have no choice but to find a solution. "Some people are going to have to get serious here," Stout said. "People talk and talk and talk. I want to see your vote."

State supports expanded landfill at Greene County power plant

The state Department of Environmental Protection has given its initial approval to a proposed expansion of the coal waste and ash landfill at Allegheny Energy Supply Co.'s Hatfield Ferry Power Station along the Monongahela River in Greene County. The 180-acre landfill expansion is needed to accommodate additional solid waste that the power plant will produce after it installs a new $650 million air pollution control system to scrub sulfur dioxide from its emissions.

Mass. steps up climate rules for developers

In a major change to Massachusetts environmental policy, private developers will now be required to estimate the greenhouse gases their large-scale projects will produce and reduce them with measures such as energy-efficient lighting, alternative fuels, or commuter shuttles..."This policy puts greenhouse gases into the mainstream of environmental policy and regulation," Bowles said Friday. "We can no longer be indifferent to greenhouse gas emissions -- any more than we are to any other form of air pollution."

Housing homeless would save money, says Cool Aid study

A housing-first policy would save taxpayers at least $9.5 million a year — $12,000 for each person who is homeless, according to the final research report of the Homeless Needs Survey, released yesterday at Victoria City Hall.

Washington County Transit Study

How do we coordinate a transit system to efficiently meet the needs of the citizens and employers in Washington County? The Washington County Transit Study aims to answer that question. The study will evaluate current public transportation services, identify unmet public transportation needs, and develop feasible solutions. The purpose is to provide efficient, quality transportation services that contribute to the human, social, and economic vitality of Washington County and the surrounding area.

Civil rights crusader on math mission

Moses founded the Algebra Project in 1982 when he noticed his daughter, Maisha, then an eighth-grader, struggling with algebra. The project, based in Cambridge, Mass., is a nonprofit that trains teachers and works to encourage blacks, poor whites and Latinos to learn algebra.

Power station harnesses Sun's rays

It is Europe's first commercially operating power station using the Sun's energy this way and at the moment its operator, Solucar, proudly claims that it generates 11 Megawatts (MW) of electricity without emitting a single puff of greenhouse gas.

City hall directs energy to windmills

Toronto city councillors may soon have some real windmills to tilt at. Putting small wind turbines on the roof at city hall was one of several ideas presented yesterday to reduce the building's $3 million annual energy bill. "Personally, I think it's a really neat way of increasing the renewable energy footprint for the city hall," consultant Paul Leitch told about 50 experts meeting yesterday to ponder ways of greening the 42-year-old twin towers.

50 Senators Call For National Renewable Energy Standard

A bipartisan group of 50 U.S. Senators sent a letter today to Energy and Natural Resources Chair Jeff Bingaman and Ranking Member Pete Domenici calling for the inclusion of a strong renewable electricity standard in energy legislation reported out of the Committee.

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:

Dollar Bank
Elsie H. Hillman Foundation
The Giant Eagle Foundation
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