Getting a Handle On Your Housing Stock Posted on December 2, 2015 by wpengine We've been talking a lot this year about the Pittsburgh LocalData Collaborative (PLDC), the need for accessible data in our region and GTECH's role in making sure accurate information is used in community development decisions. Many organizations, from PCRG to Lawrenceville United, have partnered with us through the PLDC to launch innovative data collection projects over the past year and the results have been astounding. Since 2014, partnering organizations in the PLDC have collected 35,252 data points across 44 communities on everything…Read More
Resilience in Pittsburgh Posted on November 19, 2015 by Grounded Strategies Our second resilience blog focused on resilience strategies in cities across the nation. This segment will explore some of the not so obvious (and some of the blatantly obvious) resilience linkages in the 412. A lot of organizations are working to build resilience right here in our own backyard - you might be involved in one of their efforts and not even know it! Some GTECH examples of local resilience building efforts. Our Methodology Investigate, Act, Connect and Sustain are…Read More
Resilience Across the Country Posted on November 6, 2015 by Grounded Strategies All across the country, municipalities and cities are realizing the importance of resilience planning. As we discussed in our first resilience blog, resilience doesn't just mean preparing for climate change. It means having systems in place to be able to deal with the unexpected. From heatwaves to economic crises, resilience means having the ability not just to bounce back from a disaster, but to bounce forward. There is no template to follow. Each situation, each community, each region is impacted…Read More
All in for All Posted on October 29, 2015 by wpengine Live from Los Angeles at the Equity Summit 2015 Over three thousand people are assembled to learn, listen and expound upon the movement of social equity and inclusion that defines national policy priorities and serves as an ethical mandate. The three day Equity Summit organized by PolicyLink has attracted a diverse tribe of policy advocates, community development practitioners, philanthropic leaders, local government officials and progressive social entrepreneurs to stack hands around an "Equity Manifesto." The Manifesto put forth by the grace and wisdom of PolicyLink serves as…Read More
GTECH attends the Pennsylvania APA Conference Posted on October 27, 2015 by wpengine Linking Current Planning Methodology and Ideals to GTECH's Work The American Planning Association-Pennsylvania Chapter held its annual conference this past week (October 18-October 20) in downtown Pittsburgh. Thinking through community design and implementing best practices is especially relevant to GTECH's work in helping citizens facilitate positive change in their respective communities. The theme of the conference, “Making Great Communities Happen,” was highlighted in the breakout educational sessions as well as the keynote speakers. GTECH is looking to show the economic…Read More
Resilience & Community Health Posted on October 19, 2015 by Grounded Strategies What is Resilience? Resilience... You've probably heard this word a lot lately. Especially now that Pittsburgh has been named one of the Rockefeller Foundation's 100 Resilient Cities. But what does it mean? Well, there are a lot of different kinds of resilience. Psychological resilience. Ecological resilience. Social. Physical. Economic. Climate. Being resilient generally means being prepared for anything, and having the proper mechanisms in place to not just respond, but improve and move forward through their response. It's about bouncing forward instead of…Read More
CEOs for Cities workshop in Pittsburgh Posted on July 5, 2015 by wpengine Little Bets + Positive Deviants = Social Capital An equation for innovation Most problems don’t have an easy answer. Most greatness isn’t achieved without considerable adversity. Even our most basic needs requires significant care and attention – just ask my 10-day-old son. In this spirit, most cities aren’t organic bastions of fairness, health, access and opportunity. This reality was presented front and center at the recent CEOs For Cities workshop in Pittsburgh with a stark confrontation that the more innovative –…Read More
GTECHer in Germany: Day 5 Posted on October 17, 2014 by Grounded Strategies This week, our Director of Operations and Programming is in Germany! Follow Evaine on a wonderful learning opportunity and journey this week. Screen Shot of Nexthamburg's website Demographics and Inclusion Our final day of programming was really about debriefing what we’ve learned and how we are going to apply it to our work at home. At 6 pm we had one final presentation and discussion with Julian Petrin from Nexthamburg. It was a conversation about demographics, inclusive and participatory planning,…Read More
GTECHer in Germany: Day 4 Posted on October 16, 2014 by Grounded Strategies This week, our Director of Operations and Programming is in Germany! Follow Evaine on a wonderful learning opportunity and journey this week. Tackling the G word We arrive at Hafen City University -- a public university focused solely on the built environment and urban development -- to have a panel discussion with a few exciting guests. The panel included: Andreas Kaufmann, an urban planner from Leipzig, Germany who started his own company, Büro Kaufmann; Mei Ling Liem, a strategic advisor from…Read More
3 Tips for Navigating the Pittsburgh Public Art Commission Process Posted on April 23, 2014 by Grounded Strategies Today three of our ReClaim South Ambassadors stood in front of the City of Pittsburgh's Art Commission Board to present their neighborhood projects for approval. We want to share with you a few tips on navigating the civic process to get your vacant land idea supported by the city. Start Early! For the ReClaim South Ambassadors, they started filling out the applications a few months ago. It isn't a simple process; you must provide a letter of intent, seek letters…Read More
Public Opinion: GTECH’s response to a Pittsburgh Land Bank Posted on February 21, 2014 by Grounded Strategies In January of this past year, Councilwoman Deb Gross from District 7 introduced City Council Bill #2014-0025, a Pittsburgh Land Bank ordinance, to the Pittsburgh City Council. According to the Smart Growth America, land banks "are public authorities created to acquire, hold, manage and develop vacant properties. Land banks aim to convert vacant properties that have been neglected by the open market into productive use, thereby transforming neighborhood liabilities into assets." Currently the bill is in its public comment phase, which…Read More