Downtown & The Cultural District : Pittsburgh Innovates

Two of the hottest topics--Marcellus Shale and clean energy--will be the focus of two different environmental events in the next few weeks.

The Carnegie Science Center will host Dr. Charles E. Jones, a geologist from the Department of Geology and Planetary Science at the University of Pittsburgh, for a discussion about Marcellus Shale and what it means for western Pennsylvania.

As part of the Science & Society Town Square lecture series, attendees can listen and discuss the science relevant to Shale and the future of Pennsylvania's economy and environment.

"It will be covering the basic science," Jones says, such as how and when the Shale formed and why it's full of organic matter.  The audience will learn more about the Shale, he notes,so "if someone wants to drill on their land, they can ask better questions." 

The lecture will be held Thursday, March 24 from 7 to 9 p.m. Registration is $12 for Science Center members and $15 for non-members. Coffee and dessert are included. Click here to register.

On April 3, PennFuture hosts the 2011 Southwest Pennsylvania Global Warming Conference: Clean Energy for a Cool Pittsburgh.

"Clean energy is a really important part of the global warming debate,"  says Tiffany Hickman, spokesperson for PennFuture,. "Changing how and what kind of energy we use is the most important thing we can do to combat global warming, because the energy that we use currently in this country contributes so much to heat trapping gases."

The Conference features a list of local, state and national speakers. They include Kate Gordon, vice president for energy policy at the Center for American Progress; U.S. Representative Mike Doyle, a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and the subcommittees on Communications and Technology and Energy and Power; and Dr. Robert Sroufe, director of sustainability at the Beard Institute at Duquesne University.

"I think Pittsburgh is poised right now to make a big difference for the environment" Hickman adds. "For Pittsburgh to take a stance now on clean energy is going to put it far above its competition in other cities. It's really important for us to set a precedent here, especially with our legacy of dirty energy."

Learn more by attending the Conference on Sunday, April 3 from 1 to 5:30 p.m. at Duquesne University's Power Center. Registration is free to PennFuture members and students with an ID and $10 for others. Click here for more information and to register.

Writer: Alex Audia
Source: Tiffany Hickman, PennFuture

Just in time for the spring thaw comes a new weapon against  Pittsburgh potholes, a smartphone app that tracks their location and subtly takes the city to task for leaving them unattended over time.

Carnegie Mellon University's RODAS Project--that's Road Damage Assessment System--gives GPS-linked smartphone users the tools to snap pictures of potholes and upload them on Facebook. The photos are then automatically tagged on an online map, marked by bright red dots, creating a virtual overview of potholes to alert officials (and drivers) where the potholes are.

The project, started last summer, was the original idea of Chilean Heinz grad Veronica Acha-Alvarez and inspired by a similar successful project in Chile. The Chilean app offers contests, (subtly timed with local elections) to identify the largest potholes.

"We are creating a secure, independent source of information about potholes that can be used to alert government agencies and to monitor their response," says Robert Strauss, professor of economics and public policy in the H. John Heinz III College.

Widespread publicity this week drove more than 800 hits to the site in one day, he adds.

Involving the community in identifying and monitoring the pothole problem is the primary goal of the project. The team also is considering other ways citizens may assist, including an adopt-a-pothole program that gets the community more involved with repairs.

"Kind of like a  pet rock," says Stauss.

"PennDOT found it interesting," he adds. "This new public database is a new tool people can use to monitor what road crews are doing and to judge the efficiency of government."

In other app news, Deeplocal's award-winning transit technology, RouteShout, was acquired by Atlanta-based RouteMatch Software Inc., developers of traveler information systems. Financial terms were not disclosed.

RouteShout, which marks the first sale of a Deeplocal asset, allows riders to access up-to-the-second transit arrival times from their mobile phones. It will provide the "missing link" of real-time arrival data needed for intelligent transit systems, says Tim Quinn of RouteMatch.

Writer: Deb Smit
Source: Robert Strauss, CMU; Deeplocal

Finding a last-minute parking spot on the night of a show just got easier with the region's first "smart" parking solution launched this week by The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.

ParkPGH (that's Park P-G-H) is a tech-based strategy that gives users up-to-the-minute information on parking space availability in the Cultural District in one of five ways: iPhone app, mobile website, website, text messaging and a call-in phone service. Eight parking lots are participating and the remaining Cultural District garage, located at 9th and Penn Avenue, will be added in January 2011.

"I'm a regular attendee and it occurred to me that one of the big psychological impediments (to coming into the city for a show) is uncertainty about the parking," says Bill Benter, president of The Benter Foundation, who helped fund the project. "We're looking to make this a less stressful experience for all."

By January, ParkPGH.org will give patrons access to information on the more than 5,300 spaces in the Cultural District, which makes up 25% of all the parking in the city. The easy-to-use site  color-codes the garages in three ways: near capacity, approaching capacity or availability. If all goes well, the program will be expanded for citywide use.

The program was built by Deeplocal with assistance from the Pittsburgh Parking Authority, Alco Parking, Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, Hillman Foundation and Numeritics. ParkPGH is designed to integrate with a larger project, Traffic21, a Carnegie Mellon initiative that is developing and deploying an intelligent transportation system that hopes to brand the region internationally as a place for "smart transportation."

"We want to make it available to the broadest possible audience," says Marc Fleming, vice president of marketing for The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.

Writer: Deb Smit
Source: Marc Fleming, The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust; Bill Benter, The Benter Foundation

Image courtesy of The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust

Good news for the region's biodiversity and life sciences industry.

PLSG received $500,000 in funding that will help to establish a life sciences campus on the South Side at the River Park Commons Business Center.

The funding comes from a Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) grant from the state. The new campus will provide space for four to six wet-labs in addition to the existing 9,000 square feet of life sciences labs. PLSG will also move its office to the campus.

"The demand for this campus is significant as an increasing number of new biotechnology companies are being launched throughout the nation, and geographic clusters to house these new, start-up companies are highly competitive," said John W. Manzetti, President and CEO.

In other news, 20 biodiversity projects received $190,000 this week as part of a new initiative to support the stewardship of Southwestern Pennsylvania's natural resources.

The Sprout Fund and The Pittsburgh Foundation hope to jumpstart community-based biodiversity projects in the region through the Spring Program. The funded projects were selected from among 75 applications, says Dustin Stiver of The Sprout Fund.

"These projects offer an exciting array of innovative solutions to the many environmental challenges we face," says Stiver. "With diverse objectives and creative approaches, they give promise that the biodiversity of our resource-rich region can be preserved and enhanced for generations to come."

Six biodiversity projects received $20,000 awards including:

BioShelter and Food Systems Center at the Garfield Community Farm, where a permanent bioshelter will extend the farm's growing season and offer educational opportunities to the nearby elementary school;

Green Roofs for Bus Shelters in East Liberty, introducing flora and fauna into the urban environment through a living green roof on Penn Avenue;

Heritage Seed Bank and Nursery for seed banks and educational opportunities in the preservation of native heritage or heirloom edible plants;

Native Appalachian Garden, part of Pittsburgh Botanical Garden, cultivating woodland species of the region;

And Take a Hike: Backyard Biodiversity for a traveling presentation that will lead elementary school children on an exploration of the Earth's biomes at the Carnegie Science Center.

The other 14 recipients receiving $5,000 awards are include outdoor classrooms for children, ecological gardens, artificial chimney habitats for neotropical migrant birds, rain gardens in schoolyards with the help of Nine Mile Run Watershed Assoc. and native plant restoration projects.

Writer: Deb Smit
Source: PLSG, Dustin Stiver, The Sprout Fund

Welcoming the world to Pittsburgh for the G-20 Summit is a huge undertaking, but Dennis Yablonsky sees it more as a awesome opportunity.

"This is a major event and the fact that Pittsburgh was chosen is a real honor," says the CEO of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development. "This is a wonderful opportunity to increase the size of our pipeline for companies thinking of expansions. We think we'll end up with jobs and capital investments we might not have had otherwise."

The Allegheny Conference is one of four organizing partners of the G-20, The Pittsburgh G-20 Partnership, which includes Allegheny County, the city of Pittsburgh and VisitPittsburgh. The partnership's Web site is a central clearinghouse for information and online links, offering the latest news and an eNewsletter with volunteer opportunities for the G-20.

What does Yablonsky hope the region will take away from the G-20? With 2,000 journalists in the region, Pittsburgh has an unparalleled chance to tell the world that southwestern Pennsylvania has jobs, more than 25,000 through www.imaginemynewjob.com alone. We need to fill jobs locally and attract new talent.

"We need to get the word out," Yablonsky says. "We think there's a disconnect between the awareness and the reality here."

Will Pittsburgh be ready? Absolutely, says Yablonsky. "There's a tremendous number of smart people working on this."

What's the one thing he wishes that he could change before the G-20?

"The one thing Pittsburgh could use is more time to get everything done," he laughs. "We're working within a very compressed time frame. But there's nothing like a deadline to galvanize people."

Writer: Debra Diamond Smit

Source: Dennis Yablonsky, Allegheny Conference

After several years of color-tuning, Pittsburgh startup HazardGuard Safety Wire has launched a unique consumer product that will help protect homes against the deadly problem of electrical cord fires.

An estimated 450 electrical fires occur every day and 800 deaths happen each year, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The patented thermochromic polymer, which was invented by Fayette County coal miner John Ryeczek, attaches or wraps around household cords and turns from green to orange when a hot spike in temperature is detected.

The colored cords could help to eliminate hundred of deaths a year, says Walt Ogrodnik, CEO. "Even with so many wireless products out there, there's many electrical wires used today between gaming devices, space heaters, fans. There's quite a market for this."

HazardGuard developed the technology more than two years ago, but the initial design proved too expensive to make on a large scale. Ryeczek, who has spent eight years filing for product patents, redesigned the product as a clip or tie, substantially lowering the price and making it more affordable.

Called "Chameleon" clips and wraps, a set of six currently sells on the company's Web site for $6.99.

The company hopes to initially offer the product nationally through hardware stores. After that, Ogrodnik says it's onto big industry, which uses a more expensive thermal sensor system to do the job. There's really nothing affordable on the market for consumers or industrial use, he says.

Writer: Debra Diamond Smit

Source: Walt Ogrodnik, HazardGuard Safety Wire

Concierge medicine isn't new into the region, but Dr. Miki Fato of Medico believes that with film crews rolling in and the G-20 around the corner, a practice like hers couldn't be better positioned.

As a concierge physician, Fato is a personal, primary care physician on constant call. Boutique or concierge medicine, which first became popular in Seattle ten years ago, isn't for everyone. It's an alternative for busy executives on the go, families who want a high level of personal care and can afford to pay for it out of pocket, or for people passing through, such as film crews or visiting journalists.

That's Fato's niche.

"People don't realize how many visitors come to the Pittsburgh area for short periods of time, from cameramen to physicians to executives," she says. "There are a lot of individuals who are here for a time who may not really have a primary care physician. That's the service that I provide."

Concierge patients pay an out-of-pocket annual retainer for services, a fee that isn't covered by health insurance. In turn, they have round-the-clock access to a physician, can make same-day appointments and receive highly personal attention.

"Each Medico physician is limited to only 50 patients," says Fato. "It's like having your own personal physician, someone who knows you intimately who makes your health a priority. We are your guide as you navigate the healthcare system."

Fato spent 20 years working for the UPMC and West Penn health systems before founding Medico. She hopes to grow the company and hire more physicians in the coming years.

She most recently worked with several well-known actors on the set of Warrior, which finished filming here. "It's a niche I'm really interested in growing. The patient-doctor relationship is critical to the care of the patient. That's what inspired me to start Medico, providing the best medical care that I can provide."

Writer: Debra Diamond Smit

Source: Miki Fato, Medico

Building on the popularity ofPNC's Virtual Wallet comes online banking for students and peace of mind for parents.

Virtual Wallet Student is a personal banking tool that helps students to manage their money, avoid costly mistakes and painful fees and—the best part—sends an alert email to family when funds are getting low. The solution was designed based on extensive research with students, parents and college administrators.

"It's unique in the banking world," says Mike Ley, vice president of payment and e-business. "This is a tool that will help students become better money managers."

PNC introduced Virtual Wallet a year ago, an innovative online program that was designed with Gen Yers in mind. The student version builds on PNC's successful model, with a spending tracker that categorizes where the money is going, such as restaurants, gas or shopping, a personalized calendar and email alerts or "danger days" for those times when funds get low.

The account is really three accounts in one. It's organized the way students think— spend, reserve and growth, says Ley.

Parents receive alerts via text message or e-mail when the account is close to zero or the balance goes below their pre-set threshold. Another handy feature sends digital receipts and messages via email to whomever owes the account holder money.

"Students are more interested in the here and now rather than a month overview," says Ley. "Parents like it because it allows them to see where the money is going."

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Writer: Debra Diamond Smit
Source: Mike Ley, PNC

Image courtesy PNC

Dina Clark has been on the job for two weeks, but she already sees great things happening in Pittsburgh.

Clark was appointed the first executive director of the Western Pennsylvania Diversity Initiative, a non-profit membership organization that is promoting regional economic growth by providing resources to employers to help them attract, hire and retain employees from diverse backgrounds.

Membership is open to any company that embraces diversity and inclusion.

People hear "diversity" and they often think of race relations, says Clark. The initiative is much broader in scope. "It's not about black and white, it's about size, ability, sexual orientation, everything in addition to ethnicity, race and religion."

"Lots of great things are happening in pockets around the city," says Clark, who subscribes to the saying that inclusion is the surest path to diversity. "The challenge for Pittsburgh is not only to help individuals, but to look at the best practices. If you're in line with our mission, our doors are open."

Clark grew up in Squirrel Hill, the daughter of educator parents. Her father, Harry Clark, was the founding principal of the High School for the Creative and Performing Arts and her mother was a Pittsburgh Public Schools teacher. Prior to her appointment, she served on the WPDI board.

In addition to regular job postings, WPDI will offer a calendar of speakers and plan quarterly networking events. The first all-day conference on diversity and inclusiveness is planned for Oct. 22. For more information, click here.

The initiative has 50 members so far and hopes to double by the end of the year.

Funding for WPDI comes from member organizations and a grant from the Heinz Endowments. The Allegheny County Bar Association has donated office space downtown.

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Source: Dina Clark, WPDI

Corporate contenders will row the river for the title of Pittsburgh’s fastest company when the 5th Annual Heinz Challenge pushes off this weekend.

Eight-person corporate teams will race on a 1 kilometer course on the Allegheny River along the banks of Washington’s Landing on Saturday, July 25 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.  The winners will walk away with the coveted Heinz Oar, a coveted paddle that stays with the winners for the year. The race is sponsored by H.J. Heinz Company and Three Rivers Rowing Association.

Twenty-five teams will join the race, including Barkely REI, West Penn Allegheny Health System, University of Pittsburgh, Highmark, Alcoa Inc., Massaro Corp.,  Medrad, Maya Viz Ltd. and UPMC Mercy, to name a few .  Other teams include a mix of employees from several local companies going by names like Rif Raf, Waterguys, Motley Crew and Meet in Pittsburgh.

“Heinz is excited to be hosting the Challenge in partnership with the Three Rivers Rowing Association,” said Herman So, brand manager and Heinz Crew Captain for the 2009 season.  “This year more than 20 teams will be competing for the bragging rights to the Heinz Oar, and while only one will win, everyone will benefit from the camaraderie and competitive spirit that the event provides.”

Spectators are invited to watch from various vantage points along the banks of the Allegheny River on Washington’s Landing. 

For more information about the Heinz Challenge, call Three Rivers Rowing Association at 412-231-8772 or email crew@us.hjheinz.com.

In other rowing news, the TRRA corporate rowing program provides a collegial forum for adults to exercise on the water, improve rowing skills, network and have fun. The second season runs from July 27 to September 24. Beginners and experienced rowers can participate.

For more information, click here.


Image courtesy Roger Hendrix for the Heinz Challenge

Pittsburgh will have an opportunity to consider the national shift to a new energy economy at a free event on July 30th at the New Hazlett Theater from 6 to 8:30 p.m.

The forum will address the American Clean Energy and Securities Act, beginning with a taped debate on key energy issues and testimony from national figures including Karen Harbert, president and CEO of Institute for 21st Century Energy; Christine Todd Whitman, co-chair of CASEnergy Coalition, and John Podesta, president of the Center for American Progress and former EPA administrator.
 
A panel of Pittsburgh business and community leaders will offer insights and thoughts on the high stakes for Pittsburgh area businesses. Panelists will include Bill O’Rourke of Alcoa, Keith Schaeffer of BPL Global, Steve Winberg of Consol and Sharon Pillar of Penn Future.  Rob Jones of Dominion Peoples will moderate.

“The Pittsburgh region has been the literal headwaters of the coal, oil and natural gas industries, and remains an abundant and crucial water resource,” says Jones. "No region in America has more fitly embodied both the rich opportunities and the challenges with respect to energy and environmental policy throughout the industrial age.”

ACES, the Waxman -Markley comprehensive energy bill, includes a cap-and-trade global warming reduction plan designed to reduce economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions 17 percent by 2020. Other provisions include new renewable requirements for utilities, studies and incentives regarding new carbon capture and sequestration technologies, energy efficiency incentives for homes and buildings, and grants for green jobs.

The event is presented by Champions for Sustainability (C4S) and the Business Climate Coalition of the Pittsburgh Climate Initiative. Space is limited; click here to register.

Writer: Debra Diamond Smit
Source: Matthew Mehalik, Sustainable Pittsburgh; Rob Jones, Dominion Peoples

Image courtesy Sustainable Pittsburgh

The e-democracy race is on and if Councilman Bill Peduto has his way, Pittsburgh will blow the door of city government wide open and leave cities like Boston in the dust.

Peduto invited several Pittsburgh-based tech companies to City Hall this month to discuss using a mix of homegrown technologies to promote a unique blend of tools that would help constituents to better track goings on.

Among those who came to the table were online social political network MyGov365, searchable video data company Panopto Inc, web-based broadcaster Vivo and the Carnegie Mellon developer of YinzCam technology, which allows mobile phone users to watch replays of Penguins action inside the arena.

This is just the beginning, says Peduto. The discussion won’t be limited to these companies.

“Pittsburgh can be a model of e-democracy for the world. We want Pittsburgh (government) to not only be on the forefront, but to offer leverage to our own Pittsburgh-based companies to use the city as a test market to sell their products worldwide.”

Pittsburgh has $52,000 to webcast council meetings, which should be enough to cover the webcast and more, Peduto says. The city plans to award a contract to begin providing webcasts and searchable video by the end of this month.

Other proposed initiatives include an iPhone application for city government, a searchable database of all council votes and records offered by MyGov365 and offering online access to community meetings.

Writer: Debra Diamond Smit
Source: Councilman Bill Peduto, City of Pittsburgh

Image courtesy Councilman Bill Peduto

The Green Mountains of Vermont are home to the first LEED Certified Gold student union in the country, designed by WTW Architects of Pittsburgh.

The University of Vermont’s Davis Student Center sits on a stretch of Main Street in Burlington and houses a 4-story atrium, pub and bistro, bookstore, retail outlets, 850-seat ballroom, food services, conference and meeting facilities and a terrace where students can enjoy sweeping views of the mountains.

The $61 million, 186,000 square-foot facility is a perfect feather in the cap of WTW, which celebrates its 50th year in the business and a long history of sustainable design.

Sensitive planning is nothing new at WTW, which has actively promoted it since the energy crisis in the Seventies, says Rich DeYoung, president and CEO. 

“Early on it was a challenge to get clients to think about it; today they want LEED experience,” he says. “LEED became the catalyst that formalized what we were doing. It pushed us further and challenged our clients.”

UVM’s Gold features include the energy efficient lighting and building systems, which reduce energy use by 50 percent. In addition, 92 percent of all construction waste was recycled or reused in some way and 63 percent of the building materials came from within 500 miles of the center.

A controlled carbon dioxide ventilation system pumps fresh air directly into the facility, depending on the number of people inside, explains DeYoung, which combats fatigue, a symptom of many older buildings today. 

“If you look at the project from the outside, you wouldn’t know it’s sustainable,” DeYoung adds proudly. “We didn’t force an alien aesthetic.” 

WTW has received national recognition for its designs of new and renovated student unions, which comprises about 35 percent of its business. Taking a team approach to design work, WTW and employs 55 people in its Pittsburgh office and has an affiliate in Colorado Springs. 

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Writer: Debra Diamond Smit
Source: Rich DeYoung, WTW

Image courtesy Westphalen Photography and WTW

Pittsburgh gains the national spotlight this month when world champion bass anglers cast their lines into the region’s rivers.

The FLW Outdoors’ Forrest Wood Cup, the second major bass fishing championship to descend here, will attract the world’s best bass anglers and an estimated 60,000 people, one of the largest crowds ever for the event. It will also pump an estimated $36 million into the region’s economy.

The event takes place July 30 to August 2 and will be televised nationally on Versus.

“Pittsburgh is one of the few cities in the world with an urban setting for a fishing tournament,” says Craig Davis, vp of sales and marketing for VisitPittsburgh. Davis helped to bring both the Forrest Wood Cup and the Bass Master’s Classic in 2005 to the city. “This sends a message that our streams and rivers are clear and clean against our urban backdrop. The Bass Master’s Classic was executed well and earned us a great reputation.”

The National Guard Junior World Championship will also be held on the Allegheny River in nearby Kittanning, Pa. July 31 to August 1.

“Western Pennsylvania is now a world-class destination for recreation and tourism, and we’re looking forward to the opportunity to showcase the beauty of our rivers to the nation,” adds Ken Komoroski, an attorney with K&L Gates and member of the local organizing committee.  

The challenge marks the culmination of six qualifying events in venues throughout the United States.  The top 77 qualifiers compete for the $1 million top prize.  FLW Outdoors will also announce the winner of its Fantasy Fishing competition on August 1, an angler who will take home a grand prize of $1 million.

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Writer: Debra Diamond Smit
Source: Craig Davis, VisitPittsburgh


Image totally thrown together in desperation

When leaders of the world’s most important emerging-market countries come to Pittsburgh this fall, what will they need, see and experience?

Suggestions poured in this past week during three public brainstorming sessions. Not able to attend?  Share your ideas and sign up for potential volunteer opportunities at the Pittsburgh G-20 Partnership Web site by clicking here.

“We’ve gotten some really great ideas, things we hadn’t thought of,” reports Kevin Evanto of Allegheny County. “Many say they want the city to gleam, a display of flags of all the nations, to welcome people in their native language.”

One gentleman suggested inviting illusionists to walk the streets because no one needs a translator to understand the language of magic.

Other thoughts? Pittsburgh must live up to its green image with sustainable opportunities and recycling offered everywhere, at hotels, on the streets, in parks. Stage a special light-up or festival of lights, get the ethnic communities involved, improve signage and enlist university and high school students to volunteer.

“We’re still waiting to hear from the White House on many issues, but we want to be as prepared as possible so when we get direction, we can act,” Evanto adds. “We want to be in a position to respond to the White House right away.”

The county plans to create an online media center so when 3,000 reporters descend, they will find a Web site filled with story ideas and local opportunities.

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Writer: Debra Diamond Smit
Source: Kevin Evanto, Allegheny County