On a rainy, windswept evening, when the normally busy intersection of Braddock Avenue and Library Street saw little foot traffic, residents of several communities packed into Braddock Carnegie Library to discuss possibilities for brighter and better days in their neighborhoods.

The Heritage Health Foundation Inc. and Tri-Boro Development Forum kicked off the Community 2.0 Challenge, an initiative to find solutions for issues in Braddock, North Braddock, Rankin and Swissvale last week.

Organizers use feedback from community forums to gauge a neighborhood's most pressing needs and will post those concerns online for people from across the globe to submit potential solutions in April.

Whoever submits an idea that a community decides to implement receives a cash prize.

"The stakeholders of each challenge will be involved in determining whether it's a suitable solution for their issue or opportunity, and we'll have other folks involved just to make sure everything runs fairly," said Ron Gaydos, vice president of community and economic development for Heritage.

The March 19 forum in Braddock brought together 61 people from as far as Homestead to discuss what is needed, which existing resources can be better utilized and how to connect new and existing resources to residents in the aforementioned four communities.

One outcome of the discussion that surprised some was the number of programs already available in the communities. Attendees created a list of social service providers, parental assistance programs, mentoring, volunteer, youth and other programs that was so long, organizers in the Braddock Youth Project volunteered to compile the information into a booklet for residents.

"The thing that was repeated over and over again is there needs to be some kind of communication, some central hub, where information goes [for distribution], and the Braddock Youth Project would be the perfect place for that to happen," said Tricia George, Braddock Youth Project video instructor. She said it could start the project through its summer youth program.

"It's great that everyone once again knows there's a central place to get information out, to get it dispersed," said filmmaker Tony Buba, who has filmed Braddock since the 1970s.

"One of the big problems is duplication of services. You don't want it because there's not enough money to begin with. I think that was the biggest thing here this evening, people understanding who's doing what."

Another matter, which ap-pealed to and concerned some local residents at the same time, was that the contest seeks answers to problems from people who may have no knowledge of the upper Mon Valley.

Many issues raised, including managing abandoned properties and attracting businesses, are similar to those in post-industrial working class neighborhoods across the nation.

Others, like proposed uses for Swissvale's Carrie Furnace site and how to deal with construction on the Rankin Bridge, were more specific to the Mon Valley area.

Denise Hempfield, of Swissvale, believes solutions should come from closer to home.

"I think it should start locally, kind of hash out some of the local issues first, then see whatever we can do to go more global with it," she said.

Ms. George said she believes the online contest not only will enable people from outside the area to submit answers, but will give local residents a greater voice.

"It gives the community access and an opportunity to give unlimited input," she said. "It's not like [a forum], where you have a time limit.

"If you have a five-page solution to a problem, you can submit that online, whereas at a forum like this, you're kind of limited in scope to what you can say. It also allows people who might not speak in public to give their ideas."

Mr. Gaydos said input from anyone with creative solutions is welcome. He hopes the Challenge will be modeled by other communities.

"The Community 2.0 platform is trying to do traditional community building with all of our 21st century tools. This is one of them," he said.

Tri-Boro Development Forum will host Community 2.0 Challenge forums the third Wednesday of each month except July, August and December. Visit www.tbdfconnects.org for more information.