Local Government Academy, Sustainable Pittsburgh, and Bayer Center for Nonprofit Management at Robert Morris University, through the generosity of Alcoa Foundation and Alcoa employees, initiated the new pro bono consulting service for local governments in southwestern Pennsylvania on Monday, May 23. Municipalities submitted a project which was then evaluated based upon impact in accelerating sustainability in their community, alignment with Alcoa volunteer expertise, and the project’s ability to deliver tangible outcomes. Below are the projects that were selected:

• Pittsburgh: Create a sustainable materials management plan that rethinks how to reduce waste, collect and transport waste, and how to optimize reuse, upcycling, composting, remanufacturing and recycling.
• Millvale: Produce a financial review of the community center and create a plan with options to develop a community kitchen and food business incubator.
• Mt. Lebanon: Perform a cost/benefit assessment of green infrastructure currently existing and potential locations for additional installations.
• Etna: Create a market analysis of the central business district to help define a strategy to provide assistance to businesses and create a sustainable tax base.
• Moon Township: Assist the township with determining the best location for ten solar panels to educate the community and produce renewable energy.
• Wilkinsburg: Conduct an energy audit of the aging municipal building and community center with recommendations for low hanging fruit for upgrades.
• Sharpsburg: Conduct a real estate assessment of downtown properties that are in various states of vacancy toward creating plans to get those properties back on the market. Lancaster: Conduct a green house inventory for the city and the community at large.