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Events

Creating a Sustainable Organization

Register now!

Thursday, November 13
9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Regional Learning Alliance, Cranberry Township, PA
Learn more!

An Interactive Forum for the HR Professional, CEO, CFO, Sustainability Director and. . .

Companies all over the world are embracing sustainability as one of the most important factors for staying competitive. With world-class experts both speaking and facilitating interactive sessions, this is an opportunity for participants to:

• Better define what sustainability means for your organization
• Improve your sustainability strategies - to increase profits and satisfy all stakeholders: employees, customers, vendors and shareholders
• Learn how local and national organizations have profitably implemented sustainable practices
• Understand how to build and maintain an adaptable sustainability culture
• Learn how to modify HR processes and functions to support sustainability

Resources

Energy from Biomass and Waste Conference & Expo

October 14-16
David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Downtown
www.ebw-expo.com

As issues of energy security and environmental protection begin to dominate policy and the news, domestically produced energy from biomass and waste can provide an economically viable alternative to traditional energy sources. Now is the time for bioenergy in Pittsburgh as Pennsylvania’s natural resources and recent legislation put the state in prime position to be a national and international leader.

EBW is the premier North American showcase and educational forum for the growing business of using energy and biomass waste to clean & renewable energy supplies. In addition to a traditional technology exhibition, the event features two days of conference tracks featuring targeted market, technology, finance & investment, project development, and workforce development forums. Pittsburgh’s own Steel City Biofuels in conjunction with Freesen & Partner GmbH will host over 1,000 delegates from around the world at this 2nd annual Energy from Biomass and Waste Conference and Expo.

Common Good, Common Wealth Town Hall Meeting

Thursday, October 16
7:00 pm
Episcopal Church of the Redeemer, 5700 Forbes Ave., Squirrel Hill
Contact: Helen Ortmann at hortmann@verizon.net

Common Good, Common Wealth works to promote the common good, i.e., shared moral values that uphold the dignity and welfare of the denizens of Pennsylvania, the United States and the world. The group is inviting elected officials and candidates from Southwestern Pennsylvania to participate in this meeting. The desire is to have a "standing room only" audience to let the officials and candidates know that there are many people who have a broader value system that encompasses the totality of society.

The town hall meeting will be moderated by Rev. John Welch of the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. The tentative format of the town hall meeting will be to first introduce the concept of the common good to the audience, including the Common Good, Common Wealth "Founding Statement" and its "Commitment to Common Good Solutions" as well as the Convention's "Platform for the Common Good." Senator Bob Casey (a speaker at the Philadelphia convention) was invited but is unable to attend, but may send a representative who will read a statement of support from him. Members of the Common Good, Common Wealth and delegates to the Philadelphia convention will ask questions of the invited officials and candidates. The audience will be invited to ask elected officials and candidates questions concerning the common good.

Heinz Talks: Climate Change and Energy Policy - Advice to our Next President

Monday, October 20
5:00 pm
Mellon Institute Auditorium, 4400 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA
(please use the S. Bellefield Avenue entrance)
RSVP: Kristin Niceswanger at (412) 268-6066 or kristinn@andrew.cmu.edu no later than Tuesday, October 14.
More information at http://heinztalks.blogspot.com

What direction will the US energy policy take in the next four years?

Four leaders will give their perspectives on climate change and energy policy and the resulting impact on economic growth and technological innovation. The discussion will focus on bold and critical recommendations for our next president. Welcome and introduction by Teresa Heinz; moderated by Moira Gunn, host, NPR’s Tech Nation.
Speakers:
John Holdren, Teresa and John Heinz Professor of Environmental Policy and Director of the Program on Science, Technology, and Public Policy at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, as well as President and Director of the independent, non-profit Woods Hole Research Center. He is also the recipient of the 7th annual Heinz Award for Public Policy.
Lee Branstetter, Associate Professor of Economics and Public Policy, Heinz School and Department of Social and Decision Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University.
Granger Morgan, Lord Chair Professor in Engineering; Professor and Department Head, Engineering and Public Policy; Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Heinz School, Carnegie Mellon University.
Melissa Young, second year student in the Heinz School’s Master of Science in Public Policy and Management program and recipient of the Otto Davis Scholarship.

Multi-Municipal Planning Basics

October 20 and 27
6:30 pm - 9:00 pm (6pm registration)
Penn State New Kensington, 3550 Seventh Street Road, New Kensington, PA 15068
Free
Registration methods: visit www.localgovernmentacademy.org, call 412-237-3171, fax 412-237-3139, or mail (address on brochure)
Contact: Anita Lengvarsky at alengvarsky@localgovernmentacademy.org
Brochure

Multi-Municipal Planning Basics is a free program specifically for those interested in learning more about multi-municipal planning. Training content is based on the “Growing Smarter” amendments to the Pennsylvania MPC and will cover a variety of topics including:
• Why Do It
• Community Visioning
• The Comprehensive Plan
• Zoning
• Subdivision and Land Development
• Open Space and Agriculture Preservation
• How to Finance and Administer a Multi-

Bring a Training “Buddy” -- If you are interested by the prospect of multimunicipal planning as a tool for effective land use management in your community, then this program is for you. However, as the name implies, “multi-municipal” means the participation of more than one municipality. Therefore, when registering for this free program, it is recommended that you bring at least one official from a neighboring community. Others from your community, including interested citizens, may also attend. Even if you and your training “buddy” haven’t formally started work on a joint project, you will want to attend this training together. By attending with a neighbor, you will obtain the program’s maximum benefit by being able to contemplate the “real world” circumstance of your community and those that surround and impact you.

2008 Greening Existing Buildings Exhibit

Tuesday, October 21
Duquesne University Power Center, 1015 Forbes Ave., Uptown
9:30 am
Fee: $20 Member* / $50 Non-Member / Space is limited!!
*Member price is available to members of BOMA, GBA, IFMA, IREM, NAIOP, Sustainable Pittsburgh and WPAA.
Registration form

Join BOMA and the Green Building Alliance for two seminars ("Generations at Work" and "LEED EB Overview") along with lunch and a Trade Show dedicated to 'green' products.

PIIN Public Action meeting

Thursday, October 23
7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
East Liberty Presbyterian Church, 116 S. Highland Ave., 15206
Free and open to the public
Contact: Wallace Watson at wallwat1@verizon.net

The Pittsburgh Interfaith Impact Network will challenge public officials to commit to specific solutions on a range of local, state, and national issues, including Community Benefits Agreements, Public Transportation, and Universal Affordable Healthcare. The public is invited; no charge.

Best Practices to Revitalize PA's Communities

Thursday, October 23
8:30 am - 4:00 pm
Westmoreland County
Greensburg Garden & Civic Center, 951 Old Salem Road, Greensburg, PA 15601
Fee: $50 per person (includes tuition, materials and lunch) See brochure for discount information.
Brochure

The PA Downtown Economic Toolkit and Community Revitalization Guide are the newest and most innovative guides available to help you revitalize your community. In this course, our instructors will analyze the strategies that have proven to be most effective in attracting new residents, new jobs, and investments to some Pennsylvania communities. You will walk away with two things: knowledge about how to implement these tools in your community and a copy of each tool on a flash drive for later use. The outline to be covered is as follows: Why is Downtown Important?, Challenges of Planning for Economic Development Downtown, Zoning Tools for Growth, Additional Tools for Quality Growth, Downtown Economic Development Planning & the PA Municipalities Code, How to Attract High Impact Investment to Core Communities, Choose One Asset-Rich Redevelopment Area, Prepare Redevelopment Area for Market, Apply Strategies that Work.

Creating a Sustainable Organization

Thursday, November 13
9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Regional Learning Alliance, 850 Cranberry Woods Drive, Cranberry Township, PA 16066
Registration information

An Interactive Forum for the HR Professional, CEO, CFO, Sustainability Director and...
Companies all over the world are embracing sustainability as one of the most important factors for staying competitive. With world-class experts both speaking and facilitating interactive sessions, this is an opportunity for participants to:
• Better define what sustainability means for your organization
• Improve your sustainability strategies - to increase profits and satisfy all stakeholders: employees, customers, vendors and shareholders
• Learn how local and national organizations have profitably implemented sustainable practices
• Understand how to build and maintain an adaptable sustainability culture
• Learn how to modify HR processes and functions to support sustainability

16th Annual Pennsylvania Community Forestry Council Conference: Healthy Trees - Healthy Communities

November 13 -14
Chatham University, Pittsburgh, PA
Fee: $100 for both days or $75 for one day.
Register online at http://www.pittsburghforest.org/communityforestryconference
Reserve your room by October 22nd to receive a discounted rate.
ISA and ASLA continuing education credits available!
Contact: Danielle Crumrine, Friends of the Pittsburgh Urban Forest at 412-362-6360 or danielle@pittsburghforest.org or Mark Remcheck, Extension Educator, Urban Forestry Allegheny County Cooperative Extension at 412-473-2540 or mar15@psu.edumar15@psu.edu
View the Conference Brochure

Tree commission members, arborists, architects and landscape architects, municipal DPW staff, students, educators, elected officials, and anyone who cares about creating healthy & sustainable communities should attend this conference. Featured keynote speakers include: Thomas Hylton, President, Save our Land, Save our Towns, Inc. (Day 1) and Ray Tretheway, Executive Director, The Sacramento Tree Foundation (Day 2).

What Are Sustainable Communities, and How Do We Get There?

Monday, November 17
7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Monroeville Public Library Gallery Space, Monroeville
Contact: Mark Hudson, Adult Services Librarian, at 412-372-0500 ext. 13 or hudsonme@mac.com

Come join a lively community discussion with Court Gould of Sustainable Pittsburgh to explore what sustainability is about -- its promise and potential. There is growing excitement about sustainable communities, and the mantra of simultaneous wins in economy, social equity, and environment sounds appealing. But what does sustainability mean, how can we assess if a community is on the right track, and what's the best foothold for accelerating the path to sustainability? We'll explore these questions and benefit from your ideas about practical steps the community can take for making sustainability the new business-as-usual.

"The Impacts of the Foreclosure Crisis on Local Government”

2008 Wherrett Lecture on Local Government
Friday, November 21
8:30 am
William Pitt Union on the University of Pittsburgh campus
RSVP: GSPIAIC@pitt.edu or 412-648-2282 by November 4

The Innovation Clinic at the University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA) and the Allegheny Conference on Community Development are proud to announce that Dr. Susan Wachter will present the fall 2008 Wherrett Lecture on Local Government. Dr. Wachter is Professor of Real Estate and Finance at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business and author of over 150 publications. Additionally, she is the former Assistant Secretary of Policy Development and Research at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, former President of American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association and coeditor of Real Estate Economics, the leading academic real estate journal.

6th Annual Public Officials Design Charrette (PODC)

MUNICIPAL LEADERS, take note.
Finalized Date and Times:
Friday, November 21
12:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Greentree Municipal Building
Free; lunch will be provided.
Open to limited number of municipalities.

Municipalities in SWPA, this is for you:
Free expert consultation on pressing sustainable community design challenges and opportunities.

Sustainable Pittsburgh's Sustainable Community Development Network, AIA Pittsburgh, and the Local Government Academy are now welcoming interested municipalities to propose to be "clients" for this free, half-day, hands-on, charrette-style consultation.

How it works: Up to five municipalities will be selected to benefit from the assistance of a team of pro bono experts. The municipality identifies a pressing sustainability challenge or opportunity and we assemble a team of experts to be on hand to work through the issue and generate practical solutions. Issues may relate to: main street revitalization, infill development, transportation access, energy efficiency or resource conservation, community development, a social or human service concern, community or green space, etc.

Are you an interested municipality? Please call 412-258-6643. We'll discuss your needs and determine if there's a good fit. All that is required is attendance from your municipality to include at least one elected official, a municipal staff person, and one community leader.

5th Annual Southwestern Pennsylvania Regional Equitable Development Summit

"The Employment Goal - Inclusion in the Workforce: Positioning Our Region to Prosper and Compete"
Thursday, December 11
8:30 am - 12:30 pm (8:00 am - Registration and Continental Breakfast)
Twentieth Century Club, 4201 Bigelow Blvd., Oakland
Fee: $10 Sustainable Pittsburgh members; $15 non-members
Register online
Contact: info@sustainablepittsburgh.org or 412-258-6642
Keynote: Radhika Fox, Associate Director, PolicyLink

Deploying talents of all residents and unleashing the innovation that comes from diversity in the workforce are essential for a region that strives to secure a competitive edge. Our region, with its stagnant population growth, can ill-afford to leave behind anyone not working to his or her potential.

This year's Summit builds on the momentum from last year's discussion from which a leadership group came together to identify actions to address our region's equitable development. Rising to the fore is the imperative of enabling all African-Americans and others of color to participate fully in the workforce and to live to their productive potential. As southwestern Pennsylvania comes together and more than ever acknowledges that its prosperity is directly linked to ensuring all residents have life-sustaining jobs and opportunity, it is apparent that ongoing disparities in living conditions for persons of color are incongruous.

Our growing persons of color population is a stranded asset. Good jobs and income for African-Americans and others of color are keys to ensuring that we live up to the promise of being the nation’s most livable and prosperous region. During the Summit , Radhika Fox of PolicyLink will present a draft of a landmark framing paper, specific to southwestern PA, that substantiates this reality and imperative. This work will illustrate the productive role a fully employed diverse population stands to play in the economy and will serve to catalyze much more than a lip service response concerning a targeted employment agenda. Summit participants will have the opportunity to help shape the paper and to advance partnerships and practical steps the region will take to remove barriers and to seize on inclusion in employment as a vital part of our region's economic development strategy.

PolicyLink is a national research and action institute advancing economic and social equity by Lifting Up What Works. Radhika Fox is a senior associate at PolicyLink and principal author of Shared Prosperity, Stronger Regions: An Agenda for Rebuilding America ’s Older Core Cities; Expanding Housing Opportunity in Washington DC: The Case for Inclusionary Zoning; and Regional Equity and Smart Growth: Opportunities for Advancing Social and Economic Justice in America.

Presented by the Regional Equitable Development Strategy Group, Sustainable Pittsburgh's Sustainable Community Development Network, and the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public and International Affairs: Johnson Institute for Responsible Leadership.

Sponsored by:
Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation
Richard King Mellon Foundation
The Heinz Endowments

Resources

Incorporating Sustainable Practices into Development Projects

Building “green” and operating properties in a “green” manner are becoming increasingly important goals. In this podcast, Pepper partner Joyce Hackenbrach, a member of the firm’s Construction Practice, and Pepper associate Sean Delaney, a member of the firm’s Real Estate Practice, discuss the main points of their recent article entitled “Incorporating Sustainable Practices into Development Projects.” They cover topics such as commonly identified “green” benchmarks for development and operation, the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Green Building Ratings and an overview on some of the tips for better assuring that “green” projects are successful.

Roof with roots: Highmark unveils environmentally friendly 'green' roof at Fifth Avenue Place

The environmentally sustainable roof project, unveiled yesterday and located three stories above street level on a roof terrace at the corner of Liberty and Fifth avenues, is expected to provide insulation that will lower the building's energy use by 12 percent and greatly reduce storm water runoff.

More

Dow to Showcase Energy Efficient and Sustainable Building Solutions at GreenBuild 2008

"Naturally, there is a tendency to focus on selecting individual products that will boost your LEED credits, but by looking at the whole building and creating an energy efficient design from top to bottom, you can realize a tremendous reduction in energy costs, maximize your LEED credits -- and help the environment at the same time," says Scott Young, director of Energy Efficiency, Dow Building Solutions.

A tiny incentive to burn calories, not gas

Pittsburgh has quietly become a cycling town, by the way. It's not yet Portland or Minneapolis, and it will never threaten Shanghai, but the U.S. Census says that about 1.1 percent of workers who live in the city biked to the job last year. That put us 11th in the nation, as Bike Pittsburgh recently pointed out.

Area companies turn with times in wind energy

Two companies with Pittsburgh roots dating to the 19th century are making southwestern Pennsylvania known worldwide for its windmill component-manufacturing capabilities. . . In Pennsylvania alone, a recent study issued by the United Steelworkers and the Sierra Club, projected that nearly 20,000 wind energy-related jobs could be created instate if the U.S. commits to a 10-year program to stabilize carbon emissions.

Pittsburgh hosts first sleep-in for the homeless on county’s steps

“I hope through this people will realize that the homeless are not the people you think they are,” explains Meghan Holohan, a CHS board member and Pittsburgh freelance writer who came up with the idea. The homeless are not simply drug addicted or mentally imbalanced, they’re friends, next door neighbors who’ve lost a job and can’t make a mortgage payment.”

Diversity Matters: Strengthening diversity adds multiple perspectives to corporate issues

Fostering diversity is a lot more than hiring people of different races. In Blair County, where Ms. Quesenberry's husband worked for the Altoona-Blair County Development Corp., a report on the diversity of the region, which was 99 percent caucasian, was expanded to include age diversity. At UPMC, the management isn't looking at just the staff to be diverse, but also its suppliers. . .Ernst & Young, a global accounting firm, takes the concept of diversity seriously. "We certainly believe that by having a diverse work force we get the best solutions for our clients," said Billie Williamson, a partner in the firm and the inclusiveness officer for the American offices.

'Right thing' stabilizes neighborhoods, new URA chief says

"What we do and where we do it is more important now than it's ever been," Stephany said. "We're trying to bring an ethos to community development -- to build from the strong edge of your neighborhood and then into your neighborhood."

Neighborhood Stabilization Program Data

HUD's new Neighborhood Stabilization Program (www.hud.gov/nsp) provides emergency assistance to state and local governments to acquire and redevelop foreclosed properties that might otherwise become sources of abandonment and blight within their communities. The Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) provides grants to every state and certain local communities to purchase foreclosed or abandoned homes and to rehabilitate, resell, or redevelop these homes in order to stabilize neighborhoods and stem the decline of house values of neighboring homes. The program is authorized under Title III of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008.

Finding One Economic Bright Spot on Main Street

How bad will it get? The answer depends in large part on how local economies like Pittsburgh's adapt. And here's a surprise: for a metropolis synonymous with America's declining industrial might, the no-longer Steel City seems in a better position to withstand a downturn than many other places. . .Pittsburgh is certainly not going to escape a national recession. But it can provide lessons for how to survive it: invest in knowledge, compete globally, rewrite the old rules of business.

Clorox cleaners take big share of green market

Just eight months after its introduction, Clorox's Green Works line is on track to generate first-year sales of well over $40 million. It's already outselling all other brands in the green cleaning products niche. And perhaps most significantly, Green Works seems to be luring customers away from traditional cleaning products rather than from green rivals - expanding the overall market for green cleaners.

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 2008 from:

Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation
Dollar Bank
The Giant Eagle Foundation
The Heinz Endowments
Elsie H. Hillman Foundation
Roy A. Hunt Foundation
Richard King Mellon 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