Next Monday, May 17, CityLIVE will host “What’s Next for the Igloo?,” a panel and public discussion about the fate of the Civic Arena.

Should the arena be saved, and who should make the decision about it’s future?  Panel experts include Kimberly Ellis, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Historic Hill Institute; Christine Madrid French, Director of the Modernism + Recent Past Initiative with the National Trust for Historic Preservation; Larry Glasco, an expert in the history of Black Pittsburgh and Associate Professor of History at the University of Pittsburgh and Rob Pfaffmann, AIA, AICP, architect  and planner.

What’s Next for the Igloo
Monday, May 17
New Hazlett Theater
6:30pm

For more information, or to RSVP, visit the cityLIVE website.

Recently, several cities around the country have begun to look at the possibility of creating streetcar transportation systems. According to an article on Inhabitat, 22 US cities are considering instituting streetcar systems. Streetcars have appeal to several cities not only as a convenient, more environmentally friendly method of transportation, but also as a tool to spark economic development. The Inhabitat article states that in Portland, Oregon, which was the first city to build a streetcar system, “53 percent of the area’s downtown development has occurred along the streetcar line” since 1997.  In 2007 USA Today also looked at the reemergence of streetcars as a tool for green transportation and economic stimulus.

A Streetcar Name Forbes-Fifth

Imagine getting onboard a trolley at Market Square and being connected to:

Point Park University – Art Institute – Downtown – City and County Government – Duquesne University – Mercy Hospital – Palumbo Center – Uptown – Magee Hospital – Oakland – Carnegie Museum – Carnegie-Mellon University – Squirrel Hill – Chatham University – Frick Park – Penn Avenue – Homewood – Point Breeze – East Liberty – Shadyside – Shadyside Hospital – Hillman Cancer Center – University of Pittsburgh – Montefiore Hospital – Presbyterian Hospital – Petersen Event Center – Carlow University – Hill District – Consol Energy Center – Robert Morris University – and back downtown to Market Square.

Some have said the only future for the Civic Arena is to demolish it, but are there other options?

Many believe that the Civic Arena could be preserved as an iconic piece of the City of Pittsburgh skyline.  A recent CNN story documents how the City of Austin preserved the historic Palmer Auditorium.  Instead of demolishing the building, the City instead chose to “remodel” and transform it into a state of the art new structure,reusing as many pieces as possible.  In the end, 45 million pounds of debris were recycled and reused in the new building.

Watch the CNN Video

In 2005 Pittsburgh Architect David Julian Roth proposed a green alternative to the demolition of the Civic Arena.  See Roth’s plan here.  Another local architect, Rob Pfaffmann, has proposed a plan entitled “A Civic Renewal.” These proposals are just two examples of the possibilities for the Arena outside of demolition.

To learn more, or to get involved, join the Facebook group Reuse the Igloo.

A recent Next American City article highlights the trend of cities around the country that have begun to utilize free online web applications in order to more easily connect with their residents.

Social media tools such as Facebook and Twitter are becoming increasingly popular methods of communication between local government and the community.  In addition to an official website, many cities are creating blogs through free websites such as Wordpress and Blogger, and City Council and committee meetings are increasingly appearing online through websites like YouTube.  The increase in access to the activities of city government creates a positive trend towards more accountability and transparency in local government.

Last year, the City of Pittsburgh and Yinzcam released the innovative iPhone application iBurgh for City of Pittsburgh residents, allowing them to quickly photograph and report problems to the City’s 311 service.  Pittsburgh also has begun to broadcast City Council meetings online through the City of Pittsburgh website.

Read more about free web applications for cities in the New American City article.

Last week, Pittsburgh City Council gave preliminary approval to a contract that will allow City Council meetings to be viewed online.

The webcasts will allow City Council meetings to be accessible to all, and will also integrate the new system with City Council’s existing legislative tracking system. Viewers will be able to search videos online and view specific portions that relate to different issues.

“This is the third step I have initiated to bring e-democracy to Pittsburgh, following the launch of iBurgh and the current beta test of MyGov365,” said Councilman Peduto. “This new system will allow Pittsburgh residents to have greater involvement in their government and greater access to information that is important to them.”

The system has come in under budget, and will be ready in time to broadcast the first meeting of Council in 2010.

In order to better understand the financial situation of the city and the Mayor’s demand of a student tax, it is essential to see the bigger picture. These documents provide the details of what the city can and cannot do – they also shed light on missed opportunities. Councilman Peduto and Controller Lamb have outlined an alternative plan to the Mayor’s proposed student tax – you can read all the documents here – including the Lamb/Peduto alternative.

Mayor Ravenstahl’s 2010 Budget – Understand who is paying and what you are getting.

Pennsylvania Local Tax Enabling Act – Understand the rules of what municipalities can tax and what we cannot.

Act 47 Five Year Recovery Plan – Understand the changes that were approved in July and then look at the Mayor’s proposed budget to see if we are doing it.

PA Act 55 Public Charity Act -Understand the limitations placed on municipalities in PA to receive voluntary payments in lieu of taxes from non-profits and the restrictions to tax non-profits.

Peduto/Lamb Alternative – Another option for our City.

City Councilman Peduto and Controller Lamb today presented a list of potential budget changes that will make up the $15 million shortfall in the city’s 2010 proposed budget. The ICA rejected Mayor Ravenstahl’s proposed student tax, leaving a $15 million hole in the budget. Controller Lamb and Councilman Peduto believe that this shortfall can be made up through other means – through recommendations approved during the Act 47 process and through other good government proposals that will stregthen the city budget and make it more transparent for years to come.

Their plan is available here.

Earlier this year, Councilman Bill Peduto introduced a plan to create an LED energy-efficient lighting system in the City of Pittsburgh. This plan would not only create a more environmentally-friendly lighting system, but would also save money for City residents by reducing lighting costs for years to come.

But this plan is not just about replacing light bulbs – this plan is also about creating a new model of urban lighting. This new model needs to utilize technology to do more than just create an energy-efficient system- it needs to realize the potential that light offers in creating a safe, livable community.

In New York City, Leni Schwendinger is an artist an designer who leads “Lightwalks” through the City at night. During these walks, Schwendinger shows participants the importance of street lighting in the night life ambience, and looks at street lights in terms of what they add to the community. Check out this video to learn more, and see part of one of Schwendinger’s Light Walks.

Also, check out this article from TreeHugger.com – Nightlife Made Sustainable: Street Lights that Match Evening Sensitivities Save Considerable Energy.  This article discusses the possibility of redesigning street lights to utilize less energy by using information about what part of the light spectrum the human eye is most sensitive to in the dark.

On Wednesday, Councilman Peduto presented the findings from a six- month study investigating the feasibility of creating a commuter line system in Pittsburgh. This city line would connect Hazelwood on the Monongahela River to Lawrenceville on the Allegheny River. It would pass near The Technology Center, Schenley Park, CMU and Oakland, The Baum-Centre Corridor, Bloomfield and Lawrenceville.

Just as this line was critical to the rise of Pittsburgh’s industrial age, it is now the lynchpin in a transit-oriented development plan for our new economy. Oakland is a job creator, and it needs the help of this line to allow those jobs to expand to neighborhoods that have not seen growth in a long time. This line does just that, and it does even more.

This commuter line has the capability of creating a much larger, regional commuter rail system and a multi-modal transportation vision for Southwestern PA. It connects to the Norfolk Southern line, which runs through the Mon-Valley, to Greensburg and beyond. It connects to the AVRR line, which connects the Allegheny Valley to Armstrong County and Downtown. It creates the possibility of having park-and-ride garages off of Route 28 and the Parkway East, as well as a link downtown to the T-line (which would connect south) on Second Avenue. Finally, it also connects with the MLK Busway connecting many neighborhoods and eastern suburbs.

In short, we need to build this line – NOW.

View Councilman Peduto’s Presentation