Mobile Workshops Offer Close-up Views of Some of the City's Most Recent Community Initiatives

Our 2017 Community Development Summit Mobile Workshops are now open for registration!

This year, we are offering three Mobile Workshops to summit attendees, only $25 with registration for the conference. The workshops will take place on Wednesday, May 24 from 11:30 - 3:00 PM. Space is limited to 25 participants per workshop so register soon!Our Mobile Workshops are a great way to get into the community and see for yourself the efforts that individuals and organizations across the region are doing to better their neighborhoods and the lives of their residents. Each mobile workshop features an area of the county and is hosted by organizations within those areas that are actively participating in projects to benefit their communities. Participants will board a bus at the Omni William Penn, departing at 11:30 AM, and will return at 3:00 PM on Wednesday afternoon. Lunch will be provided on each tour! The descriptions of this year's Mobile Workshops are below.

Visit our EventBrite page to register!

1. Digging In: Pittsburgh's Urban Agricultural Community Grows Leaders and Equitable Food Future

• Hosted by the Pittsburgh Food Policy Council and Penn State Extension - Allegheny County

Here and nationwide, the flourishing urban agriculture movement’s time is right; the average farmer’s age approaches 60, yet urban ag can reinvigorate this vital industry and create healthy communities while reversing blight and food access inequity. This mobile workshop, led by the Pittsburgh Food Policy Council and Penn State Extension, will demonstrate how Pittsburgh’s Urban Ag Community is working to build human capacity, dignity, food sovereignty and collaborative infrastructure through urban, community-rooted food systems. You’ll learn how our community dedicates itself to cultivating the next generation of farmers while experiencing high-impact projects in Homewood (Sankofa Village), Point Breeze (Edible Teaching Garden), and Braddock (Grow Pittsburgh’s Braddock Farm). Presenters will share how they provide hands-on education in sustainable agricultural practices, farm business planning and skills sharing opportunities, while working toward policy solutions and programs that lower access barriers to critical land and capital resources. The Pittsburgh Food Policy Council will also discuss its planning initiatives and policy priorities. Our lunch will be sourced with fresh, local ingredients. 

2.  Community Supported Sustainability in Allegheny Rivertowns

• Hosted by Millvale Community Library, Etna Economic Development Corporation (EEDC), and Sharpsburg Neighborhood Organization

The neighboring Allegheny River communities of Millvale, Etna, and Sharpsburg are facing new opportunities and old challenges involving equity, water, food access, air quality, mobility, and energy as the amount of new development is increasing in these three City of Pittsburgh-adjacent riverfront boroughs after decades of decline and disinvestment. Local organizations, public officials, and residents are coalescing around shared visions for each community to ensure that new development and local changes are equitable, sustainable, and beneficial to the entire area and people who call it home. Join the Millvale Community Library, Etna Borough, and Sharpsburg Neighborhood Organization as they lead a tour highlighting recent work completed - collaboratively and individually — throughout the communities, current initiatives taking shape, and future plans for community-oriented progress throughout these towns and across their boundaries. Stops on the tour will include local riverfront parks, business districts, community gardens, development sites, public art installations, and green projects. 

3.  Access for All in Oakland: Community Change toward Inclusion and Equity

• Featuring speakers from SinTek Solutions, LLC, pathVu, University of Pittsburgh, Oakland Planning and Development Corporation, and more.

People with disabilities – nearly 56 million of our neighbors - are America’s largest untapped consumer base with a shared annual disposable income of $544 billion. Like everyone else, they regularly travel, shop, and dine out. They are in our communities and yet–25 years after the Americans with Disabilities Act – are often disregarded. They continue to face inaccessible entrances and accessways and lack accessible transportation options. In Oakland, a coalition is pushing for a more accessibility-friendly neighborhood and business district and getting results. Oakland For All - Beyond Accessible is a collaborative program of Oakland stakeholders, nonprofits, local and state government, and advocates. Our initiatives include advocating for the creation of user-friendly buildings, commercial establishments, public spaces and policies. Part discussion, part experiential tour of successes and challenges, you will learn the challenges the disability community faces, successes this effort is generating, and how to focus on accessibility in your community.