ReFuel Program ReFuel PGH was a program of GTECH that focused on a waste-to-energy solution that aimed to reduce air and water pollution and help fuel local economies by recycling waste cooking oil into a cleaner burning fuel. In 2010, ReFuel PGH in partnership with Give Energy and Whole Foods, installed their first oil drop-off bin outside the Whole Foods Market in East Liberty. The second one was installed in partnership with Oakland Planning and Development Corporation (OPDC) during the fall of…Read More
Millvale Rain Garden Stormwater management in Pittsburgh is a complicated and widespread problem. In building a city, even one as picturesque as Pittsburgh, people have created a lot of hard surfaces: roads, sidewalks, and parking lots. These surfaces do nothing to absorb water when it rains. During a heavy rain event, the accumulated water from these surfaces heads straight to the closest storm drain. If overwhelmed by a heavy rain or storm, our deteriorating storm water system can lead to sewage overflow in…Read More
Borland Green GTECH’s first community-based project has transformed into a model for community gathering space. Located in East Liberty at the intersection of Black Street and Beatty Street, the project started on the site of old row homes that were demolished. After removing tons of rubble, tilling the soil, adding compost, planting both canola and sunflowers and installing fence, the site was ready for a more intense project. In 2011, with community input from nearby East Liberty residents and from the Borland…Read More
Dwayne Cooper Garden of Hope The Dwayne Cooper Garden of Hope is an urban farm, community vegetable garden and sunflower garden in the Hill District community. The site is a platform for education and training programs, farmer’s market space, and community events. The location of this site is the former Francis Court public housing community (intersection of Bedford Avenue & Francis Street) owned by the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh. For GTECH, this project combined our vacant land expertise and commitment to workforce…Read More
Troy Hill Vacant Land Assessment In 2010, the Troy Hill community completed a neighborhood-wide plan outlining priorities for future redevelopment. The community plan identified the utilization of vacant lots as a community priority. Since greening strategies are based on current site conditions, GTECH was asked by the community to assess and provide the following deliverables to assist with vacant land utilization: Data collection and analysis Site assessment and evaluation A menu of possible green strategies for sites ready for short-term or long-term transition Identification of one…Read More