Our Initiatives
Unearthing Injustices
This project investigates the history of exclusionary zoning and land use policies in the city of Pittsburgh and their long-term impacts on racial and economic disparities. Through research and community engagement, the project aims to foster a critical public dialogue about the past harms and present-day legacies of these policies in Pittsburgh, working toward strategies for more equitable and just future planning.
RiverSense
UrbanKind Institute collaborates with researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Water Collaboratory and other partners to support the development of the RiverSense decision support tool. RiverSense is an open-source tool that integrates remotely sensed water quality observations with socioeconomic and environmental data to monitor river health. It tracks changes over time and identifies areas where resources and investments can be directed most effectively and equitably, empowering decision-makers to address complex water quality challenges with data-driven insights. UrbanKind’s work involves advising the research team on the development of equity frameworks and measures, supporting research and stakeholder engagement to inform tool development, and identifying case studies of potential tool application for education and advocacy.
Region III TCTAC
UrbanKind Institute serves as the southwestern PA hub for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s Region III Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center (TCTAC). The goals of the Region III EJ TCTAC are to:
- Provide outreach to underserved, overburdened, rural, and capacity constrained communities in Region III to receive technical assistance;
- Deliver technical assistance to increase the capacity of Hubs and communities of concern in Region III to assess environmental and energy justice concerns;
- Deliver training and technical assistance to increase the capacity of underserved, overburdened, rural, and capacity constrained communities in Region III to obtain funding to address environmental and energy justice issues; and
- Deliver technical assistance to increase hub and community capacity to engage policymakers, government agencies, and industry in projects, programs, and initiatives that will address local environmental and energy justice issues in Region III.
For more information on the Region III TCTAC or to seek technical assistance, visit https://www.nwf.org/Our-Work/Environmental-Justice/Region-3-TCTAC.
Our Partners
