Over nearly 25 years, Torbjorn Lahti has learned a few things about helping communities in Sweden use their natural resources wisely.

Yesterday, he shared some of his knowledge in Downtown Pittsburgh with people who are interested in following Sweden's lead.

Lahti started his work in 1980 in the rural community of Overtornea. At the time, the town of 5,000 already had lost a fifth of its population over a 20-year period and was suffering from 25 percent unemployment. The people of the community came together in study groups. Eventually 10 percent of the population took part in formulating a plan to remake Overtornea.

Now Overtornea is a leading example of an "eco-municipality" because of how it controls pollution, limits its fossil fuel consumption and uses the land for agriculture and other development.

What town leaders found was that the decision has led to incredible economic development.

Sarah James, a planner from Cambridge, Mass., is collaborating with Lahti on a book about the environmental planning. She said that since Overtornea adopted the model of an eco-municipality, 60 other communities in Sweden, representing 20 percent of the country, have followed.

Lahti and James spoke at a forum sponsored by Sustainable Pittsburgh. The panel included state Sen. Jim Ferlo, D-Highland Park, Edgewood Council Vice President Patricia Schaefer, Allan Walzak, president of StrongLand Chamber of Commerce, and Laura Zinski, executive director of the Mon Valley Initiative.

The ecological push in Overtornea has made it the country's largest organic agriculture region. More than 200 new businesses have opened there.

As of 2001, James said, the municipal government was also running almost completely free of any fossil fuel consumption.

Lahti said residents changed their living habits gradually. The economic development happened, he said, because "to change people's world view from the industrial way to some kind of sustainable way made it possible to find new business ideas."

The community is now a stop for eco-tours. He said the municipal vehicles run on a gasoline/ethanol mixture that is only 15 percent gasoline and public transportation there is free.

James said since the movement started in Overtornea, the government of Sweden has adopted 15 environmental goals.

Towns and businesses across Sweden are joining the movement. A McDonald's restaurant in Eskilstuna has a "green" roof, which means it is covered with vegetation that reduces rain runoff by 50 percent. The restaurant also recycles cooking oil by cleaning it and selling it.

"Change doesn't start at the top. It starts at the bottom," Lahti said. "In the end, it's personal responsibility."