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Events

Register Now!

Regional Water Conference: Protecting and Using our Greatest Asset

Thursday, September 9
7:30 am – 3:30 pm
Regional Learning Alliance at Cranberry Woods, Cranberry 16066
Cost: $110 for ASCE, EWRI, or C4S members | $130 non-members | $50 students
Register by September 2, 2010 and save $20!
Breakfast and lunch provided

The American Society of Civil Engineers, Pittsburgh Section; Environmental & Water Resources Institute; and Champions for Sustainability, a program of Sustainable Pittsburgh, are teaming together to highlight ways in which southwestern Pennsylvania leads in the management of water and how its residents and businesses are using this region's greatest asset. This conference builds on the conversation launched during the Water Matters! Global Water Conference held in June 2010 as part of the Pittsburgh region’s World Environment Day 2010 celebration.

This conference is intended for professionals seeking to learn about practical solutions regarding water, and engineering practitioners looking to understand what is on the minds of community leaders relating to sustainability and clean water.

Topics to be covered:
Our Region’s Water Advantages – Why Pittsburgh?
Marcellus Shale Mining Impacts and Solutions
Early Warning Detection Systems for Water Protection
The Future of Water Quality Regulations and Solutions
The Water Consortium Initiative in Southwest PA
Innovative Solutions to Clean Water

More information

Resources

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN - Regional Water Conference: Protecting and Using our Greatest Asset

Thursday, September 9
7:30 am – 3:30 pm
Regional Learning Alliance at Cranberry Woods, Cranberry 16066
Cost: $110 for ASCE, EWRI, or C4S members | $130 nonmembers | $50 students
Register by September 2, 2010 and save $20!
Breakfast and lunch provided
More information, including registration and agenda, is available at www.C4SPgh.org.

This conference highlights ways in which southwestern Pennsylvania leads in the management of water and how its residents and businesses are using the region's greatest asset. The event is intended for professionals seeking to learn about practical solutions regarding water and engineering practitioners looking to understand what is on the minds of community leaders relating to sustainability and clean water.

This conference builds on the conversation launched during the Water Matters! Global Water Conference held in June 2010 as part of the Pittsburgh region’s World Environment Day 2010 celebration.

Topics to be covered:
Our Region’s Water Advantages – Why Pittsburgh?
Marcellus Shale Mining Impacts and Solutions
Early Warning Detection Systems for Water Protection
The Future of Water Quality Regulations and Solutions
The Water Consortium Initiative in Southwest PA
Innovative Solutions to Clean Water
The conference will also feature a panel to discuss what engineering and policy practitioners believe to be the most important water-related issues for this region in order to ensure that the right responses to water demand are addressed.

Presented by: American Society of Civil Engineers, Pittsburgh Section; Environmental & Water Resources Institute; and Champions for Sustainability

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN - Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Public Forum

Monday, September 20
8:00 am – 4:00 pm
Duquesne University - Power Center Ballroom, 1015 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA
No fee to attend.
To register send full contact information to: info@sustainablepittsburgh.org

A new on-street BRT service is under consideration in Allegheny County to offer faster, more reliable, and easier-to-understand transit service. The initial focus is to link Downtown Pittsburgh with Oakland and other East End neighborhoods. As has been realized in other cities, “Rapid Bus” service improves transportation and is an effective catalyst for community revitalization. Implementation of BRT in Pittsburgh’s East End could result in similar benefits for the Forbes and Fifth Avenues Corridor. Before us is a golden opportunity to envision and design the service, facilities and economic development that leaders and citizens want for their neighborhoods.

This forum, focused on Pittsburgh’s Downtown – Oakland – East End area, will feature:
- Planning, development, and transportation professionals with BRT experience along with stakeholders from the community.
- BRT insights from other cities including: Kansas City, Los Angeles, and Cleveland.
- Secretary Allen Biehler, PennDOT
- Breakout sessions will facilitate discussion of BRT benefits, challenges and community development issues.

Pittsburgh BRT Forum Collaborators:
Allegheny Conference on Community Development
Allegheny County Department of Economic Development
Allegheny County Transit Council
Allegheny County Transportation Action Partnership
Bike Pittsburgh
City of Pittsburgh - Department of City Planning
Hill House Development Corporation
National Association of Industrial and Office Properties - Pittsburgh Chapter
National Bus Rapid Transit Institute
Oakland Planning & Development Corp.
Oakland Transportation Management Association
Oakland Task Force
Pittsburgh Community Reinvestment Group
Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership
Pittsburgh Partnership for Neighborhood Development
Port Authority of Allegheny County
Remaking Cities Institute
Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission
Sustainable Pittsburgh
Traffic21
UPMC
Uptown Partners
Urban Land Institute - Pittsburgh Chapter

10th Annual Southwestern PA Smart Growth Conference:
Regional Collaboration: Investing in Sustainable Communities

Friday, October 15
8:30 am - 4:30 pm
David L. Lawrence Convention Center, downtown Pittsburgh
Lunch provided.
Early registration: $25; After 9/23: $45. Free for elected officials.
REGISTER NOW
For exhibitor and sponsorship opportunities contact: cgould@sustainablepittsburgh.org

For this 10th anniversary, the conference will be a milestone for the high stakes surrounding the region's capacity building for smart growth. Focus will be on alignment with the Obama Administration's Interagency Partnership for Sustainable Communities (comprising federal DOT, EPA, and HUD) in supporting integration of housing, transportation, water infrastructure, energy conservation, and land use planning and investment. As such, this one-day, conference will identify barriers and solutions to cross-jurisdictional coordination for regional smart growth and sustainable community development policy and implementation. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan hit home the need and opportunity of our times in recently stating, "Our challenge now is to bring that holistic view of community development into the mainstream -- to help build sustainable neighborhoods, communities and regions that are as interconnected as the challenges they face."

The conference will again serve as a public input session to the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission's process of updating the region's Long Range Transportation and Development Plan. This update will be distinguished by addition of enhancements appropriate to a regional sustainable development plan per the six "Livability Principles" prioritized by the federal Partnership for Sustainable Communities.

The conference will feature:
- Mariia Zimmerman, Deputy Director, HUD Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities
- Representatives of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, U.S. Department of Transportation, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will discuss the U.S. government's interagency partnership to support and promote sustainable communities.
- Keynote address by Peter Calthorpe, Principal, Calthorpe Associates - Urban Designers, Planners, Architects
- Allen Biehler, Secretary of PA Department of Transportation
- John Hanger, Secretary of PA Department of Environmental Protection
- SPC public process per the region's sustainable development plan
- Four pressing issues interwoven in deliberations: Transportation Funding Crisis, Water & Sewer Infrastructure, Marcellus Impacts, Affordable Housing
- Formal presentation of competition results – “14 Essential Tipping Points for SWPA Sustainable Community Development" (Learn how to enter the competition)
- Learn what federal and state agencies are looking for in capacity and qualification for sustainable community investment
- Identification of actionable steps whose implementation will position our region to accelerate sustainable development and be a priority place for investment
- Crafting of a summary of participants' input and resulting action plan for presentation to the candidates for Governor, other candidates and incumbents, and community leaders

Southwestern PA is a contemporary proving ground for hastening the new American dream found in revitalizing livable, sustainable communities through smart growth policies that discourage sprawl, congestion and pollution. Come be part of continuing the region's sustainability renaissance for economically competitive, environmentally sustainable, opportunity rich communities. More than a one-time event, the conference will be a point of acceleration and innovation for the region's positive path.

Peter Calthorpe has been named one of twenty-five "innovators on the cutting edge" by Newsweek Magazine for his work redefining the models of urban and suburban growth in America. Starting practice in 1976, he has a long and honored career in urban design, planning and architecture, combining his experience in each discipline to develop new approaches to urban revitalization, suburban growth, and regional planning. His early published work included technical papers, articles for popular magazines, and a number of seminal books, including Sustainable Communities with Sim Van der Ryn, and the Pedestrian Pocket Book with Doug Kelbaugh. The Next American Metropolis: Ecology, Community, and the American Dream, published in 1993, introduced the concept of Transit Oriented Development (TOD) and provided extensive guidelines and illustrations of their board application. His latest book with William Fulton, The Regional City: Planning for the End of Sprawl, explains how regional-scale planning and design can integrate urban revitalization and suburban renewal into a coherent vision of metropolitan growth.

Presented by Sustainable Pittsburgh's Sustainable Community Development Network in collaboration with: 3 Rivers Wet Weather, 10,000 Friends of PA, Allegheny Conference on Community Development, Community Design Center of Pittsburgh, Green Building Alliance, Group Against Smog and Pollution, Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania, Local Government Academy, Pittsburgh Interfaith Impact Network, Pittsburgh Partnership for Neighborhood Development, Pennsylvania Association of Sustainable Agriculture, Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation District 10, District 11, and District 12, Pennsylvania Resources Council, Remaking Cities Institute, Smart Growth Partnership of Westmorland County, Southwest Chapter of the Pennsylvania Planners Association, Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, Three Rivers Workforce Investment Board, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development - Pittsburgh, Young Preservationists Association

BikeFest 2010

Happening now until August 15, 2010!
Various times and locations

BikeFest Highlights:
Aug 9: Mobile Bike Repair Project
Aug 11: Bike-in Movie: The Great Muppet Caper
Aug 12: Ladies Mt. Biking 101
Aug 12: Bike Polo Pickup Game
Aug 12: Disposable Film Fest Bike-In Movie
Aug 13: A Flock of Cycles: Flock all Night
Aug 14: Bicycle Times Ride to PAPA – World Pinball Championships
Aug 14: Lecture by David Herlihy, Author of the Lost Cyclist
Aug 15: Creamcycle, the Revival
Aug 15: Zomb the Tombs – Pittsburgh Cemetery History Tour

BikeFest, the region’s annual celebration of biking and bike culture, kicks off August 6th with a fundraiser for BikePGH at the Pittsburgh Opera, 2425 Liberty Avenue in the Strip District. Over the following 10 days, BikeFest will feature 60 independently organized rides and events throughout the city geared towards cyclists.

Pittsburgh is filled with interesting things to see and do, and there is no better way to experience the city than on a bicycle. Bike Pittsburgh decided to celebrate the two by creating BikeFest--to both raise awareness of the bike as a fun, healthy, and environmentally friendly way to get around, and to highlight some of the amazing things Pittsburgh has to offer. Bike Pittsburgh serves as a clearinghouse to provide information on BikeFest. All rides are at your own risk. Details and schedules can be found at www.bike-pgh.org/bikefest.

Sprout Fund Spring Program: Attend the 2010 Biodiversity Symposium

Monday, August 9
3:00 pm - 6:00 pm (registration starts at 2:30 pm)
Cabaret at Theater Square, 655 Penn Avenue, downtown Pittsburgh
Free; registration is required
More information

The Spring Program is a funding stream designed to catalyze biodiversity projects in Southwestern Pennsylvania with small grants of up to $20,000. Supported by The Pittsburgh Foundation and led by The Sprout Fund, the program seeks to support projects that enhance and preserve our region’s natural ecosystems. To learn more about biodiversity and the Spring Program, please plan to attend the 2010 Biodiversity Symposium at the Cabaret at Theater Square in Downtown Pittsburgh. The symposium will explore current topics and trends, promote a better understanding of local biodiversity, and plant the seeds for potential collaborations among regional stakeholders. From conservationists and ecologists to botanists and beekeepers, this gathering will provide an opportunity for all environmental advocates to brainstorm ways to protect and enhance the biodiversity of Southwestern Pennsylvania.

Spring funding awards will catalyze community-based projects that creatively address the ecological challenges faced and inspire greater stewardship of this region’s natural resources. Deadline is September 24, 2010. Get involved and submit your idea at www.sproutfund.org/spring.

How to Market Green Building Products: Greenwash or Green Products?

Two-part webinar course
Wednesday, August 11 and Wednesday, August 18
2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
Contact: Rob Zahorchak at robz@gbapgh.org
More information

This course is for building product manufacturers and distributors who are just entering or seeking to enter the green building marketplace. Company sales representatives, marketing professionals and company leaders are all welcome!

This training focuses on:
• Understanding the green building market
• Greenwashing
• U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED® ) Building Rating System
• Ways in which your products can be counted towards points within LEED

Human Health and the Environment Workshop

Wednesday, August 11
6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
CCI Center, 64 South 14th Street, South Side
COST: $20 per person (all participants receive a comprehensive green cleaning kit for attending)
Contact: Sarah Alessio Shea at saraha@ccicenter.org or (412) 488-7490 ext. 236

In 1962 Rachel Carson stated that for the first time in the history of the world, every human being is now subjected to contact with dangerous chemicals, from the moment of conception until death. This statement was true then and continues to be true today.

This Health and the Environment Workshop is designed to heighten awareness and encourage action around the issue of carcinogens and toxins that individuals come into contact with daily through products used and food eaten. The workshop also focuses on the consequences of these toxins on health and how to avoid exposure. The program provides the public with practical solutions such as safe alternatives and healthy lifestyle choices.

Presented by the Pennsylvania Resources Council in partnership with UPCI Center for Environmental Oncology.

Allegheny Green and Innovation Festival

Saturday, August 14
11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Hartwood Ampitheater
Press release

Come to the Allegheny Green & Innovation Festival and learn about sustainable living and innovation in all forms. This zero-waste event will include earth-friendly food & product vendors, crafters, green living demonstrations, musical entertainment, children’s activities & much more! Any organization or individual interested in providing a demonstration or exhibit should send an e-mail to greenfestival@alleghenycounty.us. There is no fee for vendors, but the focus is on green living, sustainability, and innovation. All exhibits should be informative and engaging.

Port Authority Public Hearing

Thursday, August 19
8:00 am - 8:00 pm
David L. Lawrence Convention Center, downtown Pittsburgh
More information

Port Authority is proposing to reduce service by 35 percent, including the elimination of 48 routes, and increase its fares by a quarter for most riders in January due to a statewide transportation crisis. The Federal Government's decision to not permit tolling on Interstate 80 has created a $450 million gap statewide in transportation funding. The local impact for roads, bridges and public transportation would be devastating. Port Authority's impact is immediate and it is accepting public comments in writing or at PortAuthority.org from July 28-Aug. 31. Those wishing to testify at the public hearing are encouraged to pre-register by calling 412-566-5437 (TTY 412-231-7007) from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on weekdays. Oral testimony will be limited to three minutes per speaker. Those who have not pre-registered may register at the hearing and will be called on as time slots become available. Port Authority will provide a sign language interpreter at the hearing as well as Braille copies of informational documents.

What do we need to know?
A panel discussion on potential public health impacts of Marcellus Shale drilling

Friday, August 27
1:30 pm - 3:00 pm
G23 Parran Hall, 130 DeSoto Street, Oakland
Free and open to the public
For more information visit, www.chec.pitt.edu and www.fractracker.org.

Serious potential environmental and public health concerns surround the gas extraction process used in the Marcellus Shale, the sedimentary rock formation underlying significant portions of Pennsylvania, New York, and West Virginia. This panel discussion will address the following topics: • Conceptual site modeling
• Potential human exposure pathways to water and air contaminants
• Behavioral and community health concerns
• Public health preparedness related to gas industry operations
• Fractracker.org, a Web platform that gives researchers the ability to directly engage citizens in the collection of data to effectively demonstrate the impacts of Marcellus Shale gas extraction

Dan Volz, DrPH, MPH, assistant professor in the GSPH Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, and director of the Center for Healthy Environments and Communities (CHEC)
Charles Christen, DrPH, MEd, CHEC director of operations
Samantha Malone, MPH, CPH, CHEC communications specialist

Running Green for Three Rivers: 5K Run & Walk

Sunday, August 29
Registration: 10:00 am
Starting Time: 10:30 am
Start: 16th Street Bridge, downtown
Finish: 9th Street Bridge, downtown at Rachel’s Sustainable Feast
Cost: $15.00 ($7 goes to the Rachel Carson Homestead; the rest of the proceeds go to Three Rivers Community Foundation)
Register online or via mail. For more info, visit: rungreenpa.org
Registration form

In pursuit of environmental justice, Three Rivers Community Foundation is organizing a 5K Run & Walk (postponed from World Environment Day in June) to promote and commemorate the sustainable efforts in Pittsburgh. Running Green for Three Rivers will be syncing up with the Rachel's Sustainable Feast organized by the Rachel Carson Homestead, so that the run ends at the feast. The mission of this event is to raise public awareness about and build support for local grassroots sustainability initiatives. Dogs and pets welcome! As a participant, your entry to the Feast is covered by the cost of this event. The Feast runs from 12-4pm.

Sponsored by The Three Rivers Community Foundation in partnership with Rachel Carson Homestead, East End Food Coop, G-Tech, Sustainable Pittsburgh, Group Against Smog and Pollution, Venture Outdoors and other groups TBA.

4th Annual Rachel's Sustainable Feast

Sunday, August 29
Noon - 5:00 pm
Rachel Carson Bridge (9th Street Bridge), downtown Pittsburgh
Early bird Ticket: $7 by July 31
Kids 5 and under are free
For sponsorship information, please contact Fiona Fisher at fiona@rachelcarsonhomestead.org or (724) 274-5459

Come see the best of the region's hottest chefs who support local sustainable farmers, favorite local farmers' who grow sustainably, friends who are eco-friendly vendors, and groups who work to protect our land, water and air, and more ways to learn about sustainable living in one of this country's fastest-growing green marketplaces - southwestern Pennsylvania!

Among those chefs in attendance will be Kevin Sousa of Salt of the Earth, Keith Fuller of SixPenn Kitchen, Steve Salvi of Fede Pasta, Penn's Corner Farm Alliance, Sonoma Grille and/or Seviche, and Bill Fuller of the big Burrito Restaurant Group. More updates to come.

Retrospective on Women, Then and Now

Friday, September 24
11:00 am - 1:30 pm (Doors open at 10:30 am)
Omni William Penn Hotel, 530 William Penn Place, downtown Pittsburgh
Cost: $85 per person for non-members | $75 per person YWCA members
RSVP by September 13, 2010
For more information call (412) 255-1279 or email specialevents@ywcapgh.org.

Presented by the YWCA Greater Pittsburgh, this luncheon event features Gloria Steinem, renowned women's activist, writer, and founder of "Ms. Magazine." Then and Now, "Retrospective on Women" explores "what we were, are, and continue to be as women."

Resources

Your opinion wanted on municipal services in Allegheny County

The Pittsburgh Foundation, together with support from funding partners, recently launched a comprehensive initiative to promote public discussion and feedback about municipal services in Allegheny County. The initiative is called Allegheny Forum and has been developed to provide public officials with opinions and ideas from citizens on improved efficiencies and cost-effectiveness among Allegheny County's 130 local municipalities, including the City of Pittsburgh.

A key component of this exercise is the development of a new website, inviting individuals and organizations across the county to provide their views on-line about major issues that are critical to their communities. The website is featuring in detail different issues every two weeks; it provides background information and resources and offers a discussion format for presenting and sharing opinions.

The website can be accessed at www.alleghenyforum.org. If you live in Allegheny County, or if you have views about municipal services in the county, please consider participating in our initiative. We would like to include your thoughts and opinions. For more information, please visit the Foundation's website at www.pittsburghfoundation.org.

This Week: Marcellus Violations, Colony Collapse Disorder, and Algae in Lake Erie

This week on The Allegheny Front, a new report says violations by Marcellus drillers could harm the environment. Bee colonies are in trouble. Researchers from around the world met in State College to discuss the latest on Colony Collapse Disorder. Municipalities across Pennsylvania have a reprieve from a September deadline for planning storm water fixes. We'll discuss what this means for the state's waterways. Radon has been known to cause lung cancer for years but too many people are still exposed. In other news, hot weather may cause algae growth to explode in Lake Erie, Massey Energy meets with families and Bisphenol A is found in cash register receipts. Our summer-long series on connecting kids with nature continues with stories from students in Centre County who love to hike, swim and play sports.

More

Putting Smart Growth to Work in Rural Communities

Many rural communities are facing challenges, including rapid growth at metropolitan edges, declining rural populations, and loss of working lands. This report focuses on smart growth strategies that can help guide growth in rural areas while protecting natural and working lands and preserving the rural character of existing communities.

Sustainable Design and Green Building Toolkit for Local Governments

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) developed the Sustainable Design and Green Building Toolkit for Local Governments to assist local governments with identifying and removing barriers to sustainable design and green building within their permitting process. This Toolkit addresses the codes/ordinances that would affect the design, construction, renovation, and operation and maintenance of a building and its immediate site. There are two sections to the Toolkit: the first section is an Assessment Tool and Resource Guide. The second section is a guide to developing an Action Plan for implementing changes within a community’s permitting process.

Vision 2050: The new agenda for business - full report

The Vision 2050 report lays out a pathway leading to a global population of some 9 billion people living well, within the resource limits of the planet by 2050. This work results from an 18-month combined effort with CEOs and experts, and dialogues with over 200 companies and external stakeholders in some 20 countries. The report presents new opportunities for business in a broad range of business segments with the foresight to lead their societies on a sustainable business development agenda.

The "Green Race" is on

“The Green Race is on between countries to transform to low-carbon economies and become the leading suppliers of resource-efficient technologies and solutions,” said WBCSD President Björn Stigson to the e8 in Japan. Created in 1992, the e8 brings together world leading electricity companies active in sustainable development. “If you want to win, you need to transform your home market to build competences and scale,” he continued. China is quite aggressively moving in this direction, and the European Union and Japan have already embarked on a green path.

Rendell: PA would hardly notice a Fee Increase

Rendell says the legislature must find new revenues during a special session on transportation later this month, otherwise bus service across the state will be crippled and bridge and road repairs will fall even more behind. Rendell has put three ideas on the table for the legislature to consider.

PENNDOT map highlights funding crisis

Pennsylvania’s Department of Transportation has posted two maps online that call attention to the state’s transportation funding shortfall.

One map shows what transportation projects will be cut if no transportation funding solution is found. The other depicts new projects that could move forward if PennDOT had funding increases of $1 billion, $1.5 billion, or $2 billion.

Governor Edward G. Rendell’s Remarks to Senate Transportation Committee

Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Senator Stout has called for uncapping that tax, an action that would generate $910 million annually. It would also result in a 14-cent price per gallon increase at the pump. If, instead, you set the rate midway between the wholesale price and the market price, let’s say at $1.80 per gallon, an additional $558 million would be available for our transportation improvement needs and the price at the pump would climb by nine cents. It makes sense to consider this option. The other element of the gas tax is the flat tax at the pump which is 12 cents per gallon. The last time this tax was increased was in 1983. You could index that tax to inflation, which would essentially translate into a four-cent increase per gallon at the pump, and generate $247 million a year. That’s slightly more than half of the $472 million Act 44 funding hole.

Black and Gold City Goes Green actions for August 2010

Have one meatless day per week.
- 18 percent of global warming pollution comes from livestock. This pollution comes from the energy used to grow corn feed for livestock as well as from the gases produced by the digestive systems of cattle.
- By limiting meat, especially beef, you can help slow global climate change.
- Choosing to have just one meatless day per week can save over 718 pounds of heat trapping gasses in a single year.

Shop local – especially at our farmers’ markets and farm stands.
- The average meal consumed in the United States travels 1,200 miles from the farm to your plate.
- The average locally-grown meal travels only 200 miles.
- One day a week of local eating can save an astounding 6000 pounds of global warming pollution per year.

Buy organic.
- Global warming pollution savings from organic food production comes from not using petroleum based pesticides and synthetic fertilizers and minimizing the tractor use that comes from applying them.
- Choosing to eat organic food one day a week for the whole year can save 572 pounds of heat trapping gasses from being emitted in that year.

San Francisco Parking Battle Shows Limits Of Smart Planning

Neighbors are in uproar over a 71-unit affordable housing project planned on a bus-turnaround in a residential area of San Francisco because it provides only 7 parking spaces. Is smart growth planning getting ahead of itself by becoming top-down?

"Parking is the battleground in the transit-first world of San Francisco development. Planners and environmental activists argue that limits on parking are the only way to keep congestion from strangling city streets, while developers and many residents complain that the tough new rules reflect a hazy vision of some car-free urban utopia and not the reality of life in a major American city."

"Without limiting parking, people will choose an auto-oriented lifestyle and continue to drive," says a "Parking and Better Neighborhoods" report on the city Planning Department's website. "Traffic will continue to worsen."

Apparently, the neighbors think otherwise....

River users may get trails in waterways

The Ohio River Water Trail Council seeks to designate portions of the Ohio River, Beaver River and Little Beaver Creek as "water trails," a series of designated paddling routes, landings and access points for canoers, kayakers and small-boat owners.

Texas Company To Export Alaskan Water to India

"S2C Global Systems has announced the creation of a water hub at a port on the west coast of India with the potential to distribute billions of gallons of water each year from Sitka, Alaska to markets in India, the Middle East and west Asia," reports Brett Walton.

"This will be the world’s first large-volume exports of water via tanker: companies have tried unsuccessfully for more than two decades to break open the bulk water export market. Past attempts have been thwarted by daunting logistics, concerns about natural resource sovereignty and commodification as well as the availability of cheaper local sources."

Sustainable Pittsburgh Partners with Town Center Associates to Establish a Sustainable Business Designation Program

The Sustainable Business designation recognizes businesses in southwestern Pennsylvania business districts for implementing actions that are simultaneously good for their bottom line, the environment, and social fabric of their communities. The criteria used to substantiate a sustainable business are based largely upon the Sustainable Community Essentials developed at the Southwestern Pennsylvania Smart Growth Conference in 2009. . .Qualifying businesses can receive a Certified Local Independent Business designation in addition to designation as a local, independent business in the Downtown First program’s Downtown First online directory. . .The Downtown First program and directory were developed by Town Center Associates in order to promote downtown business districts and local, independent businesses in the Pittsburgh region. Currently 22 business districts are participating in the Downtown First program.

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 ($1,000 and up) in 2010 from:

Allegheny County - Dan Onorato, County Executive
Atkins Family Foundation
BNY Mellon
Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation
Dollar Bank
Elsie H. Hillman Foundation
FedEx Ground
Port Authority of Allegheny County
Richard King Mellon Foundation
The Heinz Endowments
UPMC
Waste Management


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