ADVOCACY | 2009-10 Design Excellence Lecture Series Wraps Up with Robert Freedman, AICP
 

Wrapping up this year's Design Excellence Lecture series, we welcome Director of Urban Design for the City of Toronto, Robert Freedman, AICP, on Monday April 19th. A native of Toronto, Robert has a background in Architecture, Planning, and Law. Since joining the City of Toronto Planning Division, Robert has played a leading role in Toronto's Clean & Beautiful City Initiative, and has been instrumental in creating a Design Review Panel for the city. Robert also has ties to Pittsburgh: between 1993 and 2002, Robert worked with Urban Design Associates, a Pittsburgh-based award winning architecture and urban planning firm, where he worked on projects in more than twenty cities across the country. For tickets, please visit our website.
 

SUPPORT | Surdna Foundation Continues Community Development Collaborative Initiative

 

The Surdna Foundation recently awarded a $75,000 grant to help continue the CDCP's work in the Community Development Collaborative. The CD Collaborative, a coalition of private and public organizations, has been catalytic in changing Pittsburgh's "Champion Neighborhoods": southern Hilltop, Greater Uptown, Allegheny City, and the East End. Building on the momentum from a previous grant, the CD Collaborative will continue to identify and analyze opportunities in each area and engage citizens and organizations in planning and decision making. CD Collaborative efforts have begun to bear fruit; for example, a group of 125 neighbors from the southern Hilltop  recently participated in an Action Forum, focused on enhancing the assets and mitigating the challenges shared among the Hilltop neighborhoods. Since the Action Forum, three volunteer working groups have been formed to facilitate positive change in the Hilltop. On May 15th, the Hilltop Alliance and Leadership Pittsburgh's Leadership Development Initiative Class will hold "Pop Up Hilltop"  - a one day event to encourage residents as well as outsiders to experience and appreciate the neighborhood's assets, and get involved in the positive change initiatives in the Hilltop.
 

PLAN | Continuing the Conversation - Pittsburgh's Comprehensive Plan
 

On February 22nd, Alan Greenberger, FAIA, spoke to 150 architects, planners, students, and community members about the importance of civic design and city planning in Philadelphia. Pittsburgh, like Philadelphia, is embarking on its first Comprehensive Plan - a plan that will determine community goals, strategies, and guide policy decisions on how to meet the future needs of the City. Known as PLAN PGH, the first component of this Comprehensive Plan will focus on the City's open space, parks and recreation and will include: parks, greenways, trails, urban farming, green lots, sensitive environmental areas, steep slopes, athletic fields, swimming pools, senior community centers, and other recreation facilities and programs. Subsequent chapters will address transportation, cultural heritage, public art, and urban design. Stay tuned for more information about the planning process and opportunities for public participation.
 

The Mount Washington Community Development Corporation (MWCDC) received a $5,800 Design Fund matching grant to support Phase II of its Business District Vision Plan.  MWCDC is also receiving $5,800 from the URA's Mainstreet program for Phase II. The planning process will address a portion of Virginia Avenue that in 2009 was rezoned during the Map Pittsburgh process. A community engagement process will explore ways to alleviate the impacts of commercial activities on the adjacent residential district, including traffic calming, pedestrian safety, and street scape improvements. A Design Fund grant in 2007 facilitated  Phase I of the plan.
 

On March 4, 2010, five design professionals attended an orientation to become RenPlan^® volunteer consultants. They are: Aenne Barchowsky, Rebecca Mizikar, RLA; Acadia Klain, Chad Chalmers, AIA, LEED AP; Lisa Granger, NCDIQ; and Heather Haines.  Design professionals holding a degree in their respective field are eligible to become RenPlan^® volunteers. If you are interested in becoming a RenPlan^® volunteer, please contact Zack Ambrose.