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Climate Action Summit

2015p4 Conference#p4pgh

The event will be hosted by Mayor William Peduto and André Heinz of The Heinz Endowments, at various venues in Pittsburgh.

Schedule

On April 16-17, 2015, Mayor William Peduto is inviting city-wide leaders and experts to interface with national and international guests—with an emphasis on leaders from key Nordic metro areas—to discuss, envision and plan Pittsburgh’s continuing emergence as a post-industrial leader and help extend and embed its commitment to sustainability, innovation and equity. 

The event will be hosted by the Mayor and André Heinz of The Heinz Endowments, at various venues in Pittsburgh.

The conference is a two-day, invitational event, which the organizers hope will be the first in a series of opportunities to advance Pittsburgh’s profile in urban renewal and equitable city development. “The notion behind p4 is to set a new bar for how we and others perceive the character of the Pittsburgh we are creating, as the city expands its capacity in a new era of technology-led industry and flexible urban living. Above all, it’s important that the opportunities Pittsburgh has worked so hard to give itself are available to everyone. In Pittsburgh everyone should have a valuable role and equal opportunity in the urban future we are building together,” says Heinz Endowments President Grant Oliphant.

The agenda has been programmed under the leadership of The Heinz Endowments and the Mayor’s Office, with a team involving local, national and international content leaders.

Approximately 250 invited delegates will attend the first day of the summit, on April 16, all of whom have a special interest and professional credentials in this critical field of work.

A smaller group of stakeholders will attend day two of the summit on April 17 all of whom have knowledge and expertise relating to key and specific development initiatives taking place within the City of Pittsburgh.

Day 1

The first day of the summit will focus on planning and design innovation and sustainability and inspirational leadership to help establish a new framework for urban growth that is inclusive, innovative and environmentally sound. Speakers comprise preeminent national and international experts who are at the forefront of sustainable urban design, including a delegation representing Europe’s Nordic countries where success in this field has achieved global recognition and acclaim.

Day 2

The second day of the summit has been designed to encourage intensive discussion and engagement around specific initiatives and groups of delegates will be escorted on fact-finding visits to one of three redevelopment city sites where new and sustainable design practices are planned or where they are already being implemented.

Speakers

Venues & Sites

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Joshua Franzos

Energy Innovation Center

April 16-17, 2015

1435 Bedford Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15219

Designed and equipped by corporate partners, this 6.6 acre urban complex will promote energy-sector research and innovation and create direct and deliberate bridges to job creation, entrepreneurship and urban economic revitalization. It is positioned in the heart of a historic neighborhood that is sandwiched between the downtown central business district and the campuses of the region’s major research universities. Because the Hill District has suffered more than fifty years of economic disenfranchisement, community partners are working to ensure that this Energy Innovation Center will become an instrument of urban economic revitalization.

The mission of the Energy Innovation Center is to contribute to socially responsible workforce development, foster energy and sustainable technology advancement, and assist in job creation through a commitment to diversity, innovation and comprehensive education.

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Sites

April 17, 2015

Three sites were chosen to give tour participants on Day 2 a firsthand look at active, progressive redevelopment happening in Pittsburgh where new and sustainable design practices are planned or where they are already being implemented. They include:

Pittsburgh's Downtown, a vital urban core, with a special focus on the Smithfield Street corridor. Downtown is the site of Mayor Bill Peduto's newly announced Envision Downtown initiative.

Uptown, an urban neighborhood in transition, with a special focus on its new EcoInnovation district. Uptown holds huge potential as a connector between Downtown and the universities of the Oakland neighborhood.

Hazelwood, a former steel community, with a special focus on the current Almono redevelopment project. Almono is one of the largest brownfield redevelopment projects in the city's history.

Each site represents active development and growth, each is strongly connected to the others, and each features innovative participants engaged in creative projects. The site tours give participants the opportunity to make recommendations and propose performance goals at a point when these projects are ready and eager for constructive insights. These insights will be an integral part of the final conference recommendations.