I have previously talked about the global race among cities to become a leader in sustainability, since there is a clear connection to regional growth. What really connects regional sustainability and regional growth is innovation. It is by nurturing innovation in the sustainability area that a region simultaneously becomes more sustainable and builds showcases and experinces that can be exported to other regions, which stimulates regional growth.
To our list of cities that have realized this connection and integrated it into the city strategy, we added Pittsburgh this week. I met with Shawn Westcott, now with Atkisson Consulting who in a previous position was very engaged in the sustainability strategy in Pittsburgh, and he gave me a very positive view of how the political forces now are aligned to drive this development forward in a substantial way. It includes making Pittsburgh an innovation hub on the American East Coast!
As with all projects of this kind and magnitude, the political maneuvering needed to succeed with the project will be interesting to follow.
We are looking into the possibilities of making Pittsburgh one of the show cases at Globe Forum 2009. More to come!
