Competition Instructions

This page is designed to guide you through what you need to know in order to submit a tipping point and meet the criteria.

• For as many of the 14 Sustainable Community Development Essentials* as you wish, decide upon what you think is the most significant tipping point that occurred in our region over the past ten years (2000-2010).
• Access the nomination form here. (This nomination form uses Survey Monkey as its platform.)  Fill out the form ("survey") with your name and contact information (so we can get reach you if you win!), what the tipping point is, the 14 Essentials with which it is aligned, and explanation of significance (remember key criteria as stated below).
• Please, only one tipping point per entry form. If desired, additional entries may be submitted.

The competition is open until Friday, October 1, 2010.  You can nominate as many tipping points as you feel appropriate, but only one nomination per entry form.  Please, with all nominations, take the time to provide a thoughtful, albeit brief explanation (500 word limit) of why this nominated tipping point has been impactful for the region.  The explanation, and also the tipping point itself of course, will be judged.

A panel of judges will determine the top Tipping Points for SWPA Sustainable Community Development as they pertain to the 14 community essentials.  Judges are not permitted to submit a tipping point.

The winning tipping points will be presented during the October 15 10th annual SWPA Smart Growth Conference and on Sustainable Pittsburgh’s website.  They are sure to capture the region's imagination through word of mouth and media interest!

Prizes are being donated by many of the organizations that helped develop the Sustainable Community Essentials Resource Sheets for last year's Smart Growth Conference.  A grand prize is being donated by the Pittsburgh Technology Council—an Apple iPad!

CRITERIA for judging nominations:

• Leverages multiple of the 14 Sustainable Community Development Essentials
• Precipitated lasting change
• Made for impactful lessons learned
• Caused change at both the individual and system levels
• Inspires cross-jurisdictional (departments, geography, sectors, government) collaboration
• Led to breaking barriers to further accelerate sustainability in our region

*14 Sustainable Community Development Essentials

• Air Quality
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
• Education
• Energy Conservation and Green Building
• Environmentally Sensitive, Civic, and Historic Places
• Expanding Housing Choice and Addressing Blight
• Food Security and Local Production
• Governance
• Healthy Communities
• Land Use and Community Design
• Local Economies and Main Street Revitalization
• Mobility and Alternative Fuels
• Waste Management and Recycling
• Water and Stormwater Management

For complete descriptions of the Essentials, please visit www.sustainblecommunityessentials.org.

QUICK LINKS:
Competition homepage
10th annual SWPA Smart Growth Conference homepage