Sustainable Pittsburgh

2003 Accomplishments

In 2003, Sustainable Pittsburgh continued its niche role of convening Affiliates and other partners to collaborate on projects, education, research, and advocacy to broaden regional decision-making.  Accomplishments include:

 

Smart Land Use Team

  • Published Citizens' Vision for Smart Growth, an agenda for revitalizing communities, equitable development, and strengthening the regional economy (21 Endorsing Partners to date).

  • 3rd Annual Smart Growth Conference conducted: Promoting Regional Equity Through Smart Growth.

  • Facilitated the Smart Growth Technical Assistance group and Smart Land Use Team, collaborations aiding local governments with land use planning and advancing regional livable communities.

  • Facilitated a process of 70 community leaders to create the Allegheny Smart Growth Partnership.

  • Assessed the region's economic development priority list for the Governor's economic stimulus package.

  • Assessed the state of multi-municipal planning in the region with recommendations to the state.

  • Held Public Officials Design Institute focused on urban community design needs.

  • Presented a community indicator workshop in the Mon Valley and facilitated Canonsburg indicators project.

  • Regional Model Codes and Ordinances/Design Manuals drafted for testing in Murrysville and Export.

Diversity & Civic Engagement Team

  • Engaged partners to publish Diversity in Leadership to assess race and gender make up of officials in the region.  The report's rollout supports a new community action agenda.

Transportation for Livable Communities (TLC)

 

  • Continued TLC partnership with the national Surface Transportation Policy Project to advance regional transportation reform with additional focus on state organizing and federal advocacy.

  • Hosted initial TLC policy conference to develop a regional transportation advocacy coalition.

  • Prepared testimony and participated in public meetings around the region to update the region's 2030 Long Range Transportation Plan. 

  • Conducted Making Your Voice Heard, Steering the Region's Future workshop on the region's transportation planning process, including testimony on the region's Transportation Improvement Program.

  • Coordinated with Access To Work Task Force to address workforce development in public transportation studies and the local development review process.

  • Continue to develop a platform with local and statewide partners for a permanent and reliable funding source for public transportation including a letter writing campaign and meetings with legislators and the Governor's office.

  • Released national study findings on regional performance: spending on public transportation, air quality, pedestrian mobility, and suburban sprawl.

  • Participated in national policy conferences that featured lobbying for federal TEA-21 reauthorization.

  • Published two editions of Trans-formation: a newsletter addressing federal, state, and local transportation issues

 

Amenities & Lifestyle Team

  • Facilitated partnerships to raise funds to implement: VO Outdoor Recreation Festival, Youth Outdoor Recreation with City High Charter School and Student Conservation Association, and Friends of the Riverfront water trails and bike trail development and mapping.

  • Great Outdoors Week and Bike To Work Week campaigns rolled out in partnership with W. PA Field Institute.

  • Published Building Communities Through Recreation: A Guide for Organizing an Outdoor Recreation Festival.

  • Partnered with University of Pittsburgh and WPFI to create Action Pass for student recreation in the community.

  • Partnered with the Port Authority of Allegheny County to publish Maps of Parks and Trails Accessed by Ride Rack Roll Bike Racks on Buses.

  • Continued to facilitate study process for development of the River Center.

  • Partnered with the City of Pittsburgh to launch a program to designate formal bike lanes.

Education, Communications, and Policy

  • Engaged with partners to present Champions of Sustainability forum series with WDUQ 90.5 FM: Regional Equity Through Smart Growth (john powell); Regional Alliances that Promote Equity and Prosperity (Manuel Pastor and Angela Glover Blackwell); Can Southwestern Pennsylvania Work Together To Achieve Smart Growth? (Neal Peirce); Back to Prosperity: A Competitive Agenda for Renewing Pennsylvania (Bruce Katz).

  • Disseminated new SP Affiliate brochure, redesigned the SP website, issued 3 E Links weekly to 1,600 subscribers.

  • SP participated in an economic study mission in Europe focused on regionalism and competitiveness.

  • Water, Water, Everywhere radio story series '03 conducted in partnership with 90.5 WDUQ.

  •  78 articles appeared regarding SP activities including two television appearances and several editorials.

  • 34 presentations at conferences, to civic groups, and others.

Sustainable Pittsburgh is supported by

The Heinz Endowments, Richard King Mellon Foundation,

The Pittsburgh Foundation, and Giant Eagle Foundation

 

Special thanks to our Affiliates and

the Tides Center of Western Pennsylvania