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Events

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN

The Road to Sustainability II Conference: Implementing Sustainable Strategies

Thursday, September 23
8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Athletics and Events Center, Community College of Beaver County, Center Township
Cost: $40 per person; includes breakfast and lunch.

Community College of Beaver County (CCBC) and Sustainable Pittsburgh once again are teaming up to present this cutting edge conference on Thursday, September 23. Businesses and organizations will learn practical ways for moving a company from sustainable concept to sustainable reality--as well as what it will take train the current workforce.

Throughout the day, attendees will hear from regional and national experts and:
• Obtain first-hand information on how to implement a sustainable plan
• Learn about what products to use
• Capture the return on your investment when "going green"
• Hear about construction, renovation, energy audits, and funding sources

Numerous workshops ranging from municipal leadership to energy auditing to building design and more will be available.

Click here for more information.

Events Continued

Resources

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 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 (including Marcellus Shale impacts).

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 three speakers on practical solutions related to Marcellus Shale water issues as well as 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 Recent publicity surrounding Marcellus Shale exploration tends towards polarized debate over whether drilling should be encouraged or banned.

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.
SPACE IS LIMITED. 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
Carnegie Mellon University’s Traffic21 Initiative
City of Pittsburgh - Department of City Planning
Hill House Development Corporation
NAIOP Pittsburgh - The Commercial Real Estate Development Association
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
UPMC
Uptown Partners
Urban Land Institute - Pittsburgh Chapter

The Road to Sustainability II Conference: Implementing Sustainable Strategies

Thursday, September 23
8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Athletics and Events Center, Community College of Beaver County, Center Township
Cost: $40 per person; includes breakfast and lunch.
More information, including registration

Community College of Beaver County (CCBC) and Sustainable Pittsburgh once again are teaming up to present this cutting edge conference. Businesses and organizations will learn practical ways for moving a company from sustainable concept to sustainable reality. Throughout the day, attendees will hear from regional and national experts and:
• Get first-hand info on how to implement a sustainable plan
• Learn about what products to use
• Capture the return on your investment when "going green"
• Hear about construction, renovation, energy audits, and funding sources

Guests will also have the opportunity to attend mini workshops on such topics as:
• GBC LEED programs
• Mechanical systems
• Grant development
• Energy Auditing I and II
• Municipal leadership
• Business (employer) leadership
• Building design
• Energy company available funding
• Sustainable construction with EPS
• Storm water management and utilization
• Lighting system primer
• Variable frequency drive applications
• Recycling EPS

A Resources Room will also be available throughout the day, highlighting vendors displaying green products and services. To reserve space at the conference as a vendor, contact (724) 480-3443.

Participate in the Tipping Points for Sustainability Competition

DEADLINE for Submissions: Friday, September 24
More information

In step with the 10th annual Southwestern Pennsylvania Smart Growth Conference, the Tipping Points for Sustainability Competition is seeking input on what YOU think accelerated southwestern Pennsylvania on the path toward sustainable development over the last ten years.

Per the 14 Sustainable Community Development Essentials, (launched at the 2009 Smart Growth Conference), individuals are invited to identify and submit the significant tipping point(s), in other words, game changing moments, from the last ten years that are points of departure whereby the policy and practice of these "Essentials" were accelerated for the region.

- What is the systems change, the good, that has come from it?
- What did that tipping point put in motion; what we should have learned and how we should be applying this today?

Tipping points can be: policies, acts of leadership, mishaps, demonstration projects, an event, etc. A committee of judges will review the submissions to pick the top winners and award prizes. Winners will be announced during the 10th annual SWPA Smart Growth Conference on Friday, October 15. The grand prize winner will receive a free iPad, courtesy of the Pittsburgh Technology Council!

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.
For exhibitor and sponsorship opportunities contact: cgould@sustainablepittsburgh.org
Click here to REGISTER.
Enter the TIPPING POINTS FOR SUSTAINABILITY Competition! More information here . Deadline to enter September 24.

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
- Panel strategy session with: Steve Bland, Port Authority of Allegheny County; Caren Glotfelty, The Heinz Endowments; Doug Hill, County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania; John Schombert, 3 Rivers Wet Weather
- Formal presentation of competition results – “14 Essential Tipping Points for SWPA Sustainable Community Development" (Learn how to enter the competition) - Launch of the online Sustainable Community Essentials Rapid Assessment
- 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 Westmoreland County, Southwest Chapter of the Pennsylvania Planners Association, Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, Three Rivers Workforce Investment Board, University of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development - Pittsburgh, Young Preservationists Association

Sponsored by: The PNC Financial Services Group Michael Baker

Additional support provided by: Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation Richard King Mellon Foundation The Heinz Endowments

Post Smart Growth Conference - Power of 32 Community Conversation
Continuing the regional dialogue, immediately following conclusion of the October 15 Smart Growth Conference, a Power of 32 Community Conversation will be held from 4:30 - 6:00 pm in the David L. Lawrence Convention Center Ballroom. This regional visioning session is open and free to residents of the 32 county region. Pre-register by calling 866-431-3622 and refer to the post Oct. 15 Smart Growth Conference Community Conversation. Attendees of the Smart Growth Conference are encouraged to stay and apply insights from the day. The public at large is welcomed too. Power of 32 is a regional visioning initiative engaging residents across 32 counties in Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia in creating a shared vision for the region's future. Through the Power of 32, we can think differently about our region's challenges—our role in the global world, our quality of life, and our opportunities—and act in ways that set a new direction for the future. Please join with other champions of smart growth and sustainability in this important opportunity to share your ideas about the future of the Power of 32 region. Input gained in the community conversations held around the region will by synthesized and vetted toward creation of a shared regional action agenda.

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.

Westmoreland County's First Annual Community and Economic Development Summit

Thursday, September 9
8:30 am - 4:30 pm
Saint Vincent College, Fred Rogers Center, 300 Fraser Purchase Road, Latrobe
Registration fee: $20
RSVP by August 27th to Jack Brown at Westmoreland Community Action
More information

Westmoreland Community Action is collaborating with the Smart Growth Partnership, The Community Foundation of Westmoreland County, and PNC Bank to conduct Westmoreland County’s first-ever economic development summit. The event is an all-day affair featuring a catered breakfast, lunch, several prominent keynote speakers, along with several breakout sessions. Sandra Moore of Keynote Strategies, Dr. John McKnight of Northwestern University, and Evergreen Cooperatives of Cleveland, Ohio will all be speaking during this event.

Epic Failures - Overcoming unexpected obstacles in green building design, construction and operations

Thursday, September 9
8:00 am - 10:00 am
Fairmont Pittsburgh, 510 Market Street, 15222
Cost: $45 GBA Member | $75 Non-member
Register: Click here to register or contact karenp@gbapgh.org

Join this distinguished group of prominent local professionals who will discuss lessons learned, pioneer tactics, and how they overcame unexpected obstacles and achieved success on many large-scale green projects.

Presenters:
George Gittinger, CEM, LEED AP – Design Build Manager, Tudi Mechanical Systems
Alan Traugott, LEED AP – Managing Principal, CJL Engineering
Michael Kuhn, LEED AP – Vice President, Jendoco Construction Corporation

Who should attend: Professionals in building design, construction, operations, products, and consulting; owners/developers; government officials and staff; and interested citizens.

Event sponsored by WTW Architects & Tudi Mechanical Systems

Western PA Diversity Initiative Symposium
Retaining a Diverse Workforce in Today's Economy

Wednesday, September 15
8:30 am - 10:30 am
City-County Building, 414 Grant Street, Rm 920, downtown Pittsburgh
No fee for members and non-members
More information

Featuring Tiffany Taylor Smith, M.S. Ed.-Educator and consultant dedicated to helping people love who they are while embracing those who are different. Tiffany received her Master’s Degree in Education specializing in Counseling Services from Fordham University and Bachelor’s in Psychology from the University of Rochester. Her company, TR Taylor Consulting Group based in Cranford, NJ, is dedicated to helping individuals and organizations build better cross-cultural relationships. Prior to her work as a consultant and educator, Taylor Smith was a Diversity, Recruiting and Training Manager for Proctor & Gamble, where she worked in sales and on programs to retain minority and women employees. She is also currently working as an adjunct professor in child, adolescent and social psychology at Kean University.

Pittsburgh Park(ing) Day

Friday, September 17
Throughout the day
Contact:
CDCP: Andrea Lavin Kossis at alavin@cdcp.org
Mattress Factory: Emily Craig at Emily@mattress.org

PARK(ing) Day is an annual, one-day, international event in which artists, designers, activists and citizens collaborate to temporarily transform parking spots into “PARK(ing)” spaces.

This is your opportunity to get Pittsburghers thinking about how important public spaces are and how parks improve our communities. These park installations aim to transform urban environments designed for vehicle use into a communal space for public use. They also provide a chance to generate more awareness about your organization by showcasing your mission, activities and values.

PARK(ing) spaces come in all sizes and styles. It could be an art installation, interactive demonstration, place to sit, or showcase for urban farming and gardening. A park bench, tree and grass works too! There are countless of imaginative ways to transform a metered parking space. For inspiration, you can view images of previous-year spots at http://my.parkingday.org/.

A group of volunteers is working with the CDCP and the Mattress Factory to organize and promote this event for the third year in Pittsburgh. To learn more, visit http://parkingdaypittsburgh.blogspot.com/. Please do not hesitate to contact if you have any questions.

4th Annual Green Building Products Summit:
Changes and Opportunities in the Green Building Product Industry

Friday, September 17
8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Doubletree Monroeville Hotel, Monroeville, PA
Cost: $89
For more information or to register contact Robz@gbapgh.org or (412) 431-0709 or visit www.pa-greenbuildingproducts.org
Agenda

Changes are coming in the Green Building Products Industry! Be prepared for those changes by attending the Green Building Products Summit. This one day event is geared toward making sure YOU have all the information and resources you need to move forward successfully in the green building industry! Who should attend? Product manufacturers engaged in the green building marketplace from President/CEO to Marketing and Communications.

Household Hazardous Waste Collection

Saturday, September 18
9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Monroeville Mall (parking lot across from Best Buy)
FEE: $2/gallon to drop off items – Cash Only SWPA Household Hazardous Waste Task Force Web site
Event flyer listing ACCEPTABLE and NON ACCEPTABLE items

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, an average home can easily accumulate as much as 100 lbs of cleaners, pesticides, paints, automotive fluids and other products containing hazardous components. If you or someone you know can’t use them, or if they are simply outdated or no longer needed, please do the right thing for the environment and dispose of them properly at a 2010 SW PA HHW Task Force Collection Event!

9th Annual David Lewis Lecture on Urban Design:
"Architecture, Infrastructure, and Urban Design”

Monday, September 20
6:00 pm
Carnegie Museum of Art Theater, Oakland
Free to the public

Featuring Marilyn Taylor, FAIA
Dean of the School of Design, University of Pennsylvania

MARILYN TAYLOR, FAIA, became Dean of the School of Design of the University of Pennsylvania in 2008 where she oversees programs in Architecture, City and Regional Planning, Fine Arts, Historic Preservation, Landscape Architecture, and Urban Spatial Analytics. She advocates for the role of designers in addressing the challenges of sustainable urban form, responsible use of resources, and quality of life. Taylor is an Iowa native and a graduate of Radcliffe College. She attended the MIT Graduate School of Architecture and received her M. Arch. from the University of California, Berkeley. Taylor joined Skidmore Owings & Merrill in 1971, was elected Partner in 1985, served as SOM’s first woman Chairman (2001-2003), and led the firm’s practice in urban design. She remains a Consulting Principal.

Taylor is distinguished as well for her civic and professional leadership, having served as a member of The Partnership for New York City, president of the American Institute of Architects (NYC Chapter), first woman Chairman of the Urban Land Institute (2005-2007), visiting professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, and a founding member of the New York New Visions Design and Planning Coalition. Taylor received a David Rockefeller Fellowship in 1995.

The David Lewis Lecture on Urban Design is a free lecture co-sponsored by the Remaking Cities Institute of the School of Architecture of Carnegie Mellon University and the Heinz Architectural Center of the Carnegie Museum of Art, and underwritten by Urban Design Associates.

Mother Earth News Fair

September 25-26, 2010
Festival hours: Saturday from 10:00 am - 6:00 pm and Sunday from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Seven Springs Mountain Resort
One-day tickets are $15. Two-day tickets are $25. Children 17 and under are FREE!
More information

Join MOTHER EARTH NEWS at Seven Springs Mountain Resort for the first annual MOTHER EARTH NEWS FAIR - a fun-filled, family-oriented sustainable lifestyle event, featuring hundreds of practical, hands-on demonstrations and workshops from the leading authorities on:

Renewable Energy
Small-scale Agriculture
Gardening
Green Building
Green Transportation
Natural Health

You'll enjoy a vast eco-friendly marketplace, organic local food and beverages as well as outdoor equipment and livestock demonstrations.

SAVE THE DATE: Cameron Sinclair - When Sustainability is a Matter of Survival

Thursday, October 28
5:30 - 6:30 pm - Registration and Reception with Tapas Menu
6:30 - 8:00 pm - Presentation
IBEW Lecture Hall, 5 Hot Metal Street, South Side

Building a more sustainable future through the power of professional design.

Cameron Sinclair is the co-founder and ‘eternal optimist’ at Architecture for Humanity, a charitable organization that seeks architectural solutions to humanitarian crisis and brings professional design services to communities in need.

Each year 10,000 people directly benefit from structures designed by Architecture for Humanity. Advocacy, training and outreach programs impact an additional 50,000 people annually. Clients include community groups, aid organizations, housing developers, government agencies, corporate divisions, and foundations.

Architecture for Humanity engages all stakeholders in the design process believing their clients are designers in their own right.

This event is part of the Design Dialogue Series and is presented by La Roche College Interior Design Advisory Board.

Resources

'Sustainable' label recognizes area businesses that go green

The sustainable business, or SB, designation is the latest element in an ongoing effort supported in large part by Allegheny County's Department of Economic Development to encourage revitalization in traditional downtown business districts. . . The idea behind the Allegheny Together effort in Allegheny County and the "Main Street Network" in Beaver County is itself "green," Mr. Mehalik said. Encouraging people to shop near where they live can keep traditional downtowns thriving and reduce reliance on automobiles. Many people can take public transportation or walk to neighborhood commercial areas, he said.

More

CCBC leads Pittsburgh region down the road to sustainability with second annual conference

“One of the reasons that Southwestern Pennsylvania is increasingly recognized for its leadership in sustainability-driven innovation is that its people and firms know how to get things built and done. As more and more people see the potential from the concept of sustainability, they are delivering on the practical solutions that translate the concept into tangible products, services, and jobs, and that is what we hope to accomplish through this conference.”

Sustainable Pittsburgh's Tipping Points Contest May Aid Next Decade of Pittsburgh Growth

Tipping points might come from the establishments of new organizations (such as Construction Junction), new leadership (such as O'Connor's election), new policies, events or even mishaps. Deadline for submissions is Sept. 24.

Concludes Vinski: "We're going to hold up the tipping points as lessons we can learn in writing the next 10 years of sustainable development in western Pennsylvania."

This Week on the Allegheny Front: An Urban Food Forest and Nonprofits work to get kids outdoors

This week on The Allegheny Front, non-profit groups are changing with the times to get tech-hungry, over-scheduled kids interested in nature. We look at a traditional group and new programs in the region. We talk with Dr. Michael Rich of Harvard about a new report on the research that links kids time outdoors with health problems. Kids from Centre County weigh in on what they like to do outside. A puppet show brings Rachel Carson to life and a food forest brings fruit to an urban neighborhood.

Your home's hidden environmental horrors

Until recently, one way he would keep out the chilly New England air was by wrapping houses with 4-inch-thick extruded polystyrene, an insulation sold under brand names such as Dow Chemical Styrofoam and Owens Corning Foamular.

It turns out, though, that these materials contain a particular type of hydrofluorocarbon that is 1,430 times more potent a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.

Once called vo-tech schools, today's tech centers stress that they're not for underachievers

"Career and technical schools are one of the tremendous resources that communities have that are being underused," said Chester Wichowski, president of the Pennsylvania Association for Career and Technical Education and the associate director for career and technology education at Temple University. . ."The biggest problem that I am having is the stigma attached to what is considered blue-collar work and trying to get parents to accept the fact that their kids are forgoing college to go into that line of work," said James Knapp, a guidance counselor at Bethel Park High School. . . Joseph Iannetti, director of Western Area, said students should think of career and technical schools as legitimate avenues to a career. "We are not telling people we are an end," he said. "We are part of the process. We can help you get into a field and get an education."

Park Smart Pilot Has Cut Traffic in Park Slope, DOT Finds

They call it No-Park Slope for a reason: At many times of day, motorists looking for a legit spot in this Brooklyn neighborhood wind up cruising the streets endlessly in frustration. Because on-street parking spaces are some of the cheapest real estate in the city, drivers snap up the bargain and create parking shortages, leading to excess traffic and double-parking. In the end, everyone pays for the cheap price of parking: motorists who lose time, pedestrians and cyclists endangered by excessive traffic and double-parking, and bus riders delayed by congestion. Now it looks like there's some relief in sight.

Livability in small towns #1: Huron, South Dakota

This collection of 12 case studies helps put to rest the idea that livability is an exclusively “urban” idea. Small cities, towns and rural regions across the country are transforming themselves into more livable communities. While some of these communities face formidable threats – from job losses and shrinking populations to disappearing farmland and strained resources – their leaders have forged collaborations and created plans that are growing economies, benefiting people and protecting the land and lifestyles treasured by residents and non-residents alike.

VIDEO: Björn Stigson discusses Green Race on Australian national radio

Bjorn Stigson [President, World Business Council for Sustainable Development] this morning joined Fran Kelly from the popular ABC Radio National Breakfast show in Australia to discuss the Green Race and climate issues he told Australian listeners: “There is a green race going on internationally. The climate issue is not primarily a question of international negotiations but is really a question of competitiveness.” He continued, saying that the Green Race is a race between countries as well as between companies and that these races are complementary.

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
Paskek Associates
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