LandCare Women Making a Difference in Hazelwood Posted on March 15, 2018 by Grounded Strategies Strengthening communities through vacant lot maintenance Have you ever wondered who maintains all of the vacant lots in Pittsburgh? With over 27,000 vacant lots in just the city alone, it takes a coordinated effort to care for this vast amount of vacant land. The City of Pittsburgh owns approximately 26% of Pittsburgh’s vacant lots and the URA owns another 5.2%, or around 1,400 vacant lots. If you haven’t really noticed a vacant lot in your community, chances are that it…Read More
Black History. American History. History. Posted on February 13, 2018 by Grounded Strategies Grounder Rebecca Mizikar recently sat down with three former residents of Lincoln Way in Clairton to understand the vibrant black community that thrived there. Before the bulldozers demolished the last of the vacant houses along the dead-end street, before the city and developers started to talk about new visions for this blank slate of land at the edge of the town, before the Bigfoot and alien legends came to explain the decline and vacancy of an entire street, Lincoln Way…Read More
ReClaim Central Graduation Posted on October 30, 2017 by Tom Mulholland Last week the GTECH team gathered at the Hill House Blakey Program Center to celebrate the completion of the 2017 ReClaim Central Ambassador projects. The gathering served as a time to reflect on the accomplishments of the projects and to recognize the hard work of the 11 civically-minded Hill District residents who dedicated their time as ReClaim Central Ambassadors. Beginning last winter, the Ambassadors attended a series of six workshops and educational sessions. During these sessions, the Ambassadors completed designs for…Read More
All About the Sun! Posted on August 25, 2017 by wpengine This week, many of us got a chance to view (through safe viewing glasses, we hope!) a solar eclipse. This rare absence of daytime light as the Moon passes over the Sun brought renewed attention to the star that always shines at the center of our solar system. On average, light travels from the sun to Earth in about 8 minutes and 19 seconds. That means that the light coming from the Sun right now probably won’t even make it…Read More
Trees with Meaning Posted on July 21, 2017 by wpengine How a ReClaim Clairton Ambassador is adding a personal touch to the Montour Trail Meet Sue, one of the ReClaim Clairton Ambassadors participating in the 2016-2017 cohort. Sue loves her home in Clairton and was excited to have an opportunity to give back. Our partnership with Sue began last fall when GTECH was recruiting for the Ambassador Cohort. During her interview, we immediately appreciated Sue's passion for Clairton. She has a bubbly and outgoing personality with an infectious excitement for the…Read More
Juneteenth, The Forgotten Holiday Posted on June 23, 2017 by shequaya Bailey 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…Read More
In the Zone Posted on June 16, 2017 by Ariam Ford How lovely. Vibrant colors, unique shapes, and the urban landscape all coming together to form a beautifully intricate design. But no, the imaginative image seen here is not an artist's rendition of Pittsburgh from above. Rather, it is a snapshot of Pittsburgh's Zoning Map: a legal document establishing how land inside the City boundaries can be used. In this masterpiece, each color represents not a feeling or emotion, but a distinct element of urban existence. Cities are buzzing hubs of activity…Read More
PGH Mobile Toolbox Summer Update Posted on June 12, 2017 by wpengine The PGH Mobile Toolbox is 2 months old! We are so pleased with how well the resource has been rolling. To date, the trailer has accompanied 14 workdays, servicing over 120 volunteers, in 11 different communities. To celebrate this accomplishment, I have gathered a few of my favorite images from some of the workdays to highlight the great work being done in Pittsburgh and it's surrounding communities. Brookline Community Garden Forest Hills…Read More
Get The Election Choices Here! Posted on May 11, 2017 by wpengine 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…Read More
What makes GTECH great Posted on May 2, 2017 by wpengine As my official last week of my internship here at GTECH commences, I wanted to reflect on my time as an intern, my favorite experiences, and why I am proud to call myself a GTECHer. This past weekend I graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with my Masters in Social Work, with a concentration in Community and Social Action (COSA). Many people do not associate social workers with nonprofits who work with communities to reclaim and invest in vacant land,…Read More
What Keeps Me Grounded Posted on April 24, 2017 by wpengine The one thing that keeps me grounded is the opportunity not only to revitalize vacant land but more importantly the chance to revive the sense of comradery within the communities where we work. In the fall of 2016, GTECH recruited a dozen Hill District residents, called Ambassadors, to lead the movement for reclaiming vacant lots. For six months, the Ambassadors participated in classes and workshops to learn about the process of reclaiming vacant land. Throughout the classes, the Ambassadors designed vacant…Read More
GTECHers Share What Keeps Them Grounded Posted on April 14, 2017 by Grounded Strategies With GTECH's birthday just around the corner -- our real birthday is this Sunday(!) but we're celebrating next week -- the staff spent some time reflecting on what GTECH's turning 10 means to them. While it is easy to point to major accomplishments and milestones as being influential to our development over the past 10 years, it is the day-to-day things that truly stand out. The everyday interactions with community members, partners, volunteers, designers, planners, and policymakers continues to have the…Read More