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Events

Focusing Growth for Regional Prosperity: The 7th annual Southwestern Pennsylvania Smart Growth Conference

“As we build existing communities, we build the region.” In his opening remarks to 250 community leaders, Dr. Moe Coleman identified the goal and the challenge of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission’s (SPC) Project Region, the focus of the 7th annual Southwestern Pennsylvania Smart Growth Conference.

Don Chen of Smart Growth America provided the keynote address that kicked off the conference and framed the issues facing the growth of all regions. According to Mr. Chen, declining local capacity and increasing global competition are combining to create the need for regional action and regional scale solutions with emphasis on growth contributing foremost to quality of life. Balancing competing local interests and aligning state and federal resources requires leadership, which according to Mr. Chen is increasingly coming from all the sectors: business, government, and civic.

The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission’s Lew Villotti provided an update on Project Region, the process of updating the region's 2035 Long Range Transportation and Development Plan. Project Region will provide the framework for integrating the region’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) and the Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP). It is intended to maximize regional assets and infrastructure to achieve balanced, cost effective growth; to capitalize on investments in existing communities; and to strengthen quality job creation and regional economic competitiveness. The plan is to advance transportation and land use that supports and enhances the regional economy and the communities within it. As such, the plan was developed with the understanding that to make the most effective and efficient use of limited resources the region needs to be smart on how where it makes development and investment choices. This is ultimately reflected in the preferred scenario, but can best be captured in the following three policy statements:

• Revitalization and redevelopment of the region’s existing communities is a priority.

• Investment in infrastructure improvements will be coordinated and targeted at the corridor
level to optimize the impact of the investment.

• The region will focus on the identification and development of industrial sites with special attention given to well situated brownfield locations.

For Project Region to steer the region to more sustainable growth and development patterns, the plan needs to be widely embraced and advanced at all levels of planning and governance. In particular, individual projects and investments will be best evaluated in their furthering the plan’s vision by delivering on the plan's policy statements.

The following links to the draft report and includes scenario descriptions, performance measures images, as well as the plan's policies, programs, and projects: Long Range Plan

SPC is currently accepting public input on the draft plan. For a list of scheduled public participation panel input opportunities go to: Project Region

SPC has employed a variety of innovative tactics to engage the public in the planning process with extensive outreach efforts in each of the ten counties, use of simultaneous webcasts and interactive voting technology to gather a broad spectrum of public opinion. SPC should be applauded for collecting input from thousands of individuals, representing perhaps the most extensive engagement of any of its regional planning efforts to date.

The Smart Growth Conference also featured reports from the three Smart Growth Community Committees addressed specific issues around the areas of speeding the process and increasing state resource coordination for redevelopment, intergovernmental cooperation and local funding for public transportation. In each of these sessions the presenters identified specific tools that are working and areas of improvement. A unifying theme from each is that in order for Project Region's focused growth scenario to come to fruition, the region needs to enhance capacities at the local and regional levels for redevelopment, targeted investments, and drivers of smart growth such as linking land use, economic development, infrastructure, and public services. Conference attendees provided input that will be used to guide next steps for each committee in developing their action agendas.

The organizations collaborating to present the Smart Growth Conference and Smart Growth Community Committees are:
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

Resources

Smart Transportation for Focused Growth: Best Practices

The Rivers Club
One Oxford Centre
301 Grant Street, 4th Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Monday, June 11, 2007
8 - 11 am

The Urban Land Institute in partnership with the ULI-Pittsburgh District Council, PennFuture, Sustainable Pittsburgh, 10000 Friends of Pennsylvania, and the Local Government Academy is convening a panel of experts to discuss the importance of sound land use policy in setting transportation priorities. ur region's economic competitiveness depends on smart choices for transportation and transit investments. Program Presentations: Douglas I. Foy, President, DIF Enterprises and former Secretary, Massachusetts Office of Commonwealth Development
Secretary Allen D. Biehler, PA Department of Transportation
Stephen G. Bland, CEO, Port Authority of Allegheny County
Robert Dunphy, ULI Senior Resident Fellow, Transportation
Jim Hassinger, President & CEO, Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission

Register

Seminar Series - Urban Ecological Collaborative

Saturday, May 26 & Sunday May 27
11-4 pm at 810-812 Holland Ave., Wilkinsburg, PA
Contact 412-638-3333

If you're planting your own garden you'll want to know about the Memorial Day Plant Sale this weekend at Garden Dreams Urban Garden and Nursery in Wilkinsburg, where Mindy Schwartz has been growing and selling starts of heirloom tomatoes and other vegetables for seven years now. This year she has 82 varieties of tomatoes available (plus an amazing variety of eggplants and peppers). The sale will also feature herbs and flowers from Blackberry Meadows Farm

Saturday May 26 (or Friday 'till Sunday, for campers)
Allegheny Mountain Green Festival will be "Exploring our Future in an Age of Limits" with talks on peak oil, global climate change, and sustainable agriculture as well as films and other activities for grownups and kids at a beautiful campground in the Allegheny Mountains. Lots more information at More Info.

Sunday May 27 is Rachel Carson's 100th birthday!

Cost: $5, under 6 free, $10 for the play
The Rachel Carson Centennial Birthday Party will be a grand block party at her birthplace in Springdale, with local foods, kids' activities, music, talks by conservation leaders, and a performance of Kaiulani Lee's play "A Sense of Wonder." More info

Interactive grassroots forum
Thursday, May 31
4836 Ellsworth, 5-9 pm
Local food buffet from 5-6pm
The title of the forum is "Collaborate, Cooperate, Co-Create" working towards creating a positive future for Pittsburgh.  Please visit the online flyer

Annual Garden Swap
Frick Environmental Center
Saturday, June 2
$3, under 12 free
Enjoy Pittsburgh Garden Stories, children's activities, and lots of fun from noon to 3pm. More information Great Wilkinsburg Clean & Green Festival. Saturday, June 2, 11 to 4 (rain or shine)
Raising awareness of environmental issues with booths by nonprofits and local government and community groups, nature activities for children, food, and music. , free, on the grounds of the Jane Holmes Residence and Gardens at 441 Swissvale Ave. More information

Cool Down on June 1: Cool Space Awards Party!

Friday, June 1
7 to 10 pm
Contact: (412) 683.5790 x24
For ticket information

Beat the rush - there are only 3 days left to get tickets for the 2007 Cool Space Awards Party which spotlights the 10 Cool Space Award winners, who are leading the revitalization of the Pittsburgh region. This year's venue is The Meter Room, a warehouse-turned-studio and performance space by John Ross, located in Pittsburgh's Sheraden neighborhood.Admission to the party includes catered food and drinks from Willow and the grooves of DJ Soy Sos.

The 51st Annual Pittsburgh Folk Festival

Friday, May 25 - 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Saturday, May 26 - Noon to 10 p.m.
Sunday, May 27 - Noon to 6 p.m
David L. Lawrence Convention Center Downtown
Cost: Adults (13 & over) - $10 Children (4-12) - $4 More informations

Resources

Sprawl is our 'inconvenient truth'

To accept responsibility for our impact on the climate and redirect our planning energy toward the sustainable development of cities and communities will involve a more systematic review of provincial and municipal policies across ... Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan

Forum on economics planned at Penn State New Ken

The ideas presented so far in Vandergrift have resonated with Wayne Teeple, vice president of the Vandergrift Improvement Project. "If this catches on in Vandergrift, it will spread up and down the river," he said. "We haven't run into anybody yet who hasn't supported it."

World's cities call for action on global warming

Mayors from some of the world's largest urban areas called on cities to unite and take the lead in tackling climate change Tuesday, at a summit in New York devoted to protecting the environment. "As cities produce three-fourths of the carbon emissions, we must act," said London Mayor Ken Livingstone, the head of the C40 large cities, describing climate change as "the single biggest threat to the future of humanity."

Running the Numbers: An American Self-Portrait

This new series looks at contemporary American culture through the austere lens of statistics. Each image portrays a specific quantity of something: fifteen million sheets of office paper (five minutes of paper use); 106,000 aluminum cans (thirty seconds of can consumption) and so on. My hope is that images representing these quantities might have a different effect than the raw numbers alone, such as we find daily in articles and books. Statistics can feel abstract and anesthetizing, making it difficult to connect with and make meaning of 3.6 million SUV sales in one year, for example, or 2.3 million Americans in prison, or 426,000 cell phones retired every day. This project visually examines these vast and bizarre measures of our society, in large intricately detailed prints assembled from thousands of smaller photographs. More

Study: Pittsburgh's economy continues its uphill battle

The study urges states to direct investments to upgrade existing transportation and infrastructure, rather than new highway projects that encourage development toward undeveloped greenfield areas. Such investments will enable cities to leverage existing assets, including waterfront areas, historic buildings, universities and cultural amenities, such as art, theater, sports and museum venues.

Survey shows many workers would favor environmentally-friendly employer

In a recent survey of 2,473 workers, 33 percent said they would be more inclined to work for a green company compared to one that does not make environmentally-friendly efforts. (The survey by employment agency Adecco has a margin of error of 3 percentage points.) "People are becoming more sensitive and connecting the dots on how the company behaves," says Bernadette Kenny, chief career officer at Melville, N.Y.-based Adecco. "Do I think a vast majority of employees will only work for a green company? I think we're a long time from there. I think it'll be a dramatic increase from where we've been."

Toppan Printing Selected as One of World's Most Sustainable Corporation

To compile the Global 100, Corporate Knights Inc., a Canadian CSR magazine publisher, and Innovest Strategic Value Advisors, an American investment research company, assess about 1500 public-listed companies that make up the MSCI World Index. They select 100 corporations that are highly evaluated for pursuit of sustainability, because of their outstanding management ability to cope with risks for environmental, social problems and governance and to grab business related to these problems.

Saving the Climate for Fun and Profit - Amory Lovins

The truth is just the opposite: protecting the climate is not costly but profitable. That’s right: what we must do to stop global warming (whether or not you think it’s real) will not cost you extra; it will save you money, because saving fuel costs less than buying fuel. More

Executive on a Mission: Saving the Planet

Use of fossil fuels is down 45 percent (and net greenhouse gas production, by weight, is down 60 percent), he said, while sales are up 49 percent. Globally, the company’s carpet-making uses one-third the water it used to. The company’s worldwide contribution to landfills has been cut by 80 percent.

House OKs Transit Authority; Next Step Is Crist's Signature

Plans for the authority, which would represent seven counties - Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas and Sarasota - could include light rail, an express bus system and new toll roads. "It's a tremendous victory in the Tampa Bay area," said Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, who made the bill his top priority this legislative session. "It'll have a huge impact in addressing our transportation needs."

Report says turnpike lease could fund public transit as well as roads needs

Each proposal would likely generate $965 million per year, but two options -- a long-term lease and new public corporation -- could also provide significant additional funding for the state's transit needs, the report concluded.

Corzine says asset plan and Statehouse return are near

Corzine, speaking to reporters at the governor's mansion, said the plan he expects to propose will be "entirely different" from one offered by Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, who wants wide authority to lease the Pennsylvania Turnpike to a private company. Corzine said his proposal will likely involve creating a new state agency "as opposed to privatization," but declined to elaborate.

Pittsburgh Outdoors

From bombing down steep hills on roller blades to fencing with a Bulgarian champion, Pittsburgh offers a range of adrenalin-boosting alternative sports.

Great Outdoors Guide - Southwestern Pennsylvania (on-line GO Guide)

GO Guide showcases information related to outdoor recreation in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Please follow these links for more information on the Go Guide:

Great outdoors week encourages the locals to get out and about

Great Outdoors Week, now in its sixth year, and the recent Governor's Outdoors Conference evaluating a growing trend of outdoors avoidance, suggest that Pennsylvania is near the forefront of a national effort to reconnect America to its outdoors heritage... "We're not just talking about the health benefits of getting outside, although that's part of it," said Adams. "It's reestablishing that connection [with nature] to groups that have been disenfranchised from the outdoors, getting the media to show African-American and Hispanic faces when they report on the outdoors, countering the ads of the computer and entertainment industries with all of the opportunities that exist outdoors, and reminding people that the best things in life still are free, and a lot of them are outside." For information and schedule, go to:

Hundreds venture to North Shore for outdoors festival

Passion was one of at least 5,000 people who wet fishing lines, paddled kayaks or dragon boats and learned about dozens of hiking, cycling and orienteering opportunities throughout southwestern Pennsylvania.

Open Space Referenda Results - Big victories on primary election day

Voters by wide margins approved three township open space funding measures in three different counties. http://conserveland.org/pp/pavotes2007

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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