Grounded in The Art Trap Posted on August 16, 2019 by Kuwame Kinsel The Art Trap: Trap + Paint is a monthly event curated by our Project Associate Kuwame Kinsel. In July, with support from Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, he presented it to over 120 patrons at the seasonal Cultural Trust Gallery Crawl. The goal of Art Trap to bring individuals from various social, economic, and cultural backgrounds together to create a safe space powered by art, culture, and entertainment. While out in the field, Kuwame noticed a trend of communities lacking…Read More
Geared Up and Grounded: Bike Tour & Block Party This year's 8th Bike Tour & Block Party event will feature Grounded's projects in Pittsburgh's eastern neighborhoods (East Liberty, Larimer, Homewood, and Wilkinsburg). At each stop, we will speak to community partners, learning about their journey and the transformation of vacant spaces into activated places. For those who do not have a bike, Healthy Ride bikes will be available for use! Prior to the start of the bike tour local bike shop, Waxwing Cycles will be there to provide free bike inspections.…Read More
Free NorthSide Land Lab Come to the Free Northside Land Lab Hosted at the Colab 18 for a great time! We will dine and have a discussion around advocacy, participatory budgets, and forming peoples assemblies. If you have an idea or a suggestion for your local councilman and women in regards to the "Vacant Land Epidemic" Please RSVP to attend the sessions 412-361-2099.Read More
Nonprofit Board Diversity Intitaive Workshop II Join us! At this event, Urban Kind will host a dozen nonprofit organizations including their board presidents, and or other long-standing board members alongside the executive director to meet with small groups of members of the Black Environmental Collective who are interested in learning more about that organization. Each organization will have 2, 45 minute sessions to engage potential board members. If you are available and interested. Please click here to register to participate. To ensure that everyone has adequate time…Read More
Democratic Vacant Land Processes Posted on February 21, 2019 by Kufere Laing In its utopic form, democracy is facilitated through widely dispersed power. Widely dispersed power allows for the fair and equitable negotiation of sometimes conflicting interests. Through negotiation, people are able to find positions of true (rather than coerced) compromise. This form of democracy is only possible through community organizing and engagement. The combination of organizing and engagement is instrumental to democracy’s foundational need for fair and equitable representation. Through our Hill District program, Reclaim Central 2.0, we are attempting to…Read More
Running Technique by East End Food Co-op Marathon runner and physical therapist Jenna Daly of Pivot Pysical Therapywill discuss running technique to enhance wellness and prevent injury associated with recreational running. She’ll explain running biomechanics and suggest ways to improve your form, and demonstrate exercises that will improve your strength to prevent common injuries. Light refreshments will be offered! Read More
Grant writing workshop This Grant Writing Workshop, led by POISE Foundation’s Karris Jackson, is a part of Metro-Urban Institute's Urban Leadership Series. Ms. Jackson will be sharing information on how 501c3 designated organizations can acquire corporate and foundation funding.Read More
A Story of Vacant Land (Part 2): The Evolution Posted on January 10, 2019 by Alex Kluge Have you ever wondered why or how the vacant lot next to your home got there? Obviously, a series of events had to happen to create that neglected space. Vacancy didn’t show up overnight. A combination of macro forces and micro decisions, each of which is interrelated led to what you see in so many of Pittsburgh’s neighborhoods today. With over 27,000 vacant lots in the City of Pittsburgh, something has happened at a massive scale. Understanding the history and…Read More
Geared Up and Grounded: Bike Tour & Block Party This year's Bike Tour & Block Party event will feature Grounded's projects in Pittsburgh's Northside neighborhoods. At each stop, we will speak to community partners, learning about their journey and the transformation of vacant spaces into activated places. For those who do not have a bike, Healthy Ride bikes will be available for use! Before we head out for the tour, we will have a local bike shop, Waxwing Cycles LLC. present to check rider bicycles before the start, so arrive early!…Read More
Pitt 1st Years are Grounded in Homewood Posted on September 17, 2018 by Masoud Sayles As part of their orientation process at the start of the fall semester, first years at Pitt joined Grounded in Homewood for a day of service. We worked together on a litter cleanup, while engaging in thought provoking discussions about the ties between refuse, home abandonment, poverty, and access to green space. Our litter cleanup also served as a walking tour of the neighborhood, to show areas where Grounded has already built a presence, as well as areas…Read More
Grandma Bev’s Green Zone Party Posted on July 12, 2018 by Miranda Micire Joining the Grounded network last September as a CommunityCare steward Beverly Howell, also known as Grandma Bev, showed her commitment to the Homewood neighborhood and to keeping it clean and green. Prior to joining the CommunityCare program, Bev has been a long-time active resident of Homewood, and even acquired the vacant lot next to her home through the City's Adopt-a-Lot lease program. Beverly envisioned this space next to her home to be a safe haven for the children of Homewood…Read More
6th Annual Two Wheels Lots of Green: Bike Tour & Block Party On a sunny October day, GTECH celebrated Pittsburgh's greenspace community with a guided bike tour and block party! This year's Two Wheels Lots of Green event featured Pittsburgh's East End. We rode 6.5 miles and made stops in Larimer, Homewood, and Wilkinsburg. 2017 Featured Greenspace Projects & Partners At each stop, we spoke to community partners, learning about their journey and the transformation of vacant spaces into activated places. Stop 1: Ms. Betty Lane's African Healing Garden & Chatman Properties for…Read More