ABOUT
The goal of the Pittsburgh Platform is to establish significant, tangible and measurable outcomes in improving environmental health equity.
The Pittsburgh Platform connects individuals and organizations to share knowledge, discuss strategies and establish a united front.
The Pittsburgh Platform serves as a catalyst for change and outcome by connecting individuals and organizations to gather and share knowledge to align efforts for a stronger outcome.
The Pittsburgh Platform is grateful to the Heinz Endowments for its support of this initiative.
WHY PITTSBURGH
The need for the Pittsburgh Platform originated from the recognition by the Heinz Endowments that the Pittsburgh region’s environmental health challenges have to be addressed through an equity and inclusion lens (see www.p4pittsburgh.org). Often these challenges are approached apart from each other, limiting the effectiveness of solutions and even exacerbating societal tensions around health, environmental improvement, and social justice.
The motivation behind the Platform was that urban planning and design initiatives could be informed by projects that brought together these objectives in an intersectional manner. Further, the region could also benefit through the sharing of experiences from other cities confronting similar problems. In this regard, the Platform’s Steering Committee is not asserting that Pittsburgh has solved these problems. To the contrary, it is because Pittsburgh remains one of the most racially and economically divided cities in the United States that it needs to be the hub of transformative activities that achieve lasting impacts. The singular contribution of Pittsburgh to this broad mission is its place in the creative centering of collective talent around the environmental health equity theme. It is why this endeavor is called the Pittsburgh Platform even though its scope extends well beyond the region.
STEERING COMMITTEE
Norm Anderson | Environmental Public Health Scientist based in Maine, with previous work in governmental and non-profit sectors. Norm has four decades of experience in environmental public health assessment and policy and is a founder of various initiatives focused on health and sustainability.
Daniel Dickerman | Program Officer for ISC’s U.S. Program. In this role, he supports ISC’s work building community resilience at the regional level. Dan worked for a Pittsburgh, PA-based nonprofit, the Homewood Children’s Village, where he managed programming related to neighborhood sustainability.
Ana Hoffman | Director of Air Quality Engagement at the Carnegie Mellon University CREATE Lab. She is an intuitive geographer with extensive experience engaging with various stakeholders using data-framed storytelling to support environmental advocacy.
Matthew Mehalik | Executive Director of the Breathe Project, a coalition of local residents, environmental advocates, public health professionals and academics advocating for healthier air for the Pittsburgh region. Matthew also teaches environmental policy and community resiliency courses at both Heinz College, and the School of Social and Decision Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University.
Esther Obonyo | Director of the Penn State led Global Building Network, a partnership with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. She is also an associate professor of engineering design and architectural engineering.
Alec Rieger | Founder & Executive Director at NextGen:Pgh, an innovative community and economic development organization that enhances the quality of life in Pittsburgh, PA and beyond. Raised in Pittsburgh, Alec has worked over 20 years with community development, He earned a BA at The University of Pittsburgh and an MPA from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs and in 2015 he founded NextGen:Pgh.
Sander Schuur | Architect, Founder and CPO HOMR, a Swedish start-up developing data-driven, climate-smart and affordable housing products for all. Sander is also the founder of STHLMNYC, an initiative that links architects, city planners, real estate developers and academics in Stockholm and New York City together.
PLATFORM ADVISORS
Erica Cochran Hameen | Assistant Professor, School of Architecture, Carnegie Mellon University
Jill Kriesky | Independent consultant and volunteer based in Pittsburgh