We’re Back! ReClaim Clairton 2.0 is Almost Here!

Gearing up for ReClaim Clairton 2.0 It is hard to believe that the first year of our ReClaim Clairton Ambassador program has come to a close. We are so excited and proud of the accomplishments that our Ambassadors have achieved over the past 12 months. ReClaim Clairton 2016 - 2017 The ReClaim Ambassador model builds the knowledge and capacity of residents to design, organize and lead vacant lot revitalization efforts. The 2016-2017 Clairton ReClaim Ambassador Program has engaged, equipped, and…

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Meet our new GTECH GSI Neighborhood Liaisons

As we complete our GTECH Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) project in the Woods Run/O-27 sewershed on Pittsburgh's Northside, we are beginning the process in our next sewershed: the Negley Run/A-42 sewershed in the East End. As we did on the Northside, the first order of business for our GTECH GSI process was to hire neighborhood liaisons to represent the communities that make up this high-priority sewershed; Homewood, Larimer, Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar, East Hills, and East Liberty. These liaisons will serve as GTECH's front…

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Juneteenth, The Forgotten Holiday

Juneteenth, a holiday overlooked by the masses even though it is recognized in many of the United States and worldwide, is the oldest known celebration commemorating the end of slavery in America. The significance of this holiday is one that hits the very heart of the African American population. Slavery was officially ended January 1, 1863 with the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, but it took a little more than two years for the word to spread to the entire…

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Get The Election Choices Here!

People have been talking a lot about politics recently. Maybe you’ve noticed. Maybe you’ve wanted to do something about it. Maybe you’ve been struggling to find a way to make a difference. Sometimes government seems big, opaque, and far away, but next week we have a chance to vote in an election that will undoubtedly have real, tangible, local results.  At GTECH, we work regularly with fantastic public officials (and aspiring public officials) throughout the county, from Mayors, to council people, to…

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Part 2: Looking Forward

Read Part 1 of Andrew's series highlighting GTECH's 10 year anniversary. In Part 1, Andrew reflects back on GTECH's past and evolution. Now, he's looking forward and getting ready to celebrate! There have been several guiding principles embedded in GTECH’s theory of change and ethos over the last decade.  Those principles have informed our strategy and evolution - and have manifested into some of our most exciting work underway now and paving the foundation for the next 10 years of growth…

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Pittsburgh Land Bank: Resources & Final Public Meeting

What is a land bank exactly? This may be a question you’ve never thought about. But for folks like me, who look at the vacant property in our neighborhoods as an opportunity to enrich communities, I was keen on attending the first Pittsburgh Land Bank public meeting, which happened to be on the West End (also my side of town). The Pittsburgh Land Bank’s role will be to aid in the recycling and repurposing of land, stabilization of standing structures,…

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Announcing, the PGH Mobile Toolbox!

  We have been working hard to prepare our latest resource for vacant lot cleaning and greening efforts. Introducing the PGH Mobile Toolbox, a tool library on wheels, ready for your next workday or cleanup! This resource is brought to you through our partnership with Neighborhood Allies and is intended to fill the resource gap between project inspiration and its implementation. Through our experience, we found no shortage of good ideas and residents who are motivated to execute them. However,…

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Welcome Lauren – GTECH GSI Community Liaison

We are very excited to welcome Lauren Bivins as a Community Liaison in Marshall-Shadeland! A couple months ago we highlighted our Community Liaisons that are supporting our GTECH GSI project in Woods Run. We've got a new addition to the team and are excited to introduce her. Lauren Bivins Neighborhood: Marshall-Shadeland What is your favorite thing about your neighborhood? I enjoy the diversity and caring neighbors that keep the community growing with each generation. Why are you excited about this project? When…

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Ambassadors Get Creative In Clairton

With pens and trace paper in hand, 8 designers, landscape architects and architects descended into Clairton to help our Ambassador cohort make their project ideas come to life. As part of ReClaim Clairton, each Ambassador participates in a design workshop where they a paired with a professional designer who helps them think realistically about what is feasible to accomplish on their site with the manpower and money they have available. This also helps each Ambassador visualize their project and gives them…

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ioby

Have ideas, need funds? Meet ioby!

Do you have an idea for a community project but no funding to get it off the ground? We’d like to introduce you to ioby. It's an amazing organization dedicated to helping neighbors grow and implement great ideas one block at a time. ioby’s crowd-resourcing platform connects leaders with funding and support to make our neighborhoods safer, greener, more livable and more fun.  While ioby is a national organization, they recently opened a branch in Pittsburgh! We want to introduce you to one of…

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5 Easy Ways to Stay Warm & Cozy this Winter

GTECH interns Kate and Tom compiled five different ways to keep yourself warm, environmentally conscious, and wallet-friendly this season. Heat only the rooms you are using and perhaps, dare I say it, lower your thermostat just one degree; doing so can decrease your heating costs by up to 5%! Open your curtains! Not only does sunlight make you happier, but it can heat your room during the day. When your windows are sealed properly, this is a great way to…

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walking biking

Northside neighborhood trail maps now available!

Whether you live in Pittsburgh's Northside or not, it's unlikely that you've been able to explore each and every one of its 18 neighborhoods. Now you can do just that! We have trail maps, fresh off the press, for each of the Northside's neighborhoods. Over the past 2 years we've worked alongside One Northside and Northside residents to map out important community treasures and identify the best routes to explore them. Not surprisingly, there are a lot of assets! Our…

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