Sustainability

Improve people's economic position through higher wages, family-sustaining employment and entrepreneurship.

Strategies:

• Connect workers on the margins to family-sustaining employment.
• Expand minority entrepreneurs’ access to capital and business development assistance.
• Bolster opportunities for minority entrepreneurs to manage and increase their own income.
• Connect opportunities from the innovation economy to all residents.

Endowments point of contact: Rob Stephany, Director, Community & Economic Development

Advance a clean economy with renewables, green infrastructure and climate-friendly solutions.

Strategies:

• Implement renewable and alternative energy solutions.
• Apply green infrastructure best management practices to improve the water quality in Pittsburgh’s rivers and streams while providing secondary benefits to communities.
• Promote innovative strategies at the neighborhood, local and regional level to reduce climate pollution.

Endowments point of contact: Philip Johnson, Director, Environment & Health

Pursue socially just economic opportunity so that distressed neighborhoods thrive without displacing vulnerable residents.

Strategies:

• Target distressed neighborhoods that are adjacent to strong markets that can leverage public and private capital to improve housing markets without displacing vulnerable residents.
• Embrace first-in-class civic design.
• Connect Pittsburgh through “complete streets,” transit-oriented development and alternative transportation.
• Engage the arts and artists in socially just community revitalization, ennobling culture and neighborhood beautification.

Endowments point of contact:  Rob Stephany, Director, Community & Economic Development

Restore and protect Pittsburgh’s environmental systems, and enhance its public health.

Strategies:

• Protect all populations from disproportionate harm caused by pollution and reduce environmental health burdens, especially among those experiencing environmental injustice.
• Encourage socially and environmentally responsible use of western Pennsylvania’s natural resources.
• Deepen community engagement and leadership networks through education, outreach and advocacy.
• Advance independent, comprehensive and fact-based scientific knowledge to foster healthy environments.

Endowments point of contact: Philip Johnson, Director, Environment & Health

Promote community health and vitality through sustainable food systems, especially in food deserts.

Strategies:

• Improve access to fresh, healthy, local foods in low-income neighborhoods.
• Promote urban agriculture as a means of increasing food security and educating participants about food systems.

Endowments point of contact: Andrew McElwaine, VP of Sustainability

Create communities where military veterans and their families are welcomed, valued and understood.

Strategies:

• Create easy-to-navigate pipelines to family-sustaining jobs, services, and opportunities for veterans and service members in the region.
• Equip post-9/11 veterans and service members with the skills and networks necessary to become regional leaders.
• Promote changes in workforce initiatives, social services, program funding and community conversations about veterans by supporting and advancing the narrative that veterans are assets for the region.
• Work proactively and preventatively in the support of veterans, service members and family members, and promote best practices to impact predominantly reactive public policy.

Endowments point of contact: Megan Andros, Program Officer, Community & Economic Development