Digging into the Data on Vacant Land on the North Side #HackforChange

Screenshot of vacant parcels from GTECH data set.

Screenshot of vacant parcels from GTECH data set.

Today, Saturday, June 6, 2015 is the National Day of Civic Hacking. Civic Hacking events are being held all over the country and here in Pittsburgh. For the afternoon we have split into groups and are working on different challenges with open data sets.  My group is working on comparing two data sets about vacant land on the North Side.  Here are some of the things we learned from the data about vacant land on the North Side.

  • Data Set 1: Survey of Vacant Land on the North Side conducted by GTECH. You can see a map of the GTECH data here.
  • Data Set 2: Allegheny County Assessment Data

Total Parcels of Land on the North Side = 23,000

Vacant Lots on the North Side:

Data Set: # of vacant parcels:
GTECH 6089
Allegheny County 8172
difference 2083

 

 

 

 

How many properties in the North Side are currently vacant but the Allegheny County Assessment file does not list that parcel as vacant?

  • 622 properties in the North Side are currently vacant but not listed by Allegheny County as vacant.

 

#tbd: Paint a mural during the Three Rivers Arts Festival

The Three Rivers Arts Festival opened yesterday. Lots of people are planning on coming down to see the art, but come between 11am and 2pm from today through June 14th and you can help create it. Muralist Kim Beck has begun stenciling an 850-foot mural underneath the Fort Duquesne Bridge and is ready for volunteers to help fill in the “paint by number” with black, white and gray paint.
TBDMural_StencilDetail
Looking at her Tumblr, you can see that Kim Beck (previously featured on I Heart PGH) has a fascination with the mundane and ephemeral aspects of the urban landscape, like billboards, sky writing and plastic security fencing. She carries that idea forward here with the mural that depicts common, hardy, native plants. In other words, weeds. I like the project because it works at different scales; up close I think it will read as almost abstract because of how large the plants will be, and from the other side of the river it will be cool to see weeds sprouting at the foot of the city.
TBDMural_AcrossRiver
If you miss the window to help with the mural, you should still stop by and see some of the items on display. Riverlife has partnered with the Pittsburgh chapter of the American Institute of Architects to showcase past proposals by young architects on how to better utilize “urban voids”. The proposals were submissions to the Young Architects Studio Competition over the last few years, which was created as a way for young architects to express themselves and be involved in Design Pittsburgh, an annual event held by the AIA to celebrate architecture and give awards for design. The exhibit will last all summer, and Riverlife is planning events in the outdoor exhibit for every Wednesday through the end of August. Stay tuned for more details on those events as they become available. The mural and gallery are collectively known as #tbd, so follow Riverlife on Twitter, search that hashtag or just keep reading I Heart PGH.
TBDMural_Exhibit
So come down and create some art of your own, this weekend or any day until the Arts Festival closes on June 14th. Between 11am and 2pm you can help paint a mural under the Fort Duquesne Bridge. If you’re walking, it’s most easily accessed by walking towards the Point fountain and turning right after walking under the bridge. When you hit the Allegheny River, walk upstream until you see people with brushes and rollers. See you there.
TBDMural_Visitors

Walk, Don’t Drive Down Penn Ave. On Sunday Morning

I took this photo at the 2014 OpenStreetsPGH event.

I took this photo at the 2014 OpenStreetsPGH event.

This Sunday, May 31st, 2015, the streets from Market Square to Lawrenceville will be closed to traffic and open to people. Don’t panic, this is a good road closure.  Last year Open Streets spanned from Market Square across the Roberto Clemente Bridge.  This year, OpenStreetsPGH will be over 3 miles long from Market Square to Lawrenceville.

Paris, Bogata, Tucson and now Pittsburgh

Español: Ciclovia em Bogotá

Español: Ciclovia em Bogotá (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

One of the ideas behind Open Streets is to give people an opportunity to interact with their city in a way that is not centred around cars.  This is an idea that has been taking hold in other cities around the globe.  The Paris Respire, which translates to Paris Breathes, closes certain roads to traffic on Sundays from 9am-5pm.  Cyclovia Tuscon takes place twice a year and has quite a following.  (BTW if you are interested in learning more about cycling in Tucson, check out Bicycle Tucson @BicycleTucson a great blog run by Mike McKisson who was kind enough to give me a tour of Tucson by bike when I was there in January.)

Open Streets PGH Locations & Schedule for May 31, 2015

The streets are closed to traffic and open for fun from 8am to Noon on Sunday.  There are events planned for the following locations along the route:

  • Market Sqaure
  • 8th & Penn
  • 23rd & Penn
  • Leslie Park (on Butler Street in Lawrenceville)

You can see the entire OpenStreetsPGH Schedule for Sunday, May 31, 2015 here.

Five Stops to Make at Open Streets PGH

With so many events happening on Sunday, its hard to know where to start.  Here are five events that we think you should check out along the route.

1. Pittsburgh Vintage Mixer Pop Up Shop at Wildcard

Pittsburgh’s most awesome gift shop has invited their vintage selling friends to set up shop on Sunday am.  Stop by and pick up some old and new gifts for an old friend and make some new friends with these vintage lovers.  Visit the Facebook event for more info.

Follow: @pghvintagemixer @wildcardpgh

2. The City Spree 5K & 10K

The City Spree is a unique twist on your road race.  You and your team pick your own course to run. Use the code OPENSTREETSPGH to register for free.  Register online here.  The 5k run is sold out but there is still time to register for the 10k run or the 5k walk

  • 9am – 10k Run
  • 9:30am 5k Walk
  • 10am 5k Run SOLD OUT

Follow: @CityofPlay

3. $5 Coffee + Fresh Cinnamon Roll @ Franktuary

Stop by Frankturary before brunch for coffee and a cinnamon roll from 8am-10am. Regular brunch begins at 10 am.

Follow: @Franktuary

4. Walking Tour of Downtown with PHLF

Learn about this history of downtown Pittsburgh on a walking tour led by Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation. Meet in front of the CLOCK in Market Square 10am.

Follow: @PHLF

5. Try Out the New Pittsburgh Bike Share

t-pittsburgh-bike-share-logoYou’ve seen the stations popping up.  The bikes are being rolled out today and the brand new Pittsburgh bike share, which is named HealthyRidePGH launches on Sunday. I’ve had the chance to try out bike shares in Denver, Chicago, Milwaukee and New York.  This is great news for the ‘burgh.  If you haven’t had a chance to use a bike share before, the bike share lets you “rent” a bike at one station and return the bike to another station. You can read more about how HealthyRidePGH works here.  A 30 minute ride is $2 or you can sign up for a monthly membership for $12 or $20 a month.

Follow: @HealthyRidePGH

Getting Around Town on Sunday Morning

OpenStreetsPGH has partnered with ZTrip app.  Use code PGHTours to get $15 off.  (If you want to try Uber or Lyft use code IHEARTPGH to get your first ride free.)

OpenStreetsPGH on Pittsburgh Today Live

Kim O’Dell from the Heinz Foundations and Mike Carroll from Bike Pittsburgh were on KDKA’s Pittbsurgh Today Live earlier this week to give a preview of OpenStreetsPGH.

Follow: @Pgh_Today_Live @BikePGH @KimODell412

Read more about OpenStreetsPGH and similar events around the US
TEDxPittsburgh

TEDxPittsburgh is this Saturday– get 25% off tickets!

Get your tickets to TEDxPittburgh and the TEDxPittsburgh After Party. Use code “bridgespgh” for 25% off!

TEDxPittsburgh

We all know about TED talks: the moving, inspirational, educational videos that pop up in our social media feeds and emails from friends and family. They make us think, they make us laugh, and sometimes they even make us cry. Best of all, they explore, celebrate, and share the things, both good and bad, that make us human.

So wouldn’t you love to see some TED talks, in person, that focus on the amazing people and ideas of our beloved Steel City? Well here’s your chance– TEDxPittsburgh is this Saturday!

TEDxPGH 2015 Bridges

The 2015 theme is Bridges: Ideas that Connect Us, and there’s a stellar lineup this year– from Dr. Jim Withers, who was recently featured as a CNN Hero for his work bringing medical care to Pittsburgh’s homeless population through Operation Safety Net, to Gab Bonesso, who is tackling bullying in schools through song and comedy with her partner Josh Verbanets.

We know it’s Memorial Day weekend and the weather is supposed to be gorgeous but this really is an event you can’t miss.

A few other speakers include: Diane Turnshek, a local astronomer who helped bring Earth Hour to Pittsburgh; Michelle King, a passionate teacher and self-proclaimed Learning Instigator; and Andrew Butcher, co-founder of GTechStrategies, which works to improve the health of our communities.

You can learn more about all the speakers here. With such a diverse and talented bunch, there’s bound to be a talk that speaks to you, either personally or about our beloved Pittsburgh.

TEDxPGH After Party

If we still didn’t convince you to not spend the day outside, then come to the after party from 5-8pm! Check out the newest exhibits at SPACE Gallery, while enjoying a performance by Slowdanger and treats from the incredible E2, plus complimentary wine and beer.

Still can’t make it? Try to pop in on the livestream and follow along on Twitter with the hashtag #TEDxPGH. Also follow TEDxPittsburgh on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for live updates!

We hope to see you there!

Use code “bridgespgh” for 25% off tickets to:

TEDxPittburgh

TEDxPittsburgh After Party.

 

What: TEDxPittsburgh 2015 | Bridges: Ideas that Connect Us

Where: Byham Theater, 101 6th St, Pittsburgh, PA 15222

When: Saturday, May 23 from 12-5pm; afterparty to follow