utterly opinionated

cityLAB is going to pop Pittsburgh up in some other cities.  We are hosting a one-day creative event (a charrette) at Carnegie Mellon’s School of Architecture in Pittsburgh. Designers, architects, artists and wanna-be artists will work in teams to design a pop up that describes Pittsburgh best.

Not sure what a pop up is?   Come and find out at 10 am.

Creative and itching to design?  Stay on and we’ll assign you to a creative team.

Curious and got a point of view?  Come to the presentations at 2:30 pm and join in the critique.

Questions?   Email me at eve@citylabpgh.org.  We’ll be working in the College of Fine Arts Building at CMU, Room 214.

Everyone is welcome!

On January 12, cityLIVE! presents pop culture in the city of Pittsburgh.  Don’t you wonder what we are watching, reading and listening to – both good and bad?   We will discuss television, movies, printed material, the internet and music, and how pop culture goes from a niche phenomenon to a full-on pop cultural extravaganza. How have these influences changed Pittsburgh and the region, our population and our perception of ourselves in the larger world – both positive and negative, and is any of it within our control?

Our panel includes Pablo Garcia, from the Architecture Department at Carnegie Mellon; Emmai Alaquiva, of Ya Momz House; and Kathy Savitt, of Lockerz … and we will be moderated by Rob Rogers, editorial cartoonist and president of the ToonSeum.

Cocktails and conversation to follow.

Don’t let the cold weather keep you away.  Warm up with us.  RSVP here …

Back by popular demand!  We’ve gathered 10 more brilliant Pittsburgh minds to tell you about their funkiest, biggest, hairiest. most brilliant ideas for change.   Give us 30 minutes on December 9, and we’ll change the way you see the city at this cityLIVE! event.  Forget feasibility, funding or anything as ridiculous as consensus-building. We asked for ‘thought-provoking’ and ‘outside the box’.

You’ll want to meet our panelists after the show.  A glass of wine and a chat to polish off the evening. Hilary Robinson, dean of the College of Fine Arts at Carnegie Mellon University.  Raymar Hampshire, the young founder of sponsorchange.org.  Jon Rubin, CMU Art Professor and the man behind the wildly successful Waffle Shop.  Susan Everingham, the director of RAND’s Pittsburgh office.  Scott Faber, a developmental pediatrician at the Children’s Institute.  Alexi Morrissey, artist.   Priya Narasimhan from Carnegie Mellon’s Mobility Center and founder of YinzCam.  Janera Solomon of the Kelly-Strayhorn Theater.  LaVerne Baker Hotep from the Center for Victims of Violence and Crime.  Sean Jones of the Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra.  They make for spicy conversation.

And to make sure that we don’t take ourselves too seriously, Chris Potter, the renowned editor of City Paper, will moderate with his unabashed and ascerbic charm.

You can read about last year’s event here. Greg Viktor will be writing a story again on it this year, in case you miss the event again.

But you won’t, will you?   See you there …

Streamlining city government:  What can we do NOW?

City County consolidation is a big, top down idea. We’ve worked on it locally for years now and are told there are many valuable efficiencies to gain from such a consolidation.

In the meantime, while we are waiting, are there ways to streamline government services from the bottom up? Should we wait for the big prize, or should we be chipping away at consolidating smaller chunks that may eventually add up to the big prize?

On November 4, a panel of experts will present and discuss their ideas for effectively streamlining government services today at the latest  cityLIVE! Pittsburgh event.  Our panel includes Kathleen McKenzie, deputy county manager for Allegheny County;  Moe Coleman, professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs and Urban Studies;  Sala Udin, president and CEO of Coro Center for Civic Leadership; and moderating will be Laura Ellsworth, partner at Jones Day.

Sign up here and show your love!

As part of an annual its North American Tour Day to call attention to modernist design, DOCOMOMO US has designated Pittsburgh a Tour Day city. The tour will focus on key post-WW II buildings in the Golden Triangle, starting at the original ALCOA building at Mellon Square, including Miens Van Der Rohe’s Mellon Hall at Duquesne University and ending at the Portal Bridge at Point State Park. The tour will be led by architectural and preservation professionals.

Pittsburgh Moderns organized by the Pittsburgh Chapter of DOCOMOMO, is a group of architects, historians, and artists.  The tour is free and open to the public.  

This is a great opportunity to learn about a group of buildings that make Pittsburgh’s Downtown quite distinctive.

Join me at the first event of cityLIVE!’s third season,  as we examine how to brand (or not brand) Pittsburgh.

The eyes of the world are on Pittsburgh right now.  Not only is the G-20 Summit drawing world  leaders and thousands of reporters, but over the last year Pittsburgh has been constantly in the “good” news.   

How is it then that the response to our selection as the location of the G-20 Summit has been a resounding “Why Pittsburgh?”  David Francis reported (for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) that some people in Europe have “expressed concern that world leaders might not be safe in such a place.”

What must we do to shake an image that no longer fits our city?   Our moderator and panelists will engage in a feisty discussion on branding (or unbranding)  our city.

Panelists include Madhu Malhan, VP and director of creative branding, Publicis, USA;  Gloria Blint, president of Red House Communications; and Charlie Humphrey, executive director of Pittsburgh Filmmakers, the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts and the Pittsburgh Glass Center.

Moderating will be Brian Bronaugh, president and executive creative director of Mullen-Pittsburgh.

Bring a friend and you both get a drink free! Show your love!  Show up ….

Back in October, the great Venture Outdoor GAP bike tour.  From Connellsville, PA to Cumberland, MD, ride with me along the gorgeous Great Allegheny Passage trail.  We’ll wind our way along the Casselman, Youghiogheny, and Monongahela Rivers, visit Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater and Ohiopyle State Park and see brilliant fall colors. Photograph breath taking sites, enjoy delicious food, and share the company of other cyclists like you that see life as an adventure.

This trip is perfect for cyclists and non-cyclists alike. Each day you have an option, ride a lot or ride a little. With Venture Outdoors vans for support, you can always skip some riding to take extra time for a walk, photograph wildlife, or fall asleep next to a lazy river.

Sign up here …

cityLIVE! Pittsburgh is celebrating the start of it’s third season.  Three seasons of excellent panelists, engaging topics, delightful networking and free wine. Come hobnob with some of our funders and panelists at my loft downtown on September 16, from 6 – 8 pm.  Help us to build a fantastic third season.  $100!   It will go a long way.  

RSVP to eve@nowall.com

From August 20 to 23 I’ll be biking the Great Allegheny Passage with Venture Outdoors.  I made the trip all the way from DC to Pittsburgh last year.  August’s trip starts in Cumberland and ends in Pittsburgh, the easiest, smoothest and prettiest section of the trail.

We’ll  pass through historic coal towns, wind our way along the Casselman, Youghiogheny, and Monongahela River, visit Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater and Ohiopyle State Park. Sleep under the stars (or in a B & B), eat wonderful catered meals, and share the company of other cyclists that see life as an adventure.

Will you join me?  We’ll have a blast!

Finally.  The Federal Government wants to develop greater inter-city connectivity through the development of high speed rail corridors.   If you are interested in hearing more, the US House of Representatives will be hosting a hearing in Pittsburgh on expanding passenger rail service.  

Come to the US Post Office and District Courthouse located at 700 Grant Street,  Room 6A, at 10 am on Monday, June 22.

photo by freefoto.com

I’ll be joining Councilman Bill Peduto and others for an educational bike tour along Pittsburgh’s downtown streets and riverfront trails. We’ll talk about Pittsburgh’s history, unique architecture and urban planning, with a slight political twist.  

Join me?  Sign up at Venture Outdoors.   Bring your own bike or rent one.  You won’t regret it!

How does YOUR environment impact YOUR health?  What is more important – the products you use every day, or the effects of your outdoor surroundings?
 
We’ll review a typical day of two of our favorite citizens and 1. unveil the kinds of things they are exposed to every day – in their daily habits, their home and their neighborhood, 2. learn about the impact our world has on US, and 3. give suggestions for changes you can make that will impact YOUR health.

Panelists are Jane Houlihan, from the Environmental Working Group, and Amanda Parks, co-owner of Equita. Our case studies are Justin Strong, co-founder of the Shadow Lounge + AVA, and Heather Arnet, executive director of the Women and Girls Foundation. Our moderator is Josh Knauer of Rhiza Labs.

Cocktails and conversation to follow. Join us!   RSVP

@ The New Hazlett Theater, 6:30 pm, Wednesday, 17 June 2009