What we do
At the Center: Our Conversation Series
The Pittsburgh Platform is grounded in a simple but powerful idea: better conversations lead to stronger reflections and better outcomes.
Our core activity is a growing international Conversation Series — facilitated and open dialogues that bring together architects, planners, public health professionals, community decision-makers, and members, from across Pittsburgh, Sweden, New York, and beyond.
These conversations create space to explore how design and planning shape environmental health equity — and how we can do things differently.
What Grows From These Conversations
Our events spark more than discussion. They’re a catalyst for:
→ Shared Knowledge
We gather and exchange insights across sectors — from built environment practices to health research, community strategies, and beyond.
→ Cross-sector Collaborations
Connections made in the series evolve into real-world partnerships: research projects, pilot initiatives, co-authored reflections, and community-led efforts.
→ Tools for Action
Ideas raised in conversation are translated into resources, shared language, and examples others can use in their own work and local contexts.
→ Advocacy and Awareness
We equip participants to ask better questions, challenge business-as-usual, and advocate for design that supports health, equity, and belonging.
Most Recently
We held a series Architecture Matters, bringing together architects, planners, critics, and civic leaders to examine the role of design in shaping health, wellbeing, and justice particularly between Stockholm, New York, and Pittsburgh.
In 2024, the series featured a hybrid program of online conversations and in-person events in Pittsburgh and New York City.
Together with our partners, we asked:
What is the role of architecture in a time of growing complexity?
Has design lost its connection to public life?
How do we respond to urgent challenges — from air pollution to social inequity — through the built environment?
The 2024 program included panels, walking conversations, roundtables, and informal dialogues designed to build shared language across professions and cultures.
“The context that surrounds us can strongly influence us and our behavior — it has a huge impact on the users.”
— Bea Spolidoro, Fisher ARCHitecture
“If we want true equity, we must provide high-quality environments for everyone, regardless of social or economic status.”
— Erica Cochran Hameen, CMU School of Architecture
It was a year of deep listening, learning, and connection — and it laid the groundwork for what’s coming next, because guess what? We’re evolving and expanding!!
In 2025…
Each conversation shapes the next. Together, they form a growing ecosystem of reflection, learning, and action — rooted in the built environment but responsive to changing social and environmental needs, across borders and disciplines.