The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) is the regional planning agency for our area (Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Washington, and Westmoreland counties). According to SPC, “The Commission develops plans and programs for public investments; fulfills federal and state requirements for transportation, economic development, and local government assistance programs; and operates with public involvement and trust.” They direct approximately $33 billion in state and federal funds through 2030. The last time we wrote about SPC, they were taking public comments on their Public Participation Plan. This time, they have set up a public comment period and regional public meetings on the draft of their 2040 Long Range Transportation and Development Plan for Southwestern Pennsylvania. There are four components to the plan. You can review each by clicking on the following links:
The 30-day public comment period for the 2040 Long Range plan began on May 18th and will conclude on Friday, June 17, at 4:00 p.m.
You can attend a Public Participation Panel meeting to hear presentations, look at maps, ask questions, and submit your comments. The Pittsburgh meeting will take place:
What makes a city desirable as a place in which we want to live? Is there a new American Dream in terms of how we live? These are some of the big questions tackled by a CEOs for Cities Strategy Session last month in Portland, Oregon. CEOs for Cities believes that “quality of talent, quality of place, and quality of opportunity, driven by quality of leadership” is what determines the success of a city and they attempt to nail down the facts on those factors. About 100 urban leaders from across the country gathered in Portland to look at how innovation is shaping cities and to learn why Portland has become a model for attracting talented young people. Councilman Bill Peduto was invited to attend and has been involved with the group since 2007. He has also served as a presenter previously.
The real turnaround for Portland occurred when they demolished a waterfront freeway to make it now largely pedestrianized. As Robert Liberty, Executive Director of the Sustainable Cities Initiative put it, “We changed course not because we are different but became different because we changed course.” Some of that change in course included investment in light rail, streetcar, aerial tram and bicycle infrastructure. Alex Steffen, a world leader on sustainability, futurism and walkable urbanism, noted that, “Being able to live without a car is the gold standard for young people” and “If your city doesn’t offer this option anywhere within it, young people will not move there.” (More reason to celebrate Pittsburgh recently being rated as ”one of America’s safest metropolitan areas for walking.”)
It’s about asking “How can my city be the best version of itself?” Relying less on cars has obvious benefits for the environment, but it also helps to build community when we get out of our individual, private cars and meet our neighbors on the sidewalks and on public transit. But, it’s more than just about lessoning the traffic — it’s about building a culture of DIT (Do It Together). That involves residents relying on each other, such as when a “cluster economy” grows when a particular industry has success and other spin-off companies are created to support it. It also means that the citizens are active in making their city the best that it can be. It means cities which cater to people and people who are enabled to participate in the planning of their cities — placemaking.
The video below features Carol Coletta, who just stepped down as CEO of CEOs for Cities. In it, she talks about the need for a new “American Dream.” One that’s not automobile-centric. One that’s better suited to our new reality and which takes advantage of the ability of urban environments to enact “innovation, opportunity and efficiency.”
On April 4, 2009, Pittsburgh experienced one of its darkest moments. In the early morning hours of a cold, rainy, spring day, three police officers lost their lives while doing their job. It is a moment that none of us will ever forget. On that day, a makeshift memorial was created in the neighborhood of Bloomfield — home to one of the officers, Paul Sciullo. Flowers, prayers and remembrances were displayed for months at the corner of Cederville and Liberty as a tribute to all three officers. And, on that tragic day, Father John Dinello of Immaculate Conception-Saint Joseph Parish lit three candles in blue glass candle holders and placed them on the altar. The three candles were lit as a special intention to the three fallen heroes and remained aflame on the altar of Saint Joseph Parish for the next two years.
But, something more needed to be done — something lasting and meaningful to the memories of not only these three heroes, but to all the public safety workers in the city of Pittsburgh. Thus began a community effort to construct a lasting tribute. Local artist James Simon, who grew up in Stanton Heights, was commissioned to create a sculpture of Saint Michael — the patron saint of police officers. Michael is regarded as an archangel in the Jewish, Christian and Islamic faiths — a protector and the leader of the army of God. On Easter Sunday 2010 — the one year anniversary of the tragedy — the ground was blessed where the sculpture would be placed and a goal of raising funds for the memorial was set.
This year, in the last month of the drive, the committee found itself over $20,000 short of reaching its goal. A plea was sent out to the general community to help close the gap and to allow for the planned dedication of a permanent memorial on the second anniversary of the shooting. What happened next is an example of the true spirit of Pittsburgh. The needed $20,000 was not only raised — that amount was surpassed in just the first four days after the plea. By the time of the sculpture’s public presentation, the people of the Pittsburgh region had generously given over $51,000 to the memorial. Enough to pay for all of the costs, establish a permanent maintenance fund and provide insurance. On Monday, April 4, 2011, the Permanent Memorial for the Fallen Heroes was dedicated with hundreds of Pittsburghers participating. You can watch a video of the event below. And, Father Dinello was able to finally extinguish those three candles which had burned for two full years on the altar at Saint Joseph.
If you plan to visit the Memorial, be sure to see it at night! You’ll see three blue lights that shine upon the sculpture of Saint Michael and the shield behind him which is emblazoned with the number 4409 — a day none of us will forget. If you look closely, you will also see that those three blue lights are now joined by one white light: A dedication from the people of Pittsburgh to the people who protect us.
Scenic Pittsburgh believes in the intrinsic beauty of our city. They know that our scenic vistas are not only good for the soul, they are good for tourism and our local economy. Their mission is to “preserve, protect and enhance the scenic beauty of the Pittsburgh region” and they do this by trying to save our city from the visual pollution of billboards. This issue is increasingly important as electronic billboards have made their way onto the scene. Scenic Pittsburgh notes:
Zoning regulations do not address the new technologies that make billboards brighter and more intrusive than ever. New electronic billboards present new hazards as they distract drivers with multiple moving messages. Most billboards in Pittsburgh, built before zoning regulations were enacted, are not in compliance with current zoning requirements. Content control for billboards is limited so ads can contain sexually explicit content or vile and hateful messages.
Most people agree with the idea that billboards add clutter and despoil our cityscapes and landscapes. Unfortunately, PA law makes it difficult to acquire the land that billboards occupy. Also, under our state laws, most billboards in Pittsburgh enjoy grandfathered legal status. Otherwise, hundreds of non-conforming billboards would be illegal. Scenic Pittsburgh, therefore, concentrates mainly on banning the construction of new billboards. They had a recent victory in downtown Pittsburgh. They went to court to demand that a giant 1,900-square-foot LED billboard and ticker on the Grant Street Transportation Center that had been illegally placed be removed. Scenic Pittsburgh won their suit and now the sign will have to be taken down by its owner — Lamar Advertising — by September 1st and Lamar will have to pay for the removal.
Scenic Pittsburgh is a project of the Pennsylvania Resources Council and is an affiliate of Scenic America (a nonprofit advocacy organization solely dedicated to removing visual blight). Scenic Pittsburgh is looking for qualified and dedicated individuals to become members of their Board of Advisors. They want people who are “passionate about preservation and dedicated to the notion that natural, artistic, architectural scenic beauty should be protected.” If you are interested in serving a good organization and protecting our scenic treasures, you can fill out an application here.
PULSE (Pittsburgh Urban Leadership Service Experience) partners with local nonprofits to develop young, talented, university graduates to be the next generation of servant leaders in Pittsburgh to help transform our city. Participants receive mentoring, job training and skill development. They commit to an 11 month work placement with such groups as the Western PA Conservancy, the Andy Warhol Museum, Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, Venture Outdoors, East End Cooperative Ministry and the Union Project. PULSE has worked with over 100 nonprofit organizations in the past 16 years. Â
An important part of the program includes cultivating community by having participants actually live together (currently in a house in the East End of Pittsburgh). Kate Stoltzfus was a past member of the program and she interviews this year’s group of participants at her Yinzpiration blog. They speak of how the program gave them the opportunity to serve the larger community while living in a supportive environment — “a built-in community of people who are also interested in serving in Pittsburgh.”
PULSE will be expanding to a second house in Garfield next year — bringing four additional participants to Pittsburgh for a total of 12. They need to raise an additional $16,000 towards this end. PULSE calls their effort “Building Community: Brick by Brick.” Individuals can purchase a “brick” for $20 each to help them raise the funds. In the spirit of what she learned during her year with PULSE, Kate Stoltzfus has committed to raising $3,000 of the needed $16,000. You can help by going to Kate’s Crowdrise page and donating there.
The Silk Screen 6th Annual Asian Film Festival kicks off this week in Pittsburgh with an opening night Gala on May 6th at the Omni William Penn Hotel. Silk Screen aims to put Pittsburgh on the map not only for having one of the best Asian film festivals, but by creating a center for Asian culture. As they note on their website, over 40,000 Asians live in Western PA, but there’s “not one central place for all Asian groups to meet together or to interact with the mainstream community.” The Silk Screen Asian Arts and Culture Organization hopes to build a world class Asia center in Pittsburgh as there is no significant center of this kind between New York City and San Francisco. This year’s film festival runs from May 6th to May 15th and includes films from China, Hong Kong, India, Iran, Japan, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, the Middle East, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam. You can see a full list of the films to be screened here and purchase festival passes here.
Taste sensational sips and exotic ethnic dishes from Japan, China, India, Korea, and more. Dance with Pittsburgh’s premiere Asian performers. Mingle with celebrities, gaze upon international fashions, and enjoy a world of colorful fabrics and faces.
The Gala is on Friday, May 6th (8:00 PM to midnight) at the Omni William Penn Hotel, 530 William Penn Place in Downtown Pittsburgh (map). To give you a taste of a Silk Screen Gala, here are some photos of last year’s performers (more photos here):
The 2011 festival opens with the Indian film “I Am” which the Post-Gazettedescribes as “weav[ing] together four stories exploring dark themes about child abuse, criminalization of homosexuality, single motherhood and political tension in Kashmir.” Here’s the film’s official trailer:
Councilman Bill Peduto has been a part of the festival from its inception. He secured grant funds to get Silk Screen started and he currently serves as a member of its Advisory Board. Peduto has also recognized Silk Screen and its founder, Harish Saluja (seen below), with proclamations before Pittsburgh City Council for “for providing year round education and entertainment to the Pittsburgh region.”
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