“T” in Allegheny Station, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from joseph a’s photostream

Transit Oriented Development (TOD) is development which features mixed-use residential and commercial areas. It values diversity in both the population and land use. It ensures walkability and centers the community around high quality and diverse transportation options. It’s the difference between a Main Street model and a strip mall on a highway. It brings back a pedestrian human scale and gets away from a reliance on cars (and fossil fuels). It’s what makes a city livable — a place where people will chose to live — because they can easily access their residence, workplace, shops and cultural attractions. It also aims to limit urban sprawl. In the following video, Peter Calthorpe of Calthorpe Associates (an urban design firm), explains the concept:

How to achieve the sustainability and smart growth offered by TOD is a subject which has been tackled by the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC). They’ve created an interactive website to evaluate a site for TOD potential: “FIT: Future Investment in TOD.” The site gives users the key elements necessary for successfully fostering a TOD (such as connectivity, density, economic drivers, users, etc.) and allows them to rate their project. Additionally, SPC has created a step-by-step workbook which helps in the process of collecting qualitative data for a proposed site.

The FIT website can be accessed here and the workbook is available here.

Bustling Penn Avenue, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from Jeffrey Inscho’s photostream

Installing solar panels, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from OregonDOT’s photostream

I had the opportunity to travel to Philadelphia (this was before the Pens started playing the Flyers, so it was ok) at the beginning of April to speak to the Good Jobs, Green Jobs Conference about Pittsburgh’s stormwater challenges and the work City Council has done to help meet them. My friends, Tom Hoffman of Clean Water Action and Barney Oursler of the Clean Rivers Campaign, asked me to join them for a panel discussion entitled “Sewer Infrastructure — The Biggest Public Investment in History.”

We spoke about the need for a green solution to our combined sewer overflow problem and our many stormwater challenges, rather than the incredibly expensive, disruptive “grey” solutions currently being proposed by the PWSA and ALCOSAN. We also discussed what has been done at the local level by Pittsburgh City Council to require that when public dollars are spent for private development that the developers use the best available environmental technologies to capture stormwater on the site and reduce harmful diesel emissions from their construction equipment.

Cleaning up our rivers, ensuring that we’re using the best available technologies when building new housing or office space, and working with labor unions and nonprofits to train or retrain our workers is creating economic results for our City. With cutting-edge green technology and a healthy and safe environment, we can attract the kind of high-paying jobs we need in this region.

storm sewer, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from midquel’s photostream

Circle of Life Dance at the United Nations in Geneva, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0)image from US Mission Geneva’s photostream

While there’s plenty of talk about needing environmental and economic sustainability in design, the third sphere in the trio — social sustainability — often gets scant attention in mainstream discussions. Ensuring social sustainability for a design project means including safety concerns, community involvement and corporate responsibility as key components. It takes into account the needs of temporary users, such as builders, as well as future users like the public and employees. A recently published report by the U.K.-based Young Foundation took a look at the successes and failures of neighborhood developments around the world through the lens of social sustainability. The report creates a framework for policymakers involved in the planning and design of communities and cities. The Young Foundation report argues that social sustainability should be seen as:

“A process for creating sustainable, successful places that promote wellbeing, by understanding what people need from the places they live and work. Social sustainability combines design of the physical realm with design of the social world – infrastructure to support social and cultural life, social amenities, systems for citizen engagement and space for people and places to evolve.”

The Young Foundation finds that communities which do not work socially “at best fail to flourish, or at worst, spiral into decline.” You can see the full report here.

The following video helps to explain the concept of social sustainability. It notes the importance of including all stakeholders in the early development of a project. It also gives the three critical steps which should be taken into consideration: approach, assessment and desired results. And, it explains that socially sustainable thinking must be applied to each of these steps to achieve a socially sustainable outcome.

Blue Marble (Planet Earth), a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from woodleywonderworks’s photostream

The C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40) is a worldwide network of large cities who work locally to reduce carbon emissions, and in doing so, also aim to have a global impact on climate change. While cities only take up about 1% of the earth’s surface, 50% of the global population reside and work there. More to the point, they consume 75% of the world’s energy and produce 80% of its greenhouse gas emissions. Recognizing the importance cities play in climate change, C40 was created in 2005 by then Mayor of London Ken Livingstone. In 2006, C40 formed a partnership with the Cities program of President Clinton’s Climate Initiative (CCI) to forward its goal to reduce carbon emissions and increase energy efficiency in cities around the world. New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg is the current chair of the C40.

Last month, C40 organized the Economic Cooperation and Development Conference in Chicago, IL. During the conference, Bloomberg announce two new global networks to help cities achieve both sustainability and prosperity. The first of these focuses on sustainable infrastructure finance and will be led by Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the City of Chicago. From Bloomberg’s remarks:

With assistance from C40’s staff, this network will help cities learn from one another, and work together in creating, evaluating, and replicating new financing structures for improved mass transit, alternative power generation, and other ‘green’ projects. Having Chicago lead this global network will enable others to learn from what Chicago has already achieved, and also the challenges you’re still working to overcome.

[snip]

This kind of city-to-city exchange, particularly between cities in economically advanced nations and the rapidly growing cities in developing nations, is something C40 is strongly committed to.

The second network focuses on green growth:

This network, which is being led by the City of Copenhagen and which the staff of C40 will also assist, will focus on the full range of ways cities can work with the private sector to attract investment and create jobs, in ways that also meet our environmental goals.

This morning, I touched on several ways we’re doing that in New York – through our ‘greener, greater’ building laws, and our plans to convert some of our municipal waste to renewable energy. Other cities are also bringing the private sector into partnerships to address such issues, too.

There are currently 58 member cities in the C40. In Pennsylvania, Philadelphia is a member. As the group focuses on the largest cities in the world, Pittsburgh is not a member. However, as we blogged here earlier this month, Pittsburgh has its own Climate Action Plan and Initiative.

You can read all of Mayor Bloomberg’s remarks here.

South Side Works Square, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from Perfesser’s photostream

Throughout much of human history, mixed-use development — buildings or neighborhoods that combine commercial and residential usage — was the norm. That changed in the early 20th Century when the rise of pollution associated with industrialization caused people to want to seperate themselves from areas containing factories. The rise of the automobile also encouraged the trend for people to live far away from where they worked. Now, many see the benefits of going in the opposite direction. As cities have deindustrialized (and gas prices have risen), sustainable development and walkability are seen as desirable elements by those choosing a place to live. But, what are the benefits of mixed-use development for the cities themselves? Joseph Minicozzi at Planetizen takes a look at the property tax implications of different development types, runs the numbers, and finds that there’s a real payoff for encouraging dense mixed-use development.

From Planetizen:

Many policy decisions seem to create incentives for businesses and property developers to expand just about anywhere, without regard for the types of buildings they are erecting. In this article, I argue that the best return on investment for the public coffers comes when smart and sustainable development occurs downtown.

We’ll use the city of Asheville as an example. Asheville realizes an astounding +800 percent greater return on downtown mixed-use development projects on a per acre basis compared to when ground is broken near the city limits for a large single-use development like a Super Walmart. A typical acre of mixed-use downtown Asheville yields $360,000 more in tax revenue to city government than an acre of strip malls or big box stores.

Minicozzi looks at specific examples of Asheville, North Carolina landmarks:

Our next test case involved a comparison of a high-visibility shopping mall located just outside of downtown with a historic downtown building, dubbed the Old Penney’s building, which we had restored into a six-story mixed-use structure. Once we ran the numbers, just as before, the results were dramatic. Whereas the mall, considered one of the county’s biggest revenue generators, yielded $8,000 an acre in annual County property tax, the downtown building’s yield was $250,000 per acre in County property tax.

He concludes that when cities look at development, they need to look at per unit productivity rather than the overall value of a development project. When they do, they’ll find that mixed-use development provides a property tax bonus and a bigger bang for the buck.

You can read the entire article here.

Mixed-Use Development, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from barxtux’s photostream

mill in motion, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from the photostream of Hindrik S

On February 13th, the University of Pittsburgh School of Law Innovation Practice Institute and Pittsburgh Journal of Environmental and Public Health Law will present a daylong forum: Building Sustainable Neighborhoods: Powering Sustainable Development in Allegheny County. The forum is being hosted by Phipps Conservatory. The day will feature compelling discussion by legislators, innovators, and industry experts on how Allegheny County can become a leader in sustainable growth and energy development.

Topics will include:

• The Transition to Renewable and Alternative Energy
• Local Energy Initiatives: Power Grid Infrastructure and Integration
• The Sustainability of Natural Gas Development
• University Research – At the Vanguard of Regional Development
• Preserving Historical Roots in the Face of Innovation
• Pennsylvania: Capitalizing on Innovation Without Sacrificing Environmental Resources
• Green Buildings: Investment and Payback
• Growing the Green Economy: Green Jobs and Economic Development
• Growing the Green Economy – Social Enterprise
• National Academies of Science Framework for Sustainability at EPA: The Green Book

Councilman Bill Peduto will moderate the discussion on Growing the Green Economy – Social Enterprise. US Congressman Mike Doyle will give the keynote address. You can see a full schedule of panels and speakers and additional event details here.

This forum is free and open to the public. (Lunch is provided for a fee of $10.)

Building Sustainable Neighborhoods:
Powering Sustainable Development in Allegheny County
When: February 13, 2012, 8:30am – 4:00pm
Where: Phipps Conservatory, One Schenley Park, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213 (map)

The David L. Lawrence Convention Center, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from glindsay65′s photostream

The Green Building Alliance (GBA) is one of the first U.S. Green Building Council affiliate organizations in the country and a national pioneer in promoting green building. Created in 1993, this nonprofit strives to drive market demand for both green buildings and green building products, helping Western PA achieve national prominence in LEED-certified buildings. GBA programs include giving project assistance for green buildings including resources for funding, LEED rating systems and green building practices; providing educational opportunities for industry professionals; driving the development of a large-scale database for analyzing sustainable and high performance buildings; promoting the greening of schools, and more. Since 1998, over 6,000 people have attended GBA workshops and training events.

Now, GBA is seeking assistance to help shape the future of green buildings in Western PA. In collaboration with USGBC chapters and affiliates nationwide, GBA is conducting a survey of the community to determine regional priority issues for this area. The survey takes only five minutes and the input will be considered in GBA’s recommendations for LEED 2012 regional priority credits. What issues do you think are most important to this region? Brownfields? Stormwater runoff? Urban sprawl? You can make your voice heard here.

Tree, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0)image from glindsay65′s photostream

Tree Pittsburgh is an environmental non-profit organization. Their mission is to enhance Pittsburgh’s vitality by restoring and protecting our city trees. As part of that mission, Tree Pittsburgh and their partners are currently developing the city’s very first Urban Forest Master Plan — “an initiative that will align the community around a shared vision for protecting, growing and maintaining our urban forest for future generations, creating substantial returns from a singular investment.” Public involvement and input is crucial to the development of the plan. To that end, Tree Pittsburgh is asking Pittsburghers to take a very short survey on their likes and dislikes about urban trees. They need as many Pittsburghers as possible to take the survey by the end of this month. Participants can register to win Giant Eagle gift cards and Tree Pittsburgh T-shirts, tote bags and more!

Pittsburgh’s urban forest is a treasure. It not only delights residents, but is also a revelation to visitors to our city. Moreover, our trees provide numerous practical benefits such as soaking up stormwater runoffs, helping prevent hillside erosion and cleaning our air. Please add your voice to the conversation by taking the survey here.

Snowy tree, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0)image from Sgt. Pepperedjane’s photostream

Roll On, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0)image from Jeremy Brooks’ photostream

On November 30th, The Heinz Endowments and the Breathe Project Coalition announced the creation of the Clean Diesel Construction Equipment Retrofit Fund. The fund will provide nearly $1 million to install pollution control equipment on diesel-powered vehicles. The fund is in response to the passage of the historic Clean Air Act by Pittsburgh City Council. The Clean Air Act seeks to reduce particle pollution from diesel emissions by requiring requiring contractors at city-subsidized developments to use cleaner diesel fuel and to have pollution controls on their vehicles and equipment. The diesel emissions from construction contain over 40 toxic air contaminants, carcinogens, ozone smog-forming compounds, and fine particulate matter (“soot”). Exposure to fine particles is known to cause asthma attacks, heart attacks, lung cancer, strokes, and even premature deaths. It’s estimated that the Clean Air Act will reduce the soot from heavy equipment by 85% or more.

The fund will be added to $920,000 from Allegheny County government now being managed by the Mid-Atlantic Regional Air Management Association. The Coalition funding through the Endowments will extend the reach of the county-wide project, to provide incentives to small construction companies to retrofit pollution-heavy equipment with new technologies. The new funding will allow the program to expand to target additional small construction companies that operate in and around the city of Pittsburgh.

In April, the American Lung Association’s “State of the Air 2011″ report rated Pittsburgh’s air quality as “the nation’s third most polluted area for short-term particle pollution for the second year in a row.” That was highlighted by Forbes magazine which called Pittsburgh the seventh most polluted city in America. In a report on the fund by WTAE News, Endowments President, Bobby Vagt, emphasized the importance of clean air to our economy:

“The critical item to attract and retain people — the kinds of people that are going to work in technology in Pittsburgh — air quality is absolutely vital,”

Councilman Bill Peduto, who was the prime sponsor of the Clean Air Act, echoed Vagt’s comments:

“What we’re trying to do is show that our economic future is contingent on clean air.”

At the press conference for the announcement, Peduto also referred to the range of support for the legislation. The new regulations were endorsed by unions, community groups, business owners and environmentalists. Each of these interests came together to achieve the goal of improving air quality.

Also supporting cleaner diesel emissions is Google Pittsburgh. From Essential Public Radio:

Andrew Moore, with Google Pittsburgh, said that the company attracts some of the best and brightest in the world, and that mostly Pittsburgh is an easy sell, but, “I kind of draw a blank when the question of air quality comes up, and I have to be transparent about it. I tell them that there’s lots of good things about Pittsburgh, but air quality is still a problem.”

The Breathe Project is trying to combat that problem, but is fighting against the notion that an aggressive clean air plan will cost the region jobs and hurt the economy. Moore said that the strength of the economy, however, is directly tied to a healthy environment, which starts with clean air and water.

Construction vehicles in the snow, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0)image from Arabani’s photostream

i find this photo ironic, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from saeru’s photostream

Founded in 1972, the Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition is a non-profit, grassroots community group dedicated to “preserving and improving the quality of life in the 14th Ward of the City of Pittsburgh.” In furtherance of that goal, the SHUC concerns itself with such issues as housing, education, transportation, commercial, residential and institutional development, and parks and open spaces. One of the very first issues they took on was replacing the water and sewer infrastructure between Murray and Shady. Now, the SHUC is conducting a study to better understand the effects of stormwater runoff for business and property owners in the Squirrel Hill area in order to have an accurate picture of the problem, as well as to “serve as a catalyst for future steps toward solutions.” To this end, SHUC would like to survey businesses and residents in the area on their experiences and opinions regarding stormwater flooding.

We’ve written about this problem many times before on this blog noting the need for sustainable and green infrastructure solutions which can both improve our environment and save billions of ratepayer dollars. Moreover, Councilman Peduto conducted a meeting on the East End Flooding problem in September of this year. Over 300 people attended and decried the “chronic flooding that’s rotted their walls, ruined their carpets, set their cars afloat and cost thousands of dollars in repairs.” Also in attendance at the meeting were Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, Public Safety Director Michael Huss, Public Works Director Rob Kaczorowski, as well as executives of the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority, and state legislators and city council members.

You can make your voice heard on this problem by taking the Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition’s survey:

For Business Owners: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BXCJGVC  

For Property Owners: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BNDZCN9

The natatorium in the basement, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from justmakeit’s photostream