Pittsburgh
A New Model
Minority Business Development in Pittsburgh
The new dimension of performance for the Greater Pittsburgh area is minority business development. For many years, Western Pennsylvania’s reputation has been clouded by its inability to broaden economic plans and strategies with the influence of qualified minorities. In an effort to fully examine this argument, I have drawn perspectives from Pittsburgh employees, financial institutions, the social atmosphere, and the understanding I bring as a minority business owner. I find that community-based development groups’ most pressing issue is cash flow, and that streamlining the flow of money into MWBE businesses through the expansion of minority financial institutions is the key to success.
Published In: Volume 5, Issue 1: — March 17, 2008
In Green Shadows
The Green Building Alliance Transforms Pittsburgh Architecture
The Heinz School Review recently sat down with Eamon Geary, a project specialist with the Pittsburgh Green Building Alliance (GBA), at the GBA offices on 14th Street in Pittsburgh’s South Side. The interview begins informally discussing Rebecca Flora’s role in the Pittsburgh Green Building Alliance. Rebecca is the Executive Director of GBA and was recently elected Chair of the United States Green Building Council (USGBC).
Published In: Volume 4, Issue 3: — November 12, 2007
Like Drinking From a Fire Hose
GTECH Treads New Paths on Risky Ground
The Heinz School Review recently sat down with Heinz School alumni and founders of GTECH: Growth Through Energy & Community Health, Matthew Ciccone, Andrew Butcher, and Chris Koch, to discuss their experience founding a non-profit social enterprise following the completion of their Heinz School degree. The interview illuminates the details of reclaiming polluted urban land, creating opportunities to train a ‘green collar’ workforce, and producing crops for clean burning biofuels.
Published In: Volume 4, Issue 2: Environment — October 26, 2007
Memorandum on Pittsburgh’s Vacant Land Problem
The neglect of vacant land is a pressing issue. The City of Pittsburgh must develop a comprehensive strategy in order to combat the social, economic, and environmental drain caused by the presence of vacant land. This strategy should include streamlining the process for obtaining this land, mobilizing existing resources by creating a citywide taskforce, and designing and implementing green solutions to this problem.
Published In: Volume 4, Issue 2: Environment — October 26, 2007
Systems Synthesis: Boards, Authorities, and Commissions Research Project
On Thursday, August 4, 2005, the Boards, Authorities, and Commissions Research Project Team presented its research and held a press conference on the policy issue of fair representation for elected officials, civic and community leaders and affiliates of the Heinz School. Fair representation addresses the demographic composition of those appointed to non-elected public entities in the City of Pittsburgh and in Allegheny County; the research is focused specifically on the representation of women and African-Americans who historically have not been represented in the pool of candidates for appointments. This document presents the team’s proposed plan for action by the local governments of the Greater Pittsburgh Region.
Published In: Volume 2, Issue 2: — October 15, 2005