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Events

Sustainable Solutions for the Region’s Businesses and Communities

Where can Western Pennsylvania’s businesses and communities go to find out how to save money by reducing their environmental footprints? Resources for becoming more sustainable in the way work gets done are available and growing.

Over the past three years Sustainable Pittsburgh’s Sustainable Business Solutions (SBS) and Sustainable Community Solutions (SCS) have provided expertise to client companies and communities in ways that have saved them money in their operations, conserved resources, and enhanced civic stewardship. SBS and SCS bring together a team of experts in a wide range of topics to conduct comprehensive sustainability assessments-—an integrated examination of the client’s energy, waste stream, storm water, transportation, landscape, management practices, policies, strategic assets, among other areas. The assessments have produced extensive savings due to efficiency improvements, with short payback periods. And the results have provided the catalyst for organizations to transition smoothly to more sustainable business practices—-finding a value-producing alignment among economic, equity, and environmental factors.

If you and your business or community would like to start benefiting from new sources of value associated with sustainable practices, contact Sustainable Pittsburgh at mmehalik@sustainablepittsburgh.org or by calling 412-258-6644.

Events Continued

Resources

Sierra Club’s Environmental Film Festival

Saturday, April 19
6:00 pm SHARP - 10:00 pm
BOTANY HALL - adjacent to Phipps Conservatory, across from Schenley Park Visitors Center
Note: these presentations are NOT at Phipps Civic Garden Center in Squirrel Hill
** All starting times are approximate except for the 6 pm sharp start! **
Contact: Donald L. Gibbon, Program Chair, Allegheny Group at 412-362-8451 or dongibbon@earthlink.net

“The festival for hard-core environmentalists and those who have the nerve to become one”. You’ll leave infuriated, inspired, uplifted and enraged all at the same time.
6pm: Deconstructing Supper – Is your food safe? (48 min)
7pm: Polar Bear Tour with Chad Kister (62 min)
8pm: The Crabs, The Birds and the Bay – Spring miracle on Delaware Bay (19 min)
9pm: Natural Connection (46 min)

reSOLUTION Shop

April 22-25, 2008
10:00 am - 3:00 pm daily
Fifth Avenue Place, Downtown

Donate eyeglasses, ink/toner cartridges, PDAs, rechargeable batteries, denim jeans, cell phones, and tennis shoes to be reused for new people and purposes. Receive a FREE Earth Day bracelet (with donation, one per person, while quantities last).

Earth Day to Arbor Day

April 22-25, 2008
11:00 am - 2:00 pm daily
Fifth Avenue Place, Downtown
Free and open to the public

Tuesday, April 22 (Earth Day)
Learn how to reduce your carbon footprint through alternative transportation.

Wednesday, April 23
Discover how to reuse everyday items and receive a free Whole Foods Reusable Bag (while quantities last).

Thursday, April 24
Meet the Litterbug and Pittsburgh's top recycling and anti-littering groups.

Friday, April 25 (Arbor Day)
Receive free native tree seedling with $5 Rachel Carson Homestead donation or $5 Fifth Avenue Place Food Court purchase. (One per person; while supplies last).

National Park(ing) Day

Thursday, April 24
6:00 pm
Brew House Association (21 Mary Street, South Side)
Direct all replies in acceptance and/or questions to emily@riverlifetaskforce.org or 412-258-6651.
www.parkingday.org

One day a year people in cities all over the country get together to turn metered public parking spots into public parks. Parking Day is meant to encourage people to rethink how streets are used, and to temporarily expand the amount of public open space in an urban environment. Refreshments provided; bus accessible (51A,B,C,D; 54C; 59U).

Smart Growth and Housing

Friday, April 25
8:00 am - 10:00 am
Room 3911 Posvar Hall, University of Pittsburgh
Refreshments will be provided
R.S.V.P by April 18, call 412-281-1137, ext. 116 or email joanna@housingalliancepa.org

How does housing fit into the Smart Growth agenda? How can you move this agenda forward?

The SWPA Housing Alliance* invites you to a roundtable discussion on Smart Growth and housing, featuring Sustainable Pittsburgh, 10,000 Friends, and the Smart Growth Partnership of Westmoreland County. Support is provided by The Forbes Funds and the Surdna Foundation. Also thanks to the Johnson Institute for Responsible Leadership at GSPIA, University of Pittsburgh for hosting the event.

*The SWPA Housing Alliance is a new coalition consisting of advocates, service providers, policy makers, and developers. Smart Growth and housing was identified as one of three top areas of concern.

Equal Pay Rally

Friday, April 25
Noon
Market Square, Downtown
Hosted by Women and Girls Foundation - wgfpa.org

Southwestern Pennsylvania has one of the most dramatic gender wage gaps in the country.
• Nationally, women make 80 cents for every dollar that a man earns.
• In Pennsylvania, women earn 73 cents per dollar.
• In southwestern Pennsylvania, women earn only 69 cents for every dollar that a man makes.
Have your voice heard.

Environmental Charter School Open House

Open House Dates:
Monday, April 28, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Saturday, May 10, 10:00 am - Noon
Tuesday, May 13, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
www.environmentalcharterschool.org

Learn about and visit the newly approved Environmental Charter School at Frick Park. The school will begin with grades K-3 in September 2008 and ultimately grow by one grade a year to grade 8. Volunteer members of the Parent/Community Task Force invite you to take a tour, ask questions, fill out an interest form for your childs enrollment. Children welcome.

Lecture 4: “Local Living Economies: Green Fair and Fun”

Tuesday, April 29
5:00 pm – 6:30 pm
Connan Room, University Center, Carnegie Mellon University
Free to the public

The Local Living Economies and Urban Farming lecture series concludes with Judy Wicks, founder of Philadelphia's Sustainable Business Network, the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE, www.livingeconomies.org), and the White Dog Café. Wicks is probably best known for establishing The White Dog Cafe on the first floor of her Philadelphia home in 1983. As the restaurant grew, so did her notion that the strength of her business relied upon the quality and sustainability of its locally grown ingredients. Envisioning how strengthening relationships among independent, community-rooted enterprises could inspire broad and profound cultural change, Wicks joined the Social Venture Network and co-founded the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE) in 2001. She is currently writing a book about the White Dog Café and local living economies called Good Morning, Beautiful Business.

"Food and Farming Based Entrepreneurship: The Next Generation of Business in Pittsburgh"

Wednesday, April 30
1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Singleton Room, Roberts Hall, Carnegie Mellon University
Fee: $50/$30 academics and nonprofits. Free to the CMU community.
R.S.V.P. by April 11 to 412-268-1125.

Following the last lecture in the Local Living Economies and Urban Farming series, there will be a public workshop featuring keynote talks by Judy Wicks and Benjamin Gisin, publisher of Touch the Soil magazine (www.touchthesoil.com) and an expert on how monetary policy affects agriculture. Afterwards there will be a panel discussion with local and regional sustainability leaders.

Affordable Housing Forum - Register Now

May 13 - 14, 2008
Affordable Housing Forum
Pittsburgh Hilton, Downtown
www.marcnahro.org

The Affordable Housing Forum is designed to provide participants with an understanding of the key elements of the development process and cutting edge techniques to revitalize and manage your assets. Panelists in our opening session focus on evaluating your current portfolio and assets, maximizing internal strengths and partnership opportunities, as well as engaging community stakeholders in assessing growth and development opportunities.

Concurrently scheduled are two workshop series: the first track, designed for novice community developers, will focus on identifying and analyzing opportunities, the development process, financing options, and roles of housing authorities. The second session is for experienced developers and managers seeking public housing revitalization strategies, approaches to serving an aging demographic, and redeveloping or preventing foreclosures. Click here to see the agenda.

Great Outdoors Week Kickoff

Kickoff: Wednesday, May 14
11:00 am - 1:00 pm
Market Square, Downtown

Stop by the kickoff and get a sneak peek at all of the fun events happening during Great Outdoors Week, which begins Friday, May 16 and ends Sunday, May 25. Try out the climbing wall, test out a kayak (safely on land!), and meet outdoors groups that can help you get outside. Stop by for giveaways and enter to win some great raffle prizes! Great Outdoors Week serves to introduce and engage residents of Southwestern Pennsylvania in the many outdoor recreation opportunities available in Southwestern PA. Various events are scheduled around the region during this week, including five signature events. Individuals from all skill levels and backgrounds are invited to participate. For a full listing of activities, visit www.greatoutdoorsweek.org.

8th Annual Southwestern Pennsylvania Smart Growth Conference

Revitalize the Region: Seize Market Interest to Redevelop Core Communities
Friday, May 16
Omni William Penn Hotel, Pittsburgh
8:30 am - 3:30 pm (continental breakfast and lunch included)
Keynote speaker: Christopher Leinberger, Metropolitan Land Strategist & Developer
Cost: Early Registration: $30. After May 1: $40 (free to elected officials)
Register online at www.sustainablepittsburgh.org For more information call 412-258-6642 or emailinfo@sustainablepittsburgh.org

Presented by:
Local Government Academy
Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development
Pittsburgh Partnership for Neighborhood Development
Smart Growth Partnership of Westmoreland County
Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission
Sustainable Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics

Sponsored by:
BNY Mellon
Babst, Calland, Clients, and Zomnir, P.C.
Bombardier
Building Owners and Managers Association - Pittsburgh
National Association of Industrial and Office Properties - Pittsburgh Chapter

For sponsorship and tabling opportunities call 412-258-6643.

This conference, designed for communities in the region that desire to accelerate their redevelopment, will be rich in content, featuring tools, case studies, and technical assistance opportunities. A window of opportunity is growing for communities that are prepared to foster smart growth in step with the shift in the development market that is now occurring. Renewed interest in urban and core communities by developers and investors spells opportunity for restoring prosperity. This shift is fueled by demographic, economic, and cultural trends that are serving to revalue our core communities. Want to be better prepared to seize this market interest? This Smart Growth conference will help communities better understand the changing market, appreciate how to capitalize on their assets, comprehend what needs to done to participate in the market-based renaissance, and engage in a network to pursue mutual interests. Our region's sustainable growth depends on it.

Conference Highlights:
Project Region: The new regional transportation and development plan, plots a new smart growth course for Southwestern Pennsylvania focused on restoring and reinvesting in the region’s existing communities. Learn how the Region's Plan is aligned with emerging market interest in reinforcing existing places and targeted corridors with a strong emphasis on preservation, maintenance and operation of existing infrastructure.

Deal Makers and Breakers: To fully benefit from the Region's Plan, it's incumbent on existing communities to understand what developers and investors are looking for when they scan a region for opportunity. In a unique undertaking, the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP) and the Center for Urban and Regional Policy at Northeastern University (CURP) have collaborated to investigate new approaches municipal officials can employ to help attract new development to their communities. Project leader, David Soule will engage conference participants in discovering what is takes to attract smart growth investment. Furthermore, a consultancy will be launched to work with communities around the region to take a proactive, aggressive stance to meet the complex needs of firms looking to start up operations, relocate, or add new facilities.

Window of Opportunity: Keynote, Christopher Leinberger (see below), will demonstrate the shifting market now brewing in favor of “walkable urbanism” -- downtown and suburban downtown revitalization, New Urbanism, transit-oriented development, green field mixed-use development (“lifestyle centers”), regional mall redevelopment, among others. He will review ways the real estate sector is re-tooling how it designs, plans, regulates and finances to serve these markets to formulate and implement the next American Dream. A panel of regional developers and government leaders will discuss the trend of revaluing urbanity now stirring in our SWPA and how to accelerate market readiness.

Zoning for Smart Growth: Too often zoning techniques that shaped the growth of the American suburb create barriers to meeting today's community visions for traditional types of development. Gregory Heller of the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission will be on hand to explore new innovations in zoning that provide flexibility to respond to changes in private market demand. Learn from Gregory and local leaders how your community can be an early adopter and zone the way to seize market interest to redevelop core communities.

Keynote Speaker:
Christopher B. Leinberger is a metropolitan land use strategist, developer, teacher, consultant and author helping to make progressive development profitable. He is a founding partner of Arcadia Land Company, a real estate development firm serving to create walkable communities in harmony with nature.

Leinberger is a Visiting Fellow at the Brookings Institution focusing on research and practices to help transform traditional and suburban downtowns to places that provide “walkable urbanism." He is also a professor and director of the Graduate Real Estate Program at the University of Michigan which focuses on downtown and suburban town center revitalization, transit-oriented development, new urbanism, and conservation development.

In his recently released book, The Option of Urbanism, Leinberger reviews how Americans are voting with their feet to abandon strip malls and suburban sprawl, embracing instead a new type of community where they can live, work, shop, and play within easy walking distance. He explains why government policies have tilted the playing field toward one form of development over the last sixty years: the drivable suburb. Conversely, Leinberger shows how the American Dream is now shifting to include cities as well as suburbs and how the financial and real estate communities need to respond by building communities that are more environmentally, socially, and financially sustainable.

Leinberger has written award-winning articles for publications such as The Atlantic Monthly, The Wall Street Journal and Urban Land magazine. He has been profiled by CNN, the Today Show, and National Public Radio.

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

Save the Date - Western PA Environmental Awards

Wednesday, May 28
Westin Convention Center Hotel, Pittsburgh
For more invormation call 412-481-9400 or visit www.pecpa.org/news/events .

Featuring: Presentation of Lifetime Achievement Award to Mr. & Mrs. Joshua C. Whetzel, Jr.
Keynote Address by Robin L. Weissmann, Pennsylvania State Treasurer
Presentation of Western PA Environmental Awards

2008 International Urban Parks Conference

Body and Soul: Parks and the Health of Great Cities
September 21 - 23, 2008
Pittsburgh Hilton (Downtown)
2008 International
Early bird registration ends May 1
www.urbanparks08.org

The 2008 International Urban Parks Conference is a chance to learn from experts in the field, hear about cutting edge research and exceptional best practices, connect with colleagues around the globe, discover the latest in parks products and services and share one's own experience and knowledge.

Resources

Brookings: An Economic Plan for the Commonwealth: Unleashing the Assets of Metropolitan Pennsylvania

In Pennsylvania, the next major presidential primary state, concerns about the economy loom large as global competition, economic restructuring, and an aging workforce threaten the state’s ability to prosper. A true economic agenda for the state must speak to the core assets of Pennsylvania’s economy and where these assets are located: the state’s many small and large metropolitan areas. "The report lists Pennsylvania's strong education and health-care sectors, highly productive farms, historic towns with affordable living and its natural resources as assets. But the state is facing key challenges, among them the loss of more than 200,000 manufacturing jobs since 2000, the loss of young skilled workers and the hollowing out of its older communities, the report stated. Both Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, while outperforming the nation in attracting federal dollars and venture capital funding, have struggled to convert their research investments into commercial products and real jobs. Both areas have fallen below the national average for their performance on patenting and have had weak job growth since 2003. Pennsylvania's 16 metro areas generate 92 percent of the state's economic input."

PA economic revival lies in its metro assets

The research underscores that four key assets overwhelmingly located in metropolitan areas - innovation, modern infrastructure, strong human capital, and quality places - are needed today to drive productivity of firms and workers, improve the wealth and opportunities of families, and ensure sustainable growth. America's metropolitan assets - the universities, the health-care concentrations, and the skilled-labor pools - are the drivers of our national economy and the key to future American competitiveness and success.

More

Changing Skyline: Presidential candidates ignoring urban issues

In the next few years, we're likely to hear a lot more about weaning ourselves off imported energy, dealing with greenhouse gases, and retaining economic parity with fast-rising Asian nations. Coming to grips with that triple threat means buffing up our energy-efficient creativity incubators, otherwise known as cities. So, though the candidates' proposals for ridding America of incandescent bulbs and gas-guzzling vehicles are nice little ideas, the fast lane to energy independence requires significant federal infusions for mass transit, basic infrastructure, and making cities more livable for families. Consider the money an investment in national security. Supposedly, the reason that candidates are loathe to mention the C-word is that the Suburban Nation of grill-obsessed dads and van-driving moms dominates the electorate. Since it's assumed that cities will vote Democratic no matter how badly they're treated, there's no percentage for either party to talk up things like pocket parks, waterfront development, or - can you imagine? - wasteful sprawl.

Pennsylvania is a Metro State - America is a Metro Nation

Today, Bruce Katz was in Harrisburg to meet with policy makers and community leaders to discuss An Economic Plan for the Commonwealth: Unleashing the Assests of Metropolitan Pennsylvania. I was privileged to hear a customized version of his Metro America presentation, with specific slides for Pennsylvania. Afterward I joined him in a casual reception and conversation. Rather than paraphrase his thesis here, I think I’ll just have Bruce share it in his own words. Below are four youtube videos, totalling just over a half hour in length. Just start it. When considering these ideas, remember that “metro” is not a synonym of “urban”. In fact, many metro areas contain urban, suburban, and rural landscapes. A good example of this is Lancaster county, which lies entirely within one of the 100 metro areas that Bruce is discussing, farmland and all.

Visualizing US Carbon Emissions

The Vulcan project has achieved the quantification of the United States fossil fuel CO2 emissions at the scale of individual factories, powerplants, roadways and neighborhoods. We have built the entire inventory on a common 10 km grid to facilitate atmospheric modeling. Vulcan is available at the hourly timescale for the year 2002. In addition to improvement in space and time resolution, Vulcan is quantified at the level of fuel type, economic sub-sector, and county/state identification.

Regional Equity and the Quest for Full Inclusion

Regional equity is part of a broad and hopeful vision for full inclusion and sustainability and the focus of the recent PolicyLink summit in New Orleans in early March. Distributed first to summit participants, this framing paper is the document that sets the scene for change. It examines the history of equity in America and how national and global forces are creating unique challenges and opportunities. It concludes with a vision of the future characterized by shared economic prosperity and true participatory democracy, one where everyone--including people of color and residents of low-income communities--can contribute and benefit.

The Greening of Vandergrift

In the modern vision for Vandergrift, the town’s electricity will be generated by innovative green technologies invented at Pitt, reducing the need for energy from coal-burning plants that cause air pollution. Businesses will open offices in Vandergrift to take advantage of ecologically friendly electric energy. Residents will pedal along bike lanes to local shops, where stores will have rooftop gardens to better insulate the buildings and improve air quality. Schoolchildren will learn about sustainable living in environmental classes taught by Pitt students. In short, the goal is that the town will be energy independent, ecologically low-impact, and economically rejuvenated.

Social business – The bigger, the better

Put simply, social entrepreneurs are individuals that use entrepreneurial methods to achieve social change. They run social businesses, sometimes at a profit, that seek to address market failures. Their goals might include access to expensive or hard-to-get medicines, or sanitation and agricultural irrigation for the poor. And their ideas for creating affordable products for these underserved markets are examples of what is called social innovation. . .Unilever offers an example for others to follow. Its latest “economic footprint” study, published in March, found that its South African subsidiary supports 100,000 jobs (with only 4,000 employees) and accounts for 0.9 per cent of the country's GDP.

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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 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