The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, and Sustainable Pittsburgh are pleased to invite municipalities in Southwestern Pennsylvania to participate in “Sustainable Communities 500” 

Sponsored by: 
   

(This letter was mailed to the municipal manager/secretary of each municipality in the 10 county region.)

Dear Municipal Manager/Secretary:

This is a project to catalogue and highlight examples of sustainability/sustainable development in Southwestern Pennsylvania.  Please share this information with the president elected official of your municipality (the President of Council or Chair of Supervisors).

What is Sustainability/Sustainable development? Simply, it’s about improving our quality of life and getting the best out of the way we use things, while limiting any negative impact our actions have now or in the future. We’re sure there are examples in your community – a project or activity that is simultaneously contributing to a prosperous economy, a vibrant and fair community, clean natural environment, and healthy, happy people.

Sustainability thrives in our region. There is an increasing number of good examples to be found in among our communities and businesses—more credit is due.

With the participation of your municipality, Sustainable Communities 500 will highlight one example of sustainability in each municipality in the ten counties of Southwestern Pennsylvania; that’s over 500. Together, this rich inventory, to be featured on a searchable website, represents a tremendous positive snapshot showing Southwestern Pennsylvania as a leader.

We cordially request that you join with other local governments throughout the region to identify and submit at least one (maximum five for now) description of a project or activity that is accelerating sustainability in your community. The Project Checklist and Response Form we've created will help you identify an example in your community. It's easy once you begin to think on all the positive initiatives in your community.

The project you choose to highlight can relate to your local government, a community group, local business, or even an individual resident, and you can delegate the submission form to them. It does not have to be a municipal project, just one occurring in your community. The example can be submitted by any community leader but we ask that a municipal elected or appointed official sign off so we can properly catalogue each municipality's response.

Objectives of Sustainable Communities 500:

• Catalogue and highlight examples, and in doing so, demonstrate southwestern Pennsylvania as an emerging sustainability leader nationally and internationally.
   
• Identify opportunities for new incentives, public policies, funding, tools, links to local planning, and other means to foster even more examples of sustainability
  
  
• Provide a wealth of examples to inspire innovation, focus planning efforts and document emerging best practices.

Your examples of sustainable community projects will receive regional and statewide attention through various media and communications. Submit today!

Please submit your description by using this on-line submittal form or, if necessary, use the Word document version and return it and return it to the address listed. This will facilitate highlighting your project on the website.

For more information or assistance please call (412) 258-6642 or email info@sustainablepittsburgh.org.

Sincerely,

Fred Reddig, Executive Director, Governor's Center for Local Government Services, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

James Hassinger, President and CEO, Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission

Court Gould, Executive Director, Sustainable Pittsburgh