Outdoor recreation is a key contributor to sustainable development.
Overview
For the last nine years, Sustainable Pittsburgh has served as the facilitator of a unique partnership among a number of outdoor amenity and recreation organizations including Venture Outdoors, Three Rivers Rowing Association, Bike Pittsburgh, and the Student Conservation Association, among many others. These groups work together to expand their reach and maximize their impact.
Accomplishments include implementing: bike racks on Port Authority buses, developing and implementing the Venture Outdoors Festival in its first two years before spinning-off to Venture Outdoors, creation of outdoor recreation programs at Carnegie Mellon and Duquesne Universities, facilitating the annual Great Outdoors Week media blitz, and serving as an intermediary in funding a myriad of coordinated projects and initiatives among our partners.
Engaging more individuals in outdoor recreation contributes to a region’s sustainability by:
- improving the health of its residents
- bolstering the economy
- engendering a sense of environmental stewardship, and
- attracting and retaining talent.
In recent years, these partners participated in the planning and development stages of a comprehensive communications campaign, Walls are Bad.
Walls are Bad
Walls are Bad serves to increase awareness and stimulate trial of outdoor recreation activities, with the desired effect being a culture embracing an outdoor recreation lifestyle in southwestern Pennsylvania. Launched in 2008, this campaign incorporated an intense 6-month multi-media approach featuring television, print, radio, and web advertising, coupled with grassroots community outreach and creation of a web site named wallsarebad.com. The long-term goal of the web site is to become southwestern Pennsylvania’s primary resource for outdoor recreation activities for both residents and organizations. It features a database of more than 300 outdoor groups and destinations, an activities calendar for outdoor events hosted by various groups, a forum to comment and post questions, and a blogging section.
Since the launch of Walls are Bad, there have been increases in equipment rentals and memberships of outdoor organizations, a surge in traffic to wallsarebad.com, and a 19% boost in outdoor recreation interest levels among residents of southwestern Pennsylvania. The Walls are Bad initiative will continue to build the brand of outdoor recreation in southwestern PA into the future.