If you haven’t yet heard of GLUE than I am excited to share this with you. Abby Wilson who is from Pittsburgh and her friend Sarah Szurpicki is from Detroit (full dicloser – I have know Abby for 14 years). Abby and Sarah started GLUE last fall to look at the cities in the Great Lakes area and see what is working and what isn’t working. These cities are a lot like Pittsburgh, post industrial and each city has lots of great stuff to share.
GLUE Cities: Akron, Buffalo, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Des Moines, Detroit, Duluth, Erie, Flint, Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, Lansing, Louisville, Milwaukee, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Pittsburgh, Rochester, St. Louis, Toledo, Youngstown
Abby has returned from visiting these cities with great stories of what is happening in places like Buffalo, NY and how we can try some of those ideas right here in Pittsburgh. Also exciting and I just had this conversation with Abby this afternoon is how Pittsburgh is doing a lot of great stuff that other cities are excited to learn about.
I am excited about this project because it is one of the first times I have heard of a broad coordination and information exchange across many cities that share a similar situation.
3 ways you can help
- Check out the GLUE website and blog – www.GLUEspace.org – the blog has some great stories and information from lots of the cities that are participating.
- Share this website with your friends
- Attend the first Sticky Cities Round Up – which is happening in all of the GLUE cities this week
Sticky Cities Round Up
WHAT: The Great Lakes Urban Exchange wants your input on a mega-regional conversation. What’s good, bad, and ugly about our post-industrial cities? How can we make progress as collaborators rather than competitors? Join us for a 90 minute session occurring simultaneously in 15 cities across the “rustbelt.” See “What is GLUE?” for more information.
TOPIC I : WHAT’S YOUR LAUNDRY LIST? What is holding your city back right now? What issues must most urgently be addressed to help your city get healthy? In your wildest dreams, what could we all do TOGETHER to make change a reality?
WHEN: April 10th 7 PM EST (6 PM CST) – 8:30 EST
WHERE: PGH: THE UNION PROJECT, 801 N. Negley Avenue, 15206
WHO: You and everyone who loves GLUE cities: Akron, Buffalo, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Des Moines, Detroit, Duluth, Erie, Flint, Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, Lansing, Louisville, Milwaukee, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Pittsburgh, Rochester, St. Louis, Toledo, Youngstown