Overview
The Sharpsburg Ecodistrict achieved EcoDistricts Certification in early 2021, joining our neighbors Millvale and Etna to become the third community in the world to attain this certification. To be eligible for EcoDistricts Certification, communities must fulfill rigorous requirements outlined in the EcoDistricts Protocol, a framework to guide neighborhood development that is administered by a nonprofit organization called EcoDistricts™. These requirements include prioritizing equity, resilience, and climate protection at the heart of every decision; forming a collaborative community governance; creating an implementation roadmap to guide projects and programs; and tracking and measuring impact over time. You can view our district profile and download our certification documents in the EcoDistricts registry here.
SNO Serves as the backbone organization for the Sharpsburg Ecodistrict and we are joined by Roots of Faith, Sharpsburg Community Library, Second Harvest, and Volunteers of America's Youth Empowerment Project to form the Sharpsburg Ecodistrict Collaborative.
Background
Sharpsburg Ecodistrict efforts began in 2016 as a means to address environmental, economic, and equity concerns. Like other communities in the Pittsburgh region, Sharpsburg has been experiencing a transitioning economy with market pressure pushing from neighboring communities. A large-scale riverfront development project is currently underway that has the potential to impact community character and affordability. Meanwhile, climate change is intensifying existing environmental challenges such as flooding and poor air quality.
SNO received funding to launch a community vision planning process in 2017 with the award-winning environmental and architectural design firm evolveEA. The community engagement process lasted for more than a year and included widescale outreach to residents to solicit feedback and develop a consensus on the vision for our neighborhood's future. The resulting document, the Sharpsburg Community Vision Plan, was launched in 2019 and acts as the guiding vision for the Sharpsburg Ecodistrict. The plan combines community feedback, local/regional data, and visionary urban planning advice to help our community get to where it wants to go.
A printed copy of the plan is available for reference at the Sharpsburg Community Library and printed and bound copies are available for purchase here.
The Sharpsburg Ecodistrict is joined by the Etna EcoDistrict and the Millvale Ecodistrict to compose the Triboro Ecodistrict. The Triboro Ecodistrict was established in 2017 to share knowledge and resources and to scale the impact of all three communities. With over 10,000 residents combined, our three Allegheny River towns are building on a strong collaborative history, including a shared 2014 multi-municipal joint comprehensive plan, to promote sustainable and equitable community development through the shared lenses of: Food, Water, Energy, Air Quality, Mobility, and Equity.
Projects of focus include the local expansion of solar and other alternative energy generation technologies, raising awareness of air quality issues and lessening indoor and outdoor air contaminants, and the preservation and expansion of affordable housing options through the creation of a micro-regional nonprofit Community Land Trust.
In 2018, the Triboro Ecodistrict collaborative was awarded a $2.3 million grant from the Henry L. Hillman Foundation for sustainable and equitable development activities. For more information, check out our coverage in the Trib here.
Visit our Projects & Programs page to learn more about our initiatives to advance the Sharpsburg Ecodistrict.
Visit our Community Metrics Dashboard to track our progress towards goals set in the Sharpsburg Ecodistrict Roadmap.
Fill out our Sharpsburg Ecodistrict volunteer form to get involved with a project!
