Category Archives: News about PGH

Meet Pittsburgh’s Draft Climate Action Plan 3.0

While the Trump administration has been working to remove environmental protections and even swapping out the term “climate change” for “resilient,” Pittsburgh is addressing this global issue head-on. The Steel City, along with numerous U.S. cities and now 14 States have committed to the Climate Paris Agreement, which the U.S. federal government withdrew from earlier this year. In September, the City of Pittsburgh released a draft of its Climate Action Plan 3.0. The Plan calls for 100% renewable energy use and a dramatic reduction in emissions. The City Council is currently reviewing the Plan and may hold hearings or sessions before a final vote. With the lack of federal support and with the City’s commitment to the Paris Agreement, a global spotlight will shine on Pittsburgh as it addresses the issue of climate change. This past week alone, the City had a three-day climate change workshop headlined by former Vice-President and climate change advocate, Al Gore.

The draft Climate Action Plan 3.0 can be found here, and a summary presentation of the Plan can be found here. Follow @PLANPGH on Twitter for updates from the City of Pittsburgh Department of City Planning.

For more information on sustainability and resilience in Pittsburgh, visit the City’s website: pittsburghpa.gov/dcp/sustainability&resilience.

The video above was created by the Owl Me Not project run by Ben Wonderful. Owl Me Not seeks to simply explain that which is unknown, whether it’s an idea or an innovative business. Owl Me Not has partnered with IHeartPGH to produce videos on topics related to Pittsburgh, including a series on innovators. The project is currently in development, but the latest video can be found here. Feel free to reach Ben Aufill about the OwlMeNot project via email.

Raising the Jolly Roger

I’ll make this one quick. I don’t have much time to mourn, because it’s midterm week in the Bronx, and I have to get prepared.

It’s been 21 years since the Pittsburgh Pirates have had a winning season, let alone a playoff appearance. I won’t spend much time listing all the things that have happened since then and now, but suffice it to say that it’s been a long time coming.

I wrote for IHeartPGH this summer, hoping to give a die-hard fan’s perspective on the Pirates. I’ll boil down my perspective to this: I want 82. Man, I’ve wanted 82 more than I’ve ever wanted the Steelers to win the Super Bowl, the Penguins to win the Stanley Cup, or just about anything else that I could ever want. In 2013, the Pittsburgh Pirates won their 82nd game on September 9th. I didn’t yell all that loud about it, (except on Twitter) and then, for the first time in my entire life, I started to seriously think about the Pittsburgh Pirates as playoff contenders. And they kept winning games. Between September 9th and September 23rd, the Pirates had won 12 more games. They had guaranteed that Pittsburgh—and, more importantly, that PNC Park—would at last see a playoff game. On October 1st, 2013, they clinched at least two more playoff games in the Steel City, and I only wished that I could have been there. I’ve put everything on hold to watch the Bucs as closely as I could in the past week, and I’ve never been more proud of my team or of my city.

As I’m writing this, Pedro Alvarez has been retired as the last out of the 2013 season, and I’m sad that it couldn’t go on longer, but I can’t deny that I’m at least somewhat pleased with the result. The Pirates have staged an amazing baseball renaissance in the city of Pittsburgh. Frankly, it sucks that the city can’t get more reacquainted with fall baseball, but we don’t have much time to mourn. Baseball’s back in Pittsburgh, and we have to get prepared for 2014.

In Case You Missed It…Streetfilms Visits Pittsburgh

Thanks to the folks at BikePGH for the heads up on this video. Streetfilms, which is part of the Streetsblog network. The Streetsblog network is an awesome collection of blogs, news stories on sustainable transport, smart growth and livable streets issues Continue reading →

Pittsburgh Hearts Google

I don’t need to tell you that Pittsburgh is a city on the brink. We’re a breeding ground for startups, a few plots of land away from full riverfront development, and we’ve got a plethora of thriving local businesses. Our vibrant and passionate community is what makes these things possible.

A community of connected individuals, young professionals, investors, and concerned citizens who have the power to make things happen just by the click of a mouse is a revolution; and it’s happening in Pittsburgh.

Why not take it to the next level?

Continue reading →

Post-Gazette Article on the Upcoming Why Pittsburgh Party

: Image via Wikipedia

I wrote about the Why Pittsburgh Party on Friday and I wanted to post a follow up because I was worried that the info would get lost in the weekend emails. The Post-Gazette beat me to it with a great article about the upcoming Why Pittsburgh Party on September 17, 2009 (click here for the party details).

Here are some highlights from the article:

Carrie Hagan, a graduate student in history and policy at Carnegie Mellon University, met Ms. Wilson through the League of Young Voters and joined the party committee “and the next thing I know I am throwing the party,” said Ms. Hagan. “I couldn’t stand the idea of not being part of something like this.”

…

The Detroit party was “a qualified success,” said Ms. Szurpicki. “We had around 100 people and collected over 80 good photos” of participants holding a white board with the phrase “I Will Stay If …” completed.

“The photos show that people want better regional cooperation, public transit, bike lanes, curbside recycling, things like that. And what has come out of this is people saying ‘I am staying to be a part of something,’ ‘I am staying because I want to help build that curbside recycling program.’

…

“I fell in love with this city the moment I crossed the bridge and have not looked back since,” she said. “I’ve been a lot of places and this is the kind of place I want to live.

via post-gazette.com