Pittsburgh Story Ideas

Looking for story ideas? Here are hot topics about Pittsburgh people, places, innovations and ideas that would be worth investigating. Check back often, as new Story Bank ideas will be posted!

 

STORY CATEGORIES

Green Pittsburgh

Energy + Environmental Solutions

Health Care + Life Sciences

Information and Communications Technologies

Transportation

Education

Pittsburgh Personalities

Quality of Life

Economic Climate

Financial and Business Services

Unique Events

Green Pittsburgh

Green Buildings

IBACOS is a key asset to the U.S. Department of Energy by researching new ways to build energy-efficient homes. In fact, the national "Building America" program and its "Builder's Challenge program" which helps homebuilders erect energy efficient homes was founded in Pittsburgh at IBACOS. The National Association of Home Builders also bases many of its best practices on its work. IBACOS has special energy efficient research projects going on in the Pittsburgh region, and its office in Downtown Pittsburgh also contains a lab warehouse where mockups are built to test new innovations in all facets of building a home more energy efficiently.
Contact: Michelle Merlo, +1 412.475.0425, mmerlo@ibacos.com, www.ibacos.com

A new home in the City of Pittsburgh is the first in Western Pennsylvania to be certified as a "Gold" home by the National Association of Home Builders Research Center as part of its National Green Building Program. Located in the new Summerset at Frick Park community that is currently being built on a former brownfield site, the home is just the sixth in the state to receive the designation. All homes built at Summerset are constructed to be at least 30 percent more energy efficient than other new homes in the Pittsburgh region.
Contact: Patti Jo Lambert, +1 724.561.4188, pattijopr@comcast.net, http://www.summersetatfrickpark.com/
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Reused and Reinvented Properties

Historic preservation can have as much to do with building "green" as the newest environmentally conscious building. Certain projects in Pittsburgh indicate how local developers and city agencies are creating a more sustainable future by adapting existing building to meet contemporary lifestyles. This trend is also revitalizing the downtown area, where former a train station was converted to a popular restaurant and a warehouse was readapted for the Andy Warhol Museum. In 2004 a planetarium built in 1939 was readapted and connected to a Post Office built in 1898 for the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh. In 2006, this expansion project received Silver LEED® certification as well as the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Honor Award for Architecture and the National Trust for Historic Preservation Honor award. A more recent example is Market Square Place, an ensemble of seven historic structures that were reinvented as a vertically integrated, mixed-use complex that revitalizes Market Square, one of the oldest commercial districts of the city. The project will be LEED® certified (pending approval) and was funded by numerous public agencies including federal agencies, non-profit organizations, and private investors.
Contact: Tami Hausman, Hausman LLC, +1 646.742.1700, hausman@hausmanllc.com; Michael Stern, Strada, +1 412.263.3800, mstern@stradallc.com  
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Green Roofs

Penn State University is working with Allegheny County to install a green roof on the County Office Building as well as a rain garden in the Courtyard of the County Courthouse. These projects are designed to provide leadership in the area of sustainability - specifically around green infrastructure, storm water management, energy reduction and community outreach/education.
Contact: Kevin Evanto, Allegheny County, +1 412.350.3171 or +1 412.352.4075, kevin.evanto@alleghenycounty.us
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Brownfield Reclamation/Redevelopment

• As the steel industry declined and factories closed, Pittsburgh was left with a series of large, vacant contaminated parcels of land, located mainly along rivers or railways. While many of these parcels are strategically located and have the potential to be excellent development sites, they present enormous challenges to potential private developers because of their size, contamination and lack of infrastructure. These challenges can require public sector involvement to overcome. Large-scale Brownfield redevelopment has been a primary focus for the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh (URA) in recent years, and the URA has played a crucial role in converting these parcels from vacant land into large, master-planned developments such as the Pittsburgh Technology Center, Washington's Landing and the South Side Works.
• The Pittsburgh Technology Center is a state-of-the-art riverfront office park and regional center for research and development. It is a nationally recognized example of Brownfield reclamation and the first project in Pennsylvania to use tax increment financing. The site currently generates more than $1 million in annual local tax revenues.
• SouthSide Works is a mixed-use development of the 123-acre former LTV Steel mill. Today, SouthSide Works includes residential, commercial, light industrial and Research & Development land uses. Over time, LTV had released over 10,000 employees at its plants in Pittsburgh. The project has relied heavily on community input and is a true testament to a successful public/private partnership.
• Washington's Landing is the mixed-use development on the 42-acre Herr's Island, located on the western bank of the Allegheny River, approximately two miles from Downtown Pittsburgh. This project involved the revitalization of a once blighted island into a high-quality, multi-use development, encompassing a full service marina, market-rate housing, office, research and development, light industrial uses, a rowing center and a public park.
• The success of these projects relied heavily on synergy between the City, County, and Universities.

Contact: Megan Stearman, URA, +1 412.255.6576, mstearman@ura.org
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Brown-fields::Green-jobs

The Western Pennsylvania Brownfields Center, is cooperating with the Heritage Community Initiative in Braddock, PA to provide environmental technician training. The program, with 2008 funding from by the US Environmental Protection Agency’s brownfield initiative, targets the un- and under-employed who live in neighborhoods that have been impacted by brownfields and provides a ‘tool box’ for the graduates to be technicians that might perform sampling and analysis tasks associated with remediation projects. The first training session, completed in March 2009, graduated 22 trainees. The second session, completed in June, graduated 25 trainees.
Contact: Deborah Lange, dlange@cmu.edu, Steinbrenner Institute at Carnegie Mellon
OR Ron Gaydos, Heritage Community Initiatives, rgaydos@heritagecommunityinitiatives.org
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The NEW Brownfields

As Pittsburgh's steel industry declined and employers abandoned their factories, people also moved away from their houses. Decades of population loss have left Pittsburgh with this new type of Brownfield, the result of abandonment and decay in residential areas. They are located in our neighborhoods, and are comprised of multiple small parcels, many of which have been contaminated by demolition and commercial uses rather than large-scale industrial activity. The Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh is expanding its definition of Brownfield to include these smaller, vacant and abandoned lots and buildings, and is focusing on a strategy to redevelop or green these parcels in order to create market change in residential neighborhoods. Penn State is working with Landscape Architect students and several Pittsburgh communities to address re-greening of de-populated neighborhood and use of vacant lots.
Contact: Megan Stearman, URA, +1 412.255.6576, mstearman@ura.org
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Brownfield Redevelopment - Keystone Commons

Keystone Commons in East Pittsburgh is the largest Brownfield redevelopment in Pennsylvania history. Regional Industrial Development Corporation (RIDC) redeveloped over 2.2 million square feet of old Westinghouse manufacturing space and the site is now home to many different companies and over 1,200 jobs.
Contact: Donald F. Smith, Jr. PhD, President, RIDC, +1 412.471.3939 extention 30
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Brownfield Redevelopment - Lawrenceville Technology Center

Lawrenceville Technology Center in Lawrenceville, just three miles from Downtown Pittsburgh, is the former Heppenstall Steel site and Boehm Chocolate Factory. The site is now being redeveloped and is home to four tech companies, including three university spinouts. The National Robotics Engineering Center is also located on the site.
Contact: Donald F. Smith, Jr. PhD, President, RIDC, +1 412.471.3939 extension 30
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Brownfield Redevelopment - Summerset at Frick Park

Summerset at Frick Park is one of the nation's first and largest brownfields transformed for single-family residential use. This new, urban neighborhood in the City of Pittsburgh is being built on a brownfield site where steel companies dumped more than 20 million tons of molten steel byproduct from 1920-1970. The new community is a $250 million public-private project that is converting a barren, 20-story mountain of slag into a premier neighborhood that will eventually be comprised of 700 new housing units over the course of 10 years. Land that previously generated zero tax dollars will generate approximately $5.7 million of annual property tax revenue when the project is complete. 
Contact: Patti Jo Lambert, +1 724.561.4188, pattijopr@comcast.net, www.summersetatfrickpark.com
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Green Energy/Advanced Manufacturing

In Lawrence County, about one hour north of Pittsburgh, the Ellwood Group implements advanced manufacturing to produce components for General Electric for wind turbines, crankshafts for Caterpillar and more.
Contact: David Barensfeld, Owner +1 724.652.3680
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Green Government Programs

In order to encourage sustainable development, the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh is offering reduced interest rates on qualifying business loans for projects that achieve certification under the United States Green Building Council's (USGBC) LEED program. The interest rate reduction increases with the level of certification achieved and can be as much as 2.5% below the going rate. The URA also has a policy that any newly constructed homes receiving URA financing must meet Energy Star standards.
Contact: Megan Stearman, URA, +1 412.255.6576, mstearman@ura.org
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Mt. Washington Rain Garden

Burt Hill, in partnership with Mt. Washington Community Development Corporation (MWCDC), the City of Pittsburgh and others, raised funds and in-kind donations to create a sustainable rain garden near the Mt. Washington Fire Station on Shiloh Street. The Rain Garden initiative evolved from the ideas of the passionate designers at Burt Hill who wanted to give back to the community and share their expertise while spreading the sustainable message. Partnering with MWCDC, they developed a plan that would add beauty, functionality and sustainability to a site in need of repair within the neighborhood. The updated site incorporates new lighting, seating, and landscaping materials and provides a safe and attractive place for visitors and residents.
Contact: Megan Stearman, URA, +1 412.255.6576, mstearman@ura.org
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Environmental Conference

While the Pittsburgh Summit is taking place, the Rachel Carson Homestead Association is holding its Third Annual Rachel Carson Legacy Conference. The conference will address the science, regulatory policy and social justice issues surrounding the controversial use of endocrine disrupting chemicals in consumer products. "When Chemicals Disrupt: Managing Our Risks," which will be held in Pittsburgh on Friday, September 25, 2009, features national speakers including Dr. Linda Birnbaum, Ph.D., MPH, who is the new director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. She will be joined by Jerome Ringo, President of the Apollo Alliance and Ken Cook, President of Environmental Working Group to examine the implications to human and environmental health through these synthetic chemicals. (Note to reporters: This conference was planned well before the G-20 Pittsburgh Summit was announced.)
Contact: Fiona Fisher, (724) 274-5459, fiona@rachelcarsonhomestead.org
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Sustainability Coordinators

A growing number of businesses around the world and here in southwestern Pennsylvania have appointed Sustainability Coordinators. There are already 36 such personnel from leading companies in our region who meet regularly as convened by Sustainable Pittsburgh's Champions for Sustainability business network-and the list is growing. This Sustainability Coordinators affinity group is proving highly valuable to these businesses as their personnel strive to advance their knowledge, highlight achievements, and learn from others toward implementing best emerging practices for sustainable business solutions.
Contact: Ginette Walker Vinski, 412-258-6646, gvinski@sustainablepittsburgh.org
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Sustainability Assessment

During its community planning process, Cranberry Township, a high-growth, heavily commercialized area located just north of the City of Pittsburgh, worked with Sustainable Pittsburgh to develop "Sustainability Principles," in what appears to be the first official set of sustainability guidelines adopted by a Pennsylvania municipal Board of Supervisors. The Principles are intended to guide both planning and decision-making of Township departments, boards and commissions. In conjunction with the creation of the principles, Sustainable Pittsburgh and a team of experts conducted a Sustainability Assessment of the Township, which outlined a series of ambitious steps that would create a culture of innovation, conserve resources, achieve cost savings, maximize human creativity, and infuse sustainability in municipal policies, programs, and management." Cranberry is the first municipality in Pennsylvania to undergo a comprehensive sustainability assessment for municipal operations.
Contact: Ginette Walker Vinski, 412-258-6646, gvinski@sustainablepittsburgh.org
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Sustainable Shopping Malls

Shopping malls, a major force in the retail economy, present a huge opportunity to effect at-scale change. In average state GDP terms, the economic activity of shopping malls accounts for $0.13 for every $1 on average for a state's GDP. After participating in Sustainable Pittsburgh's Sustainability Assessment, The Mall at Robinson property manager Forest City Enterprises not only moved forward with recommendations locally, but proceeded to adopt sustainable practices at other properties nationwide. The company appointed a nationwide director of Sustainability Initiatives, developed an Intranet web site that shares sustainability-related best practices among Forest City properties, and has committed to green building practices. Embracing sustainability in business operations is a strategic opportunity for property management firms.
Contact: Ginette Walker Vinski, 412-258-6646, gvinski@sustainablepittsburgh.org
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Green Programs

The Business Climate Coalition, a subset of the Champions for Sustainability sustainable business network, is a comprehensive group of Pittsburgh-area businesses representing diverse interests in energy and climate related issues. The group's purpose is to develop, evaluate, and execute recommendations that maximize possibilities for western Pennsylvania's energy-related resources while minimizing the region's greenhouse gas footprint. The unifying factor for this network is the focus on innovation related to energy and climate technology and operational practices.
Contact: Ginette Walker Vinski, 412-258-6646, gvinski@sustainablepittsburgh.org
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Not Your Typical Lunch Break

Only in the city where three rivers meet is the possibility of lunch time fishing so readily accessible. At Venture Outdoors' weekly fishing program, Tri-Anglers, men and women can escape the corporate world with a simple walk across the 6th Street Bridge to reel in over 50 different species of fish. Students, retirees and corporate execs stand side by side casting and waiting for a bite along the beautiful riverfront trail which winds in front of both PNC Park and Heinz Field. This wasn't always the case, in the early 1900's Pittsburgh's river were nearly de-void of life because of pollution. Today Pittsburgh and its rivers are a totally different story; they are teeming with aquatic life and people downtown are learning to enjoy them every chance they get.
Contact: Cara Rufenacht, Marketing Coordinator, Venture Outdoors, +1 412.255.0564, crufenacht@ventureoutdoors.org
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Addressing Global Warming

Ordinary Pittsburghers have cut global warming gases by 875,664.2 lbs since March 2009. That's the equivalent of annual greenhouse gas emissions of 72.7 passenger vehicles or letting 10,184 tree seedlings grow for 10 years. This has been done through the Black and Gold City Goes Green Campaign, the nation's first-ever citywide effort to cut heat-trapping gases. One suggested action each month - from changing light bulbs to recycling to shopping local - makes a big payoff. Interview the organizers and the individuals who are cutting Pittsburgh's carbon footprint.
Contact: Jeanne Clark, +1 412.258.6683.
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Energy and Environmental Solutions

Green Energy

Plextronics is in the solar cell business, but unlike most companies in this industry, its technology allows the company to print solar cells directly on surfaces like glass or plastic, making this technology light weight, low cost and (in the not too distant future) flexible. The company has made significant advancements - technological and financial - since they were formed as a spin-out of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh in 2002. In just the last year, the company has worked on projects with research labs to develop flexible printed electronics for military applications. Its solar technology won major industry recognition when it was chosen by IDTechEx as the 2008 Technical Development Materials Award winner.
Contact: Lori Lecker, +1 412.423.2030, extension 110, llecker@plextronics.com
Axion Power - Battery producer and ongoing R+D related to the greening of Lawrence County
Contact: Ed Buiel, Chief of Research + Development, +1 724.654.9300 extension 20
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Unconventional Sources

By 2010 modern natural gas development is expected to create nearly 100,000 new jobs and provide an annual economic impact to Pennsylvania of $14.17 billion, the majority in the Pittsburgh region. Pennsylvania is leading the world in new technologies to develop unconventional natural gas reserves. The Marcellus Shale is the largest unconventional natural gas field with a 100-year or more supply of the clean-burning and environmentally preferred fuel – or roughly the energy equivalent of all of Saudi Arabia's oil reserves. Shale fields exist across the globe, but until recently could not be accessed. Learn how Pennsylvania is transforming its economy and energy future with modern natural gas development.

In Washington County, 20 minutes south of Pittsburgh, one company Range Resources has created thousands of jobs, helped infuse hundreds of millions of dollars into the local economy, and is currently producing enough natural gas for the entire region from a handful of Marcellus Shale wells.
Contact: Matt Pitzarella, +1 724.873.3224, +1 724.678.5138, mpitzarella@rangeresources.com
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Green Chemistry

Global specialty chemicals company LANXESS uses its expertise in the field of chemistry to help the green movement, with both innovative products and production processes. More fuel efficient tires made with LANXESS rubber; hybrid arsenic adsorbers that improve the quality of drinking water; phthalate-free plasticizers that make plastics safer; biodegradable additives for detergents and cosmetics; and plastic-metal hybrid components to make cars lighter and more fuel efficient are all made possible with LANXESS chemistry. The company has also employed a number of sustainable production processes, including waste reduction and energy saving initiatives at plants in Ohio and Texas, and the construction of a completely CO₂-neutral cogeneration plant in Brazil.
Contact: Bridget McCourt, +1 412.809.1512, bridget.mccourt@lanxess.com
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Art + Science

2009 marks the 100^th anniversary of the invention of synthetic rubber, a discovery that has become an indispensible part of everyday life. To celebrate LANXESS's heir to the synthetic rubber patent, LANXESS Corporation has partnered with the Andy Warhol Museum to present "Unnatural Rubber," a multi-artist challenge using synthetic rubber as the medium, an event that marries art and science in a very original and thought-provoking way. Fifteen artists from around the world submitted preliminary sketches that were judged by a panel comprised of Warhol Museum directors, art patrons and LANXESS employees, who chose one artist to create the piece based on their sketch. The piece will then be featured in an Unnatural Rubber exhibit at the Andy Warhol useum beginning in October.
Contact: Bridget McCourt, +1 412.809.1512, bridget.mccourt@lanxess.com
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Third-Generation Nuclear Power Generation

Westinghouse Electric Corp. is an iconic figure in Pittsburgh's industrial history. Founded in 1886, the company pioneered long-distance power transmission and high-voltage transmission. After struggling financially in the ‘80s and ‘90s, Westinghouse has re-invigorated itself with the development of third-generation nuclear power generation technology, which is being used in dozens of new projects in the United States, Korea, Japan, China and Europe. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Westinghouse is majority owned by Toshiba of Japan.
Contact: Vaughn Gilbert, Mgr - PR & Marketing, Westinghouse Electric Corp., gilberhv@westinghouse.com, +1 412.374.3896,  www.westinghousenuclear.com
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Retrofit for Energy Efficiency

A typical 1930's era home in Pittsburgh was gutted down to its inefficient shell and then retrofitted to create a template to achieve energy efficiency with existing building stock. The home was a legacy project of Pennsylvania-based ACI (Affordable Comfort, Inc.) to showcase how ordinary homes can be revitalized to reduce energy consumption and provide maximum comfort and savings for the residents. This success is the first step in a grand plan to transform the market, and make energy efficient retrofits a common solution to renew homes in neighborhoods across the nation.
Contact: Nancy Hawkins, Communications Director ACI , +1 724.627.5200, ext 28, nhawkins@affordablecomfort.org
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Health Care and Life Sciences

Robotic Surgery

Cardiorobotics Inc., which is developing a snakelike robot to perform minimally invasive surgery, has received $9 million in new funding from angel investors, along with the conversion of $2.6 million in convertible debt. The joint spinoff from the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University is headquartered in Providence, R.I., with tech offices in Shadyside. The company expects to conduct clinical trials of its robotics technology later this year.
Contact: +1 401.847.7080
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Medical Devices

Once known for its industrial might, Pittsburgh has transformed to a leading center for medical research and healthcare and is poised to further its role in improving the health and lives of people around the world. Several major medical device makers are located here. Philips Respironics, now part of Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI), continues to drive innovation in key growth sectors: sleep, home respiratory and independent living. The business recently built a center for manufacturing excellence near its 36-acre campus in Murrysville. The 172,000 sq. ft. facility, devoted to high volume production of sleep therapy devices, will be fully operational by year-end. (Editor's note: Tours can be arranged through the contact.)
Contact: Maryellen Bizzack, +1 724.387.5006, Maryellen.Bizzack@philips.com
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Information and Communications Technologies

Power House Building

CIC - Collaborative Innovation Center is the only building in the world with Google, Intel and Apple under one roof. This project complements the value that "eds and meds" offer to the regional economic transformation.
Contact: Donald F. Smith, Jr. Ph.D., President, RIDC, +1 412.471.3939 extension 30
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Transportation

Pittsburgh: A City of Bridges

With at least one of three rivers to cross in order to get downtown, few cities in the world face the traffic flow patterns and planning challenges of Pittsburgh in minimizing air pollution from idling cars backed up in bridge-related congestion. One solution to this problem is making more viable alternate routes for bicyclists and pedestrians. Riverlife has taken a leadership role in connecting Pittsburgh bridges to pedestrian walkways and riverfront trails via projects such as the West End Bridge pedestrian walkway and the Mon Wharf trail connector/Smithfield Street Bridge switchback.
Contact: Stephan Bontrager, Director of Communications, Riverlife. +1 412.258.6636 ext. 105, stephan@riverlifepgh.org
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Water Taxis: New Transportation Mode for a New Economy

With more and more Pittsburgh-area commuters being reintroduced to the rivers, a new mode of urban transportation is beginning to take shape - water taxis. As the region's newest form of public transportation, a growing number of commuters have discovered the eco-friendly pleasures of riding to work by boat. Though just in its infancy, water taxi service may soon expand to more boats, more stops, and more frequent departures.
Contact: Jim McCarville, Port of Pittsburgh Commission, +1 412.874.7707
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Community Bike Program

Pittsburgh's Community Bike program was created to promote, protect and expand the Pittsburgh region's river resources through increased public awareness, activities and access and to reconnect people with their rivers and riverfronts. There are currently over 30 miles of trail to explore and many interesting interpretive signs to inform and delight bikers' imaginations. Bikes are available free of charge (after a $25 refundable security deposit) and have become a popular source of recreation for people who wish to become active, explore and enjoy the Three Rivers Heritage Trail system and other great amenities the confluence of three rivers has to offer.
Contact: Tom Baxter, Friends of the Riverfront, +1 412.488.0212
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Pittsburgh's Inclines: Commuting by Funicular

One of Pittsburgh's distinctive features is its cable-powered inclines for transportation between the river valleys and the communities on top of the overlooking bluffs. At one time Pittsburgh had about 15 inclines, but only two remain, on the south bank of the Monongahela and Ohio Rivers, across from downtown Pittsburgh. They provide continuous commuter service to the Mount Washington residential area. The incline cars are not self-powered, and do not even have operators on board. Instead, they are pulled up and down the inclined track by a cable driven by an engine in the upper station, where the operator works. The cars operate in pairs, permanently attached to opposite ends of a single cable, with one going uphill and the other going downhill simultaneously. The cars therefore counterbalance each other, so the engine needs to provide only enough power to overcome friction and the difference in the weight of the passengers in the two cars.
Contact: Jim Richey, Port Authority of Allegheny County, +1 412.566.5136
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Sustainable Transportation

Strategic planning is underway to develop a sustainable transportation system for the southwestern Pennsylvania region that balances land use planning efforts with investments in transportation infrastructure. The Transportation for Livable Communities Project will focus on connecting links between transportation and land use policy. The goal of this project is to ensure that transportation policy and investments help conserve energy, protect environmental and aesthetic quality, strengthen the economy, promote social equity, and make communities more livable by emphasizing the needs of people, rather than vehicles.
Contact: Court Gould, Director, Sustainable Pittsburgh, +1 412.258.6643
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Education

Free Money

The Pittsburgh Promise is a visionary scholarship program that makes an audacious pledge to Pittsburgh's young people: If you live in the city and graduate from the Pittsburgh Public Schools, money will not be a barrier to higher education. Created by a coalition of community leaders, supported by the Pittsburgh Public Schools, and funded through the generosity of UPMC, foundations, corporations, and the community, The Pittsburgh Promise helps students in the Pittsburgh Public Schools pay for education beyond high school by offering up to a $40,000 scholarship to any post-secondary institution within Pennsylvania.
Contact: Saleem Ghubril, +1 412.281.7605
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Green Education

Pittsburgh-area universities are providing the talent for the new green economy. Carnegie Mellon University's Green Design Institute is forming partnerships with companies, government agencies and foundations to develop pioneering design, management, manufacturing and regulatory process that can improve environmental quality and product quality while enhancing economic development. Students from many different degree programs at Carnegie Mellon can participate in the Green Design Institute activities. The Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation at the University of Pittsburgh is a center of excellence in sustainable engineering focusing on the design of sustainable neighborhoods. A team of Pitt students are involved in a project to build a bamboo school and community center in Mungpoo, India. Pitt is also promoting bamboo construction in Brazil. Duquesne University offers a 12-month MBA Sustainability degree that integrates multiple dimensions of sustainability across all business disciplines. And the Eden Hall Farms Campus of Chatham University is a living laboratory that offers organic gardening classes, among others.

Urban Learning Lab

The dropout rate in urban high schools may very well be the biggest crisis in public education today.  Too many students attend schools that are disorganized and dysfunctional. They frequently experience teaching that is boring, unchallenging and unengaging.  There is a need to fundamentally change the organization and culture of these troubled schools. The Urban Learning Laboratory (ULL) is being created to address these challenges.  Northside Urban Pathways Charter School, in downtown Pittsburgh, will administer the ULL.  The school will develop, test, apply and share innovations and best practices for significantly improving performance in urban classrooms.  ULL is a unique concept to the Pittsburgh region and beyond. 
Contact : Dr. Linda Clautti CEO Northside Urban Pathways Charter School, +1 412.392.4601, LClautti@nupcs.com
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Disability Technology and Policy

Rehabilitation engineer Rory Cooper and disability policy expert Katherine Seelman head different areas of the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh, but their motivation is similar: To improve the quality of life for people with disabilities world-wide. Both Dr. Cooper and Dr. Seelman have disabilities; both are known world-wide for their endeavors. They are founding members of the Quality of Life Technology (QoLT) Center, a National Science Foundation-funded collaboration between Pitt and Carnegie Mellon University. The QoLT Center develops intelligent systems that increase independence for people with functional limitations. Projects include robotic wheelchairs and "smart" houses.
Contact: Stacey Simon, simonsl@upmc.edu, +1 412.647.3555, www.bluerooftechnologies.com
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Pittsburgh Personalities

Youngest "Big City" Mayor

Elected on Nov. 6, 2007, 29-year-old Mayor Luke Ravenstahl has earned the distinction of being the youngest mayor of any major U.S. city. He was elected by the overwhelming margin of 64 percent to 35 percent. Previously, he was also the youngest member ever elected to Pittsburgh City Council, where his colleagues unanimously voted him Council President.
Contact: Joanna Doven, City of Pittsburgh, +1 412.255.2694
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Quality of Life

Urban Renewal + The Arts

Full of vibrant colors and deep meaning, the Moving the Lives of Kids for Community Mural Project – otherwise known as the "MLK Mural Project" – transforms urban blight in Pittsburgh neighborhoods into beautiful, artistic and creative murals. And, in an unusual display of courtesy even graffiti artists stay away from these breathtaking works of art that tell unique stories that uplift Pittsburgh-area neighborhoods. The nonprofit thrives on community involvement and aims to inspire inner city youth in the arts. Each of these murals is done with a staff member, an artist/designer of the piece and a group of inner-city students. To date they have succeeded in creating over 200 of these magnificent murals throughout Pittsburgh.
Contact: Edward Rawson, +1 305.395.9812; http://www.mlkmural.com/
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Art + Technology

Walking down Strawberry Way (between Grant Street and William Penn Way )is a unique experience in Downtown Pittsburgh. Artistic lighting displays and illuminated signage greet pedestrians, embedding light in walkways and paved surfaces of the historic alleyway. Listen closely and you'll hear a composition loosely based on Vivaldi's The Four Seasons, which is transmitted by a solar powered audio amplifier and computer. The music shifts slowly throughout the day and changes with each season-how cool is that? Being a core connector of Downtown's retail, financial and Cultural Districts, Strawberry Way is one of the many public art installations Downtown bringing value to and enlivening our urban neighborhood.
Contact: Hollie Geitner, +1 412.566.4190, hgeitner@downtownpittsburgh.com
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Art Transforms Downtown

25 years ago the Convention Center - where the G-20 Pittsburgh Summit will take place - stood among a series of rundown buildings overrun with prostitutes, porn shops and XXX-movie theaters. The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust was formed in 1984 to transform Downtown and turn this "adults-only" neighborhood into an example of true urban renewal that other cities strive to emulate. By holistically creating a Cultural District with restored grand theaters, contemporary art galleries, public art spaces and riverfront parks, the Trust has reinvented Downtown Pittsburgh with authenticity, innovation and creativity.
Contact: Veronica Corpuz, +1 412.471.6082, corpuz@pgharts.org
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Cultural District Shared Services Program

"Shared Services" is a unique collaboration among seven Cultural District arts organizations. Its objective is to increase efficiencies by collectively purchasing everything from pencils and paperclips to health insurance and ticketing software. Since its inception in 2000, Shared Services has achieved the seemingly impossible: successfully integrating seven distinct arts organizations into one partnership. This unusual collaboration has been studied and emulated by arts centers across the nation. Participating Shared Services organizations: Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Pittsburgh CLO, The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Pittsburgh Opera, Pittsburgh Public Theater, Pittsburgh Symphony and August Wilson Center for African American Culture.
Contact:strong> Veronica Corpuz, +1 412.471.6082, corpuz@pgharts.org
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Wood Street Galleries

Where can you see the works by future masters who-rather than working in oil paints or sculpting marble-are participating in an art-and-technology renaissance so ahead of the curve and in left field that it's completely under the radar? The answer is Wood Street Galleries (WSG). Located on the second and third floors above a subway station, WSG is a project of The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, featuring multi-disciplinary artists from around the world. Many of the WSG artists present world premieres or North American debuts that often blend digital technologies, audio/visual innovations and interactive elements that challenge and thrill visitors.
Contact: Veronica Corpuz, +1 412.471.6082, corpuz@pgharts.org
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Urban Winery

As a business in the Strip District of Pittsburgh for the past 16 years, Enrico Biscotti has seen both growth and revitalization. The business went from being a small storefront bakery, to a unique European cafe that offers cultural cooking classes, to the City of Pittsburgh's first urban winery. Today, Enrico Biscotti is recognized as "One of America's Top Ten Bakeries."
Contact: Jordan Kay, +1 412.281.2602, +1 412.448.3160(cell)
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Italian Connection

Located in the heart of Pittsburgh's Strip District, Parma Sausage, family owned and operated for five generations, has been making traditional quality Italian meats since its establishment in 1954. Parma began production in a small aging room which housed approximately 150 pieces of dry cured products, such as salami and prosciutto. Over the years, Parma expanded and grew, utilizing its five custom built aging rooms, currently filled with tens of thousands of pieces of dry cured product. Parma attributes its growth and success to location (the great city of Pittsburgh), loyalty (generations of customers), and love (passion and commitment to making a quality product).
Contact: Amy Wyatt, Erin Schumacher or Rina Edwards, +1 412.261.2532, amycwyatt@gmail.com, erin.schumacher@gmail.com
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Outdoor Adventure

Pittsburgh is undergoing a green renaissance that continues to surprise outsiders. Pittsburgh is no longer the sooty city of yesteryear but a thriving metropolis offering outdoor adventures in the heart of downtown and beyond. An ever-expanding riverfront trail system and organizations offering bike and kayak rentals are helping to change the face of downtown. Kayak Pittsburgh offers kayaking excursions on the three rivers and Golden Triangle Bike Rental rents bikes to people wanting to traverse the various trails leading around and out of the city.
Contact: Sean Brady, +1 412.417.5825, sbrady@ventureoutdoors.org
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Yellow Kayaks are the New Green

Over 15,000 people annually use the services of Kayak Pittsburgh, a social enterprise of Venture Outdoors. Kayak rentals started in the steel city in 2004 and this mission-oriented revenue generator helps transform perceptions of what Pittsburgh is becoming and what the mighty rivers mean for the quality of life to people in the metro area. Kayak rentals are available seven days a week and beginner programs take place every Monday. The yellow boats have become iconic for the city's next renaissance, taking the foreground shot in front of the gorgeous skyline. And in a sports-crazy town, it doesn't hurt that the boats mirror the black and gold color scheme of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Penguins and Pirates!
Contact: Cara Rufenacht, Marketing Coordinator, Venture Outdoors, +1 412.255.0564, crufenacht@ventureoutdoors.org
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Growing a Park from Bad Land

The Grand View Scenic Byway Park, Pittsburgh's fifth (and newest) regional park, is being developed on 235 acres of steep hillsides and existing park space on land that was once heavily mined and denuded of plants.  The Park and its phenomenal transition speaks loudly to the City's vision and rebirth as a green core, to the power of grassroots endeavors, and to the creativity and innovation of Pittsburgh's people.  Already visited by more than 1 million people every year, the u-shaped Park wraps around Mount Washington's green peninsula as it rises over downtown Pittsburgh, providing a crucial tool for economic development, improved recreational opportunities and steep hillside protection.
Contact: Ilyssa Manspeizer, +1 412.481.3220 x204, imanspeizer@mwcdc.org
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Economic Climate

Jobs

Want jobs? The Pittsburgh region has plenty of them. In fact, 20,000 open jobs are currently available in southwestern Pennsylvania. It's why Forbes.com named Pittsburgh as one of the Top Ten Cities for Job Growth in 2009. And we're talking good jobs, too. These are high-tech, high-paying careers in engineering, research and development, architecture, information technology, health care, advanced manufacturing, accounting, life sciences, and more. Half pay more than $40,000 and more than 1,000 jobs pay more than $100,000! Imaginemynewjob.com is the one-stop portal for jobs in the 10-county Pittsburgh region.

Spurring Retail

During a turbulent economy, how does a unique arts neighborhood sustain activity outside its theaters and galleries? The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust has helped to facilitate the opening of micro-retail spaces, such as Crazy Mocha Coffee Shop, Dozen Bake Shop, Pittsburgh Popcorn Company and Shaw Galleries amidst its many visual art and performance spaces. Balancing an arts/commerce model, the Trust has successfully developed not only an arts destination but also a thriving, authentic neighborhood.
Contact: Veronica Corpuz, +1 412.471.6082, corpuz@pgharts.org
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International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)

The International Federation of Accountants has called to make IFRS an agenda item at the G-20.  (Think of this as adopting the metric system for financial reporting). How does the world view IFRS, and how would it impact companies in the United States? This is a hot topic globally. Pittsburgh accounting firm Schneider Downs is highly informed of this debate and its CEO is the Chairman of the North American Board of the International Group of Accounting Firms (IGAF).
Contact: Sean Smith, Director of Marketing, +1 412.697.5321, ssmith@schneiderdowns.com
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Outdoor Education

Just as is the case across most of America, active outdoor recreation remains dominated by white participants. After eight years, Venture Outdoors took a look at its outdoor recreation programs, which were serving over 30,000 people per year, and realized that over 95 percent of the participants were white. That just wasn't acceptable, as Venture Outdoors wanted to reflect the community it serves, which is comprised by over 16 percent minorities. Subsequently, Venture Outdoors has created a comprehensive program model that can be used by any city experiencing the same disproportionate usage. Launched in 2009, Venture Outdoors Family and Community Programs focus on reaching people at the beginner level, providing weekly programs and monthly free family outdoor festivals. These programs have engaged over 1,300 people so far and seek to introduce 11,000 new people to the outdoors by 2011.
Contact: Cara Rufenacht, Marketing Coordinator, Venture Outdoors, +1 412.255.0564, crufenacht@ventureoutdoors.org
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Financial and Business Services  

Improving Transparency

To ensure a transparent and unified global financial system, investment management executives realize more global regulation is coming. But more regulation to bring about transparency will lead to greater reporting requirements. These additional requirements will challenge many firms that still rely on manual spreadsheets for such reporting. These systems are already too "brittle" and error prone to manage the load of reporting already in place. In a new regulatory environment that demands greater flexibility, scalability, and accuracy, manual spreadsheets will only exacerbate ongoing challenges.

Pittsburgh's Confluence, a global leader in fund administration automation, works with more than 40 percent of leading investment managers around the globe. Confluence automates the collection, creation, confirmation, and delivery of vital information for mutual funds, hedge funds, and other investment instruments. Confluence executives can comment on the range of regulatory and reporting issues that affect investment management companies, including how they are taking control through data consolidation and automated processes. Along with reducing the risk of errors, automated processes help companies lower operational costs, decrease reporting turnaround times, and gain the ability to shoulder more reporting requirements in the months ahead.

Contact: Robert Minicucci, +1 603.488.5856, robert@warnerpr.com, http://www.confluence.com/
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Unique Events

2009 Pittsburgh StepTrek

Pittsburgh's unique terrain has resulted in the largest number of public steps (44,645) of any city in the country. To understand Pittsburgh is to see how these steps and the 712 public stairways fit into the life of residents and neighborhoods. They are used for fitness, visiting neighbors, getting to work and attending churches built into the hillsides. The city with the next greatest amount of steps is Cincinnati, followed by San Francisco. When tallied in full, they number 24,108 vertical feet, or over four miles in height. That's higher than Mt. Aconcagua in Argentina, the tallest mountain in the Western Hemisphere.
Contact: Joe Balaban, +1 412.445.4024, jbalaban@comcast.net
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Chalk4Peace on the Northside on September 21

Seven Charm Bracelet Project organizations (along with 500 chalk mural sites on five continents!) are teaming up to celebrate the official International Day of Peace by inviting community members to create beautiful chalk murals for peace at four locations on the Pittsburgh's Northside. The organizations include Children's Museum of Pittsburgh, The Andy Warhol Museum, National Aviary, The Toonseum, Reading is Fundamental-Pittsburgh, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh-Allegheny and the New Hazlett Theater. The Charm Bracelet Project is a network of cultural, educational, and recreational organizations working to transform and unify and the Northside with lasting, visible connections between organizations. Visit www.pittsburghkids.org/charmbracelet for information about September 21 "chalking" locations, artists and times.
Contact: Bill Schlageter, Children's Museum of Pittsburgh, +1 412.559.1298, bschlageter@pittsburghkids.org
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