news & events
dreaming
Diana Nelson Jones of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette shares our thoughts on cities. In her blog she says
“I often imagine a world in which the only motor vehicles on the road are ambulances, trolleys and/or buses, special needs cars and delivery trucks — all powered without fossil fuels. I can see most of us walking, bicycling, driving golf carts or, when merited, riding in a sedan chair on the backs of brawny studs.”
Diana will be at cityLIVE! on June 13, to hear what Gil Peñalosa has to say. And if that isn’t reason enough to come, this event is Jason’s #1 pick on thisishappening.com.
You’d better be there …
bike-sharing in pittsburgh
There’s a bike-sharing demo in Market Square tomorrow (June 9) between 10 and 2. Don’t miss it! While you are there, check out the Farmer’s Market as well.
B-cycle, one of Fast Company’s 10 Most Innovative Companies in Transportation, brings bike-sharing to US communities. Tomorrow they’re going to give it a whirl in Pittsburgh. You can check out a bike and test ride it.
Fun!
8 – 80
Imagine opening the streets to people not cars. This is just one of the ways that 8-80 cities promotes the creation of vibrant cities and healthy communities. They believe that safe walking, cycling infrastructure and vibrant public places are key components of a more people-oriented and socially equitable city. 8-80 CITIES is a non-profit organization based in Toronto, Canada. Citizen engagement is part of their mantra. They believe that the people who use cities — ordinary citizens — hold the greatest expertise when it comes to building the best communities to live, work, and play.
cityLIVE! 37: moving people, not cars
June 13 2011 | New Hazlett Theater | 6.30p.m.
Have you ever thought you’d like to ride your bike to work, but it seems too dangerous? Do you wonder what life would be like if your children could walk to school, and you wouldn’t have to drive them? Do you admire cities like New York, with its miles of city bike lanes, or Paris, with its 20,000 bikes to rent? Do you hate the fact that you need to drive your bike to a good trail? Would you like to live in a city that is built for people, not cars?
On June 13, Gil Peñalosa will show us how! Mr. Peñalosa is the executive director of 8-80 Cities, and a founder of the famous Bogotá, Colombia Ciclovia event. He is an internationally renowned livable city expert dedicated to the transformation of cities into places where people can walk, bike, access public transit and visit vibrant parks and public places. What does 8-80 Cities stand for? Cities which are accessible to everyone, from 8 to 80 years old.
We’ll have some local experts on hand to answer any questions you have that are particular to Pittsburgh. They include Scott Bricker, executive director of Bike Pittsurgh; Robert Hampshire, assistant professor of Operations Research and Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon University;Lynn Heckman, assistant director of Transportation Initiatives, Allegheny County Economic Development; Patrick Roberts, principal transportation planner for the City of Pittsburgh, and Darija Wiswell with Allegheny County’s Health Department.
Missed this event? Catch the full video here or the short version here.
cityLIVE! 36: equity in urban education
May 25 2011 | New Hazlett Theater | 6.30p.m.
Pittsburgh’s public school system is changing rapidly. Over the past few years the system has downsized and collaborations have emerged. Reform efforts are underway that focus on the challenges in providing an equitable education for all students. Discussions are heated and sometimes polarized and problems persist. Do all students have equal access to educational opportunities? Is the Pittsburgh Promise reaching the students who need it most? Are efforts to reduce the achievement gap working?
At our May 25 cityLIVE!, our panelists will address these issues and other goals for equitable education in the Pittsburgh Public School system. Our panelists will include Robert Parris Moses who founded the Algebra Project, which uses mathematics as an organizing tool to guarantee quality public school education for all students. In 2000, Dr. Moses received the Heinz Award from the Heinz Family Foundation for his efforts to make math instruction available to children of all backgrounds. Carey Harris is the Executive Director of A+ Schools, an independent advocate for improvement in public education, and Ralph Bangs is Associate Director of the Center on Race and Social Problems in the School of Social Work, University of Pittsburgh. The event will be moderated by Mark Lewis, President and CEO of the POISE Foundation, which funds organisations that provide services to Pittsburgh’s African American community.