the pittsburgh downtown plan€¦ · pittsburgh downtown plan required time, energy, commit-ment,...

The Pittsburgh Downtown PlanA blueprint for the 21st century

Contents

Overview

This Plan is a flexible, mar-ket-based framework forDowntown developmentover the next ten years.

Why Now? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Project Scope. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Development Strategy—Establishing the 24-Hour City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Phase One (Present to 2001) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

The North Shore’s Second Act . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

The Planning Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Focus Areas

Each Focus Area section out-lines general strategies andspecific district proposals.

Districts Appendix

The following studies andreports contribute to the finalPlan and are available in theAdobe Acrobat® format onthe accompanying CD-ROM.

An Action Plan and Its Implications

Retail Market Analysis ofDowntown Pittsburgh

Summary of Findings:Entertainment and Attractions

Summary of Findings:Business Climate

Downtown Housing Action Planand Companion Tables

Urban Design Guidelines

Streetscape Standards Catalog

Adaptive Reuse Building Code Study

Transportation Abstract

Downtown Transit and RetailRelationship

The Relationship between Transitand Major Downtown Attractions

Intercept Study of Shopping andEntertainment Patterns

Phone Study of Shopping andEntertainment Patterns

Retail & Attractions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Business Climate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Housing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Institutions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Transportation . . . . . . . 35

UrbanDesign. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Fifth & Forbes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Gateway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Sixth Street Connection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

North Shore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Cultural District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

Convention Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Strip District. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

South Shore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

First Side. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

Grant Street Corridor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Civic Arena / Lower Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

The Pittsburgh Downtown PlanA blueprint for the 21st century

c Overview

THE PITTSBURGH DOWNTOWN PLAN

Why Now?

It’s been more than 35 yearssince Pittsburgh last undertooka comprehensive Downtownplanning process. Since then,the city and region haveundergone major economicand social changes, includingthe diversification of its

employment base, from manufacturing to one driven by tech-nologies and knowledge-based enterprise.

Through it all, Downtown has remained the center of businessand employment for the region. When the Plan process began,stress points in the Downtown fabric were beginning to show:a resolute but vulnerable retail corridor, an underachievingentertainment sector, a negligible residential population, wors-ening traffic and parking shortages and limited riverfront accessand amenities. To address these and other issues, a comprehen-sive development strategy and a series of strategic projects wasneeded. That strategy, discussed in great detail in the sectionsthat follow, will steer and coordinate public and private invest-ments, and guide the location and types of future improve-ments.

Project Scope

The Golden Triangle, the area bounded by the Monongahela,Ohio and Allegheny Rivers and the Crosstown Expressway hastraditionally defined “Downtown.” Early on, participants in

this study recognized the North Shore of the Allegheny River,the South Shore of the Monongahela River and the adjacentareas of the Strip, Hill and Bluff as integral parts of the centercity, now and in the future. The group also agreed thatDowntown serves a regional role, as transportation hub, sym-bol of national and international recognition and identity, anda main stage for business, sports and cultural achievement.Current conditions and future demand were measured in threemain areas: economic vitality and growth; Downtown’s trans-portation requirements, now and in the future; and how bestto complement Pittsburgh’s natural features and physical form,using design guidelines and other available tools.

View of Pittsburgh from MountWashington in 1942

Study area

c Overview


should serve as the central features, uniting rather than divid-ing a greater Downtown. This document outlines an aggressive10-year program to invest in the development of all of theseactivities as well in the public infrastructure of transit, parkingand public spaces to unite it all within the city and the region.

Development Strategy—Establishingthe 24-Hour City

The 10-year development strategy for Downtown Pittsburgh isbuilt from a series of interlocking pieces, each adding strengthand vitality to the whole. The development objectives and pro-jects are broken into two phases. Phase One (1-4 years) seeksto bolster the retail, office, dining, residential and entertain-ment choices within the Golden Triangle, while at the sametime introducing new and improved sports and entertainmentopportunities on the North Shore. A strong pedestrian andvisual link connecting the North Shore and the heart of theGolden Triangle via Sixth Street and the Sixth Street Bridgewill be established. The desired result is a 24-hour city fueledby significant numbers of new employees, residents and visi-tors, both day-trip and overnight guests.

Key centers of activity include Fifth & Forbes Avenues, GrantStreet, the Cultural District and the area comprising the NearStrip and the Convention Center. These areas all feature concen-trations of retail, entertainment and business. Targeted sectionsof First Side, Cultural District and the Strip will accommodate afar greater number and variety of adaptive reuse housing.

The development strategy builds from the straightforwardobservation that people attract people. A multiplicity of activi-ties—working, residing, shopping, and recreating—reinforcethat notion, creating a whole greater than the parts. Anotherfundamental principle is that Pittsburgh’s rivers and riverfronts

Downtown Pittsburgh

c Overview


Phase One (Present to 2001)

Among the first major projects underway will be an expansionof the Convention Center that will nearly triple its currentexhibit space, add a spacious and elegant ballroom andimprove its relationship to the riverfront and other surround-ing resources. Across the Allegheny River, a new 38,000-seatbaseball park will greet pedestrians at the end of the SixthStreet Bridge, conjuring up memories of small, intimate urbanball parks while lavishing both fans and players with moderncomforts like club seating, a field-view restaurant, and state-of-the-art clubhouse facilities. Further west and pulled backslightly from the riverfront will rise the proposed new home ofthe Pittsburgh Steelers.

Staring back from the Golden Triangle will be several newdevelopments and open space improvements along FortDuquesne Boulevard. Plans call for a new mid-priced high-risehotel at Seventh Street, and a six-story loft apartment set abovea new jazz nightclub at Ninth Street. One block off the river,the Cultural District is getting set to welcome the O’ReillyTheater, Downtown’s fourth major arts venue. Theater patronsand game-day crowds will enjoy the view along the newAllegheny Riverfront Park, now under construction. The Parkwill connect the Convention Center to Point State Park. Onelevel up, the Sixth Street Bridge and its connecting streets willfunnel pedestrians to and from the heart of Downtown in alldirections, and provide the only visual gateway connecting theNorth Shore, Market Square, and the Monongahela River.

Market Square would regain its former polish and shine as theentertainment anchor, with a proposed new multiplex cinemaand several destination restaurants. From Sixth Street, it is ashort walk to the Fifth & Forbes retail corridor where major

Phase One (1-4 years):

1. Convention Center expansion

2. New Ballpark

3. New Stadium

4. Fifth & Forbes Retail

5. Adaptive Reuse Loft Housing

6. Sixth Street Connection

7. Corporate Centers

8. Allegheny Riverfront Park

9. O’Reilly Theater

10. Hotels

11. New Construction Housing

10

10

11

1

2

3

4

5

5

6

7

7

8

9

c Overview


Phase Two (5-10 years):

12. “First-Day” Attraction

13. Offices

14. Hotels

15. “Science & Art” Park

16. Fort Pitt Park

17. Station Square Master Plan

18. New Construction Housing

street and sidewalk reconstruction is underway. Plans call for acomprehensive makeover of street-level retail, part of a pro-posed urban entertainment district meant to attract and show-case national retailers, destination clubs and restaurants.

Across the Boulevard of the Allies, the narrow, tree-lined streetsof First Side have started to welcome a new wave of urbanhomesteaders, drawn by creative loft designs, and by the conve-nience and amenities offered by Downtown living. Such mar-ket advantages have prompted similar adaptive reuse develop-ment in the Cultural District and the Strip. The developmentpicture comes full circle with transit and pedestrian improve-ments to better connect all the disparate parts of this develop-ment program.

The North Shore’s Second Act

Two issues—land and access—will guide the remaking of theNorth Shore into a new mixed-use district during Phase Two.The demolition of Three Rivers Stadium will create a signifi-cant parcel of land. A new street grid will ensure the urbancharacter of the area—the connecting piece between the twonew sports facilities and the Carnegie Science Center. Thisarea could contain a major “first-day” entertainment destina-tion, new large floorplate office buildings, housing, hotels andretail. A new Science and Art Park could provide a year-roundattraction, while an outdoor amphitheater would offer threeseasons of programming.

The proposed extension of the light rail and other transit sys-tems to the North Shore will alleviate vehicle congestion andparking shortages, and give both residents and visitors a quick,

safe, convenient ride between major destinations. Other transitimprovements would include new parking facilities, a compre-hensive reorganization of the bus system, and the creation of aDowntown shuttle bus system. Pedestrians will always be givenfirst consideration, and the linking of Downtown’s riverfrontparks and trails will continue with the redevelopment ofRoberto Clemente Park and the construction of the Fort PittPark along the Monongahela River.

12

1318

14

1617

18 18

18

15

c Overview


The Planning Process

Hands-on planning and public input have guided the develop-ment of the Downtown Plan. Six task forces—correspondingto the six focus areas of this document—provided leadership,ideas and feedback. The planning team invited public partici-pation, and conducted detailed research and analysis to informthe Plan’s proposals. Market studies for retail, attractions, busi-ness climate and housing; analysis of various transportationand parking needs; and urban design studies were undertakenin support of this study. At every step, from research and analy-sis to interim findings and final proposals, information waschecked against the specific local knowledge of participants andpublic officials who led the task forces.

From Focus Areas to DistrictsThe Plan content moves from the general to the specific,reflecting task force discussions. Agreement was first reached onbroad principles for each of the six focus areas. Those ideasbecame the foundation for a General Development Strategy.Within each focus area, we present specific Phase One andPhase Two objectives, preceded by a summary of initiatives andassignments—how we plan to achieve them.

The Plan The process of conceptualizing, researching, and drafting thePittsburgh Downtown Plan required time, energy, commit-ment, and insight from many sources. The initial step focusedon producing an action plan designed to guide and advanceeach stage of the process. One of the initial action plan stepsinvolved defining a team structure that would generate and

serve as a container for information. This team approach alsoprovided a system of checks and balances to ensure that allwork was carried out in a professional and timely fashion.

There is no “right” way to organize an effort as complex andall-encompassing as the Pittsburgh Downtown Plan. Our goalsimply was to be inclusive at every turn, to listen actively, andto create a process that covered as much ground as possible andallowed the best ideas to surface.

The TeamOur team structure consisted of four key elements: the over-sight committees; the community task forces; the planninggroup; and the core team. Throughout the process, CityCouncil and the Mayor’s Office received regular updates andoffered valuable comments and direction. City PlanningDirector Eloise Hirsh’s constant involvement helped to tietogether various pieces of the process.

Three Oversight Committees—the Strategic InvestmentPartnership, the Management Committee and the AdvisoryCommittee—formed a partnership to bring the highest levelsof technical, financial and managerial expertise to the Planprocess.

Six Community Task Forces, corresponding to the six focusareas of this document, convened a diverse and enthusiasticgroup of business leaders, administrators, design professionals,residents, clergy, and other concerned citizens. They volun-teered their time and ideas, and lent an informed and criticaleye to the work at hand. Their contribution can’t be overstated.

c Overview


The Planning Group, comprised of key Market Strategy, UrbanDesign, Transportation and Project Support professionals sup-ported both staff and volunteer participants by applying a rigor-ous standard of analysis to all phases of the Plan process. Theyalso helped to identify and articulate the underlying principlesthrough proposed development scenarios. The contributions ofthe Planning Group are best expressed in the rich and detailedstudy of current conditions and the highly targeted strategiesprovided by the Plan.

Project Support members helped to ensure that the final prod-ucts of this process would be clear, concise and accessible by abroad cross-section of interested citizens, business owners andother stakeholders. Finally, the Core Team provided directionand day-to-day support for this undertaking.

The ProcessIn order to squeeze the most benefit from every contribution tothe Plan and to remain on schedule, it was necessary to chart atimeline. Early on, the City Planning office and the Core Teamdeveloped a conceptual framework and began the arduous taskof collecting and analyzing existing information. Key membersreviewed the most recent comprehensive plan for Downtown,completed in 1961, and outlined steps for taking a fresh lookat the situation.

Next came assembling the various working groups, and estab-lishing specific assignments and techniques for field researchand data gathering. Staff from the City Planning office andmembers of the Core Team kept the process moving. The plan-ning team invited public participation, and conducted detailed

JUNE 1996 FALL 1996 JUNE 1996 – MARCH 1997ONGOING NOVEMBER 1996 – DECEMBER 1997

1 Develop conceptualframework

• City Planning

• Core Team

2Collect and analyzeexisting information

• City Planning

• Core Team

3 Assemble work groups:Planning Group,Task Forces,Advisory Committee

• Management Committee

• City Planning

• Core Team

4 Field research, datagathering and analysis

• Task Forces

• City Planning

• Core Team

• Consultants

5 Conduct task forceworkshops

• Task Forces

• City Planning

• Core Team

• Consultants

The Planning Process: A Chronology

c Overview


JULY 1997 – OCTOBER 1997JULY 1997 SEPTEMBER 1998 ONGOINGNOVEMBER 1997

The Planning Process: A Chronology Continued

research and analysis to inform the Plan’s proposals. Marketstudies for retail, attractions, business climate and housing;analysis of various transportation and parking needs; and urbandesign studies were undertaken in support of this study. Atevery step, from research and analysis to interim findings andfinal proposals, information was checked against the specificlocal knowledge of participants and stakeholders who led thetask forces.

The resulting data began to reveal Downtown’s major assets,needs and opportunities. The City Planning office and CoreTeam began convening the task forces and consultants in“workshop” settings to see which development ideas wouldprove to be both achievable and most in keeping with the largerobjectives established for Downtown. A series of workshop taskforces and design charrettes analyzed various development sce-narios, moving the Plan a step closer to its conclusions.

From those workshops emerged a series of draft design and pol-icy guidelines and implementation strategies. The planningteam once again called upon Downtown’s major stakeholders—employers, institutions, cultural groups, sports teams, etc.—toshoulder specific action steps and follow-up. All of these actionsteps first went before the Management and AdvisoryCommittees for comment and final approval.

Concurrent with implementation was the effort to summarizeand publish the Plan’s findings, culminating with the publica-tion of an Executive Summary, an Investor’s Prospectus, and afull, final Plan. The Core Team and various Project Supportmembers joined to create these public documents.

7 Draft design and policyguidelines and imple-mentation strategies

• Core Team

• Consultants

6 Conduct design charrettes to analyzedevelopment scenarios

• Task Forces

• City Planning

• Core Team

• Consultants

8 Review and refineguidelines and strate-gies

• Advisory Committee


• Task Forces

9 Publish plan documents

• Core Team

• Consultants

10 Periodic assessmentreviews


• Task Forces

• City Planning

c Overview


RETAIL & ATTRACTIONSWe measure market demand for a majorinfusion of new Downtown retail, diningand entertainment activities.

BUSINESS CLIMATEWe chart a plan for meeting the chang-ing office space and support needs forDowntown companies, large and small.

TRANSPORTATIONWe suggest innovative ways to balancethe growing demands of riders and theneed to keep Downtown attractive forbusiness.

INSTITUTIONSWe honor the longstanding contributionof our Downtown institutions, and lookat ways to meet their evolving needs.

HOUSINGWe identify opportunities for developingarchitecturally distinct housing, with aneye for showcasing the waterfront, andother amenities.

URBAN DESIGNWe examine critical design issues andhow attention to streets, parks and openspace helps to define the “public realm.”

The Plan’s Focus AreasLike the precision workings of a time-piece, Downtown’s major sectors onlywork well when they work in coopera-tion with one other, and for the sakeof the whole. Each Focus Area sec-tion outlines general strategies andspecific district proposals.

c Overview


11

4

5

1

910

8

76

32

11 CIVIC ARENA / LOWER HILLReinvigorate the Arena and connect toneighborhoods and employment centers.

6 CONVENTION CENTERExploit the riverfront setting and makeconnections to the surrounding areas.

5 CULTURAL DISTRICTDevelop new residences while growthcontinues in the region’s cultural center.

1 FIFTH & FORBESCreate a focused district to revitalize thetraditional retail heart of Downtown.

10 GRANT STREET CORRIDORContinue to expand Downtown’s corpo-rate address.

7 STRIP DISTRICTPreserve the existing character while sup-porting new development near Downtown.

4 NORTH SHORECapitalize on investments in major pro-jects to establish a new, urban district.

8 SOUTH SHOREImprove the transportation nexus withmixed-use development.

9 FIRST SIDEEstablish a new residential neighborhoodthrough adaptive reuse and infill housing.

3 SIXTH STREET CONNECTIONConnect the North and South Shoreswith commerce and entertainment.

2 GATEWAYAdd recreational uses and connections tothis, the city’s ceremonial center.

The Plan’s DistrictsThe planning process identified elevencoherent districts that call for individ-ualized design and developmentapproaches.Transportation and urbandesign improvements enhance thephysical connection and synergybetween districts.The complete Plandocument provides detailed descrip-tions of each district, and clearlydelineates what an investor couldexpect to be supported in that dis-trict.

OVERVIEW

FOCUS AREAS

cRetail & Attractions

Summary

Current Projects

Research Findings

Challenges

Development Strategy and Implementation

Business Climate

Housing

Institutions

Transportation

Urban Design

DISTRICTS

APPENDIX

THE PITTSBURGH DOWNTOWN PLAN Retail & Attractions


c Retail & Attractions

Summary

Unlike retail districts in many urban centers, Pittsburgh’sDowntown has retained key department store anchors, uniquespecialty retailers, and some of the polish and finish we associ-ate with a “downtown” shopping experience. While the retailfabric remains intact, it has worn thin in spots. The lack of syn-ergy between retail, restaurant and entertainment options com-pounds the problem, leaving Downtown largely dependent onthe spending of 120,000 weekday employees.

A ring of major visitor destinations—the North Shore’s muse-ums and sports teams, the Strip’s music and club scene, theCivic Arena, Station Square, and the Cultural District—sur-round the inner Triangle, and yet there is no signature enter-tainment or dining attraction in the core. New development inthe Triangle and elsewhere would enjoy a built-in audience of3.6 million people who annually attend events at the CivicArena, Three Rivers Stadium and Cultural District venues.

The Plan outlines steps to upgrade and expand Downtown’sstore mix, and to ally retail, restaurant and entertainment offer-ings to attract a wider audience of shoppers and visitors. ThePlan also calls for improved connections between the Triangleand North Shore, and a centralized management and marketinggroup to coordinate operations. Retail and attraction develop-ment is a cornerstone and lead economic generator for the 24-hour city.

Retail & Attractions facilitiesdominate the ground floors ofthe Downtown area, but areoften underutilized or discon-nected.



Current Projects

Downtown, already the region’slargest concentration of retailspace (approx. 3 million squarefeet), recently added about26,000 square feet of first-floorretail space at Penn AvenuePlace, anchored by Old Navy’sflagship Pittsburgh location. Anew Lazarus Department Store, set to open later in 1998 at thecorner of Fifth Avenue and Wood Street, will contain 250,000square feet of space within a four-story facility.

The Cultural District’s year-round draw will soon bestrengthened with the additionof a fourth major arts venue,the O’Reilly Theater, to a col-lection that includes theByham Theater, Heinz Hall and the Benedum Center. The

Pittsburgh Public Theater will occupy the new 650-seat theater,located on the corner of Seventh Street and Penn Avenue.

Pre-development, includingacquisition and design, is under-way for the expansion of theDavid L. Lawrence ConventionCenter. Site study and financingare also underway for the con-struction of two new sports

facilities on the North Shore: a 37,000-seat baseball only parkset against the Allegheny River at the Sixth Street Bridge; and a67,000-seat football stadium to be located west of Three RiversStadium. These projects, along with the hotel, restaurant andretail projects they should spark, will provide Pittsburgh a greatopportunity to draw new and repeat visitors from a largelyuntapped market of 6 million visitors living within a 100-mileradius. An expanded Convention Center should generate sig-nificant increases in event attendance and delegate spending.

Several parking, transportation,and public-space improvementsare underway to support all cur-rent and planned Downtownretail and attraction develop-ment. The new Lazarus sits atopa 490-space underground park-ing facility. Some $30 million ofpublic funds have been spent onnew lighting, curbs, sidewalks,trees, reconstructed roadways,and underground infrastructureto create lively pedestrian con-nections around Liberty Avenue,and the Fifth and ForbesAvenue/Wood Street area. New riverfront parks on both sidesof the Allegheny River will connect development to one ofPittsburgh’s greatest amenities.

Lazarus Department Store

O’Reilly Theater

Expanded Convention Center

Old Navy at Penn Avenue Place



Research Findings

Our research finds that Downtown could support 300,000 to500,000 square feet of additional retail space in the Downtownmarket in the near term. Market analysis and surveys suggestthat the types of retail establishments in highest demandinclude another “better quality” department store, in additionto the new Lazarus, of between 125,000 and 200,000 squarefeet. Smaller mid- to upscale specialty stores totaling 100,000to 250,000 square feet are also in demand. Our research findsthat restaurant and entertainment uses are also lacking, particu-larly in the Golden Triangle. As much as 300,000 square feet ofadditional restaurant development and entertainment options iscurrently in demand in the Downtown area, to be distributed

among the various districts. Among the entertainment centersto be given strong consideration is a large, state-of-the-art cine-ma featuring 14-20 screens (approximately 62,000 to 70,000square feet), along with several specialized destination restau-rants and night clubs totaling about 85,000 to 125,000 squarefeet to be situated in the Triangle. On the North Shore, anadditional 125,000 to 200,000 square feet in specializedsports-related “themed” restaurants and related entertainmentwould coincide with new stadium development. Newly con-structed hotels should total about 1,000 to 1,200 rooms/suites,with the prime convention-oriented hotel integrated with theexpansion of the Convention Center.

c For more information, see the Appendix.

Challenges

The Plan to expand Downtown’s retail store mix and develop acritical mass of new restaurants and attractions acknowledgesseveral important challenges.

w Downtown’s ability to compete with suburban retail centerswould be greatly improved by a centralized management andmarketing plan designed to attract complementary develop-ment, oversee joint marketing and carry out day-to-day man-agement. The management entity would coordinate everythingfrom store hours, to holiday promotion, and general presenta-tion and security, with a focus on accentuating Downtown’scompetitive advantages.

w Urban design and transportation improvements—includingwider sidewalks, and clear pedestrian signage—are needed to

RESIDENTS

VISITORS

WORKERS

Downtown’s average shopper is 35,earns $40,000, has at least some col-lege, and spends 22% of his or hernon-grocery budget downtown.

Who shops downtown? Together, down-town workers and area residents com-prise 95% of downtown shoppers. Only5% are from out of town.

Downtown’s retail core, similar in scale to a typical suburban mall such asMonroeville Mall (solid blue line, dotted blue outline indicates mall parking), is wellsuited to become a shopping nexus.

WAY



improve pedestrian connections between the Triangle and adja-cent centers of activity: sports and sports-related developmenton the North Shore, performing arts venues and theConvention Center in the Cultural District; the burgeoningnight scene in the Strip, and the well-established visitor attrac-tions of Station Square. Recommended mass transit changesinclude reducing bus congestion on key retail corridors,expanding LRT connections, and creating short-route shuttleservice between attractions.

w Meeting the parking needs of shoppers and visitors willrequire a new five-tier parking strategy designed to free upshort-term spaces for visitors and shoppers, and offer free orreduced off-peak parking in the Triangle core. Parking andaccess are currently impediments to Downtown shopping, espe-cially for those used to the conveniences of suburban retail cen-ters.

Development Strategy andImplementation

A potent new infusion of attractions, including cinemas,restaurants, national retail stores, performance arts venues, pro-fessional sports and interactive arcades has helped to breathnew life and visitor spending into many downtown areas.Pittsburgh, with its compact street grid and abundant water-front, could develop a unique Downtown entertainment dis-trict, with the Sixth Street Bridge serving as a link between oneactivity center on the North Shore and another near MarketSquare in the Golden Triangle.

Such a plan should create a distinct urban ambiance designedto target global entertainment interests and to draw visitorsfrom outside as well as the normally defined primary markets.This kind of development has demonstrated the ability to com-plement more traditional retail operations by increasing theduration of retail visits, which translates into higher sales. Thisdevelopment could have a dramatic impact on DowntownPittsburgh, by attracting a larger and more profitable consumermarket, one able to sustain the kind of evening and weekendactivities critical to the 24-hour city.

The Plan proposes a revitalized retailcore in the Fifth and Forbes district, anda spectrum of family-oriented entertain-ment attractions on the North Shore,linked by the Sixth Street corridor. Otheroutlying retail and entertainment centerssuch as Station Square, the Strip andCivic Arean should also be linked to thecore. Red indicates new and expandedretail and attractions (including hotels);beige buildings are existing facilities.



RecommendationsThe Pittsburgh Downtown Plan’s initial projections of demandfor new retail, restaurant and entertainment developmentreflect current market conditions and a conservative forecast forDowntown employment growth. A comprehensive retail/enter-tainment development for the Fifth & Forbes corridor and theNorth Shore could bring a major influx of developer interestand investment. Even more modest investments, combinedwith ongoing transportation and parking improvements,should have a significant impact on overall market conditions.

Phase OneResearch confirms that near-term poten-tial for new Downtown retail, restaurantand entertainment development exists inseveral key areas: the Fifth & Forbes corri-dor, Sixth Street Connection, ConventionCenter and the North Shore. Other devel-opment opportunities exist in theCultural District, the Civic Arena/LowerHill area, and Strip District. On theSouth Shore, plans by the Forest CityEnterprise for an expansion of StationSquare are also being developed.

Phase TwoAs the Triangle becomes more firmly re-established as the tradi-tional retail center, development focus will shift to other partsof the study area, especially the North Shore. A wide range ofentertainment development, including possibly a year-roundsports and active recreation center, amphitheater, and a first-day or lead attraction, will anchor a restored street gridbetween the two new stadiums. New LRT connections and

Carnegie Science Center on the North Shore

Fifth Avenue developmentwill become the focus of thenew retail corridor.

other transportation improvements should help ensure the via-bility of this entertainment center by providing quick and easyaccess to the Triangle and the regional transportation network.

ImplementationFrom the outset, The Plan process called upon experts andstakeholders in each focus area to help establish a developmentstrategy. The Retail and Attractions Task Force has identifiedimportant first steps and suggested the following assignments:

w The Mayor’s Office, City Planning Department and theUrban Redevelopment Authority, with the help of the nationalreal estate community, will pursue a comprehensive and coor-dinated retail and entertainment development strategy for theFifth & Forbes Avenue corridor.

w The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, working with retail-ers and property owners, should develop a plan for centralizedretail management for Downtown to coordinate marketing,improve store mix and boost occupancy rates. The PittsburghDowntown Partnership will benchmark and assess Pittsburgh’sneeds, and update and build on current retail and propertyownership databases.

w The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, working withDowntown businesses, institutions, and historical and culturalattractions, and regional marketing organizations, will seek tointegrate promotional efforts and position Downtown as theregional hub for visitors.

OVERVIEW

FOCUS AREAS

Retail & Attractions

cBusiness Climate

Summary

Current Projects

Research Findings

Challenges


Housing

Institutions

Transportation

Urban Design

DISTRICTS

APPENDIX

THE PITTSBURGH DOWNTOWN PLAN Business Climate

c Business Climate


Downtown holds several competitive advantages as a businesscenter, including a central location for employees, and a grow-ing list of after-work-hours amenities. The Plan recognizes theimportance of Downtown employees, long the bedrock of itsretail economy, in sustaining new retail, restaurant and enter-tainment development, and invigorating the 24-hour city.

Summary

Downtown Pittsburgh—long a world-class corporate andfinance center—remains the region’s center of employment,with 120,000 employees arriving each work day. Downtowncontains two thirds of the region’s office space (approximately24 million square feet), including a majority of the prime ClassA space. Long-standing icons ALCOA, USX and PPG share theskyline with international brand names like Heinz, and growingfinancial powers Mellon and PNC. Less visible but equallyimportant to the Downtown business climate are countlesssmall and start-up firms, and many international corporations,some of which have established U.S. or world headquarters inPittsburgh.

The Plan addresses the need to nurture small and start-up busi-nesses, while continuing to satisfy the demands of large corpo-rations. A small cadre of tenants (less than 10 percent) occupysome 70 percent of Downtown’s total multi-tenant space.Recent trends indicate further consolidation among large ten-ants looking for economies of scale. This trend is likely to resultin a shortage of large floorplate flexible space in the Triangle.Some of the Plan’s specific recommendations include maximiz-ing the remaining Class A inventory, upgrading Class B and Cbuildings for small and start-up businesses, and encouraginglarge floorplate development in other parts of the study area.

The concentration of the office marketin the Golden Traingle is clearly visibleas the predominant building use.

c Business Climate


Current Projects

After a long period of stasis, office development is once againon an upswing, thanks in part to an aggressive program of landacquisition, financing, and business recruitment and retentiondirected by the Mayor’s Office and the Urban RedevelopmentAuthority. The public sector has become a regular partner inmajor developments, supporting employment growth withparking improvements and other infrastructure investments.

A case in point is the develop-ment of ALCOA’s new worldheadquarters on the NorthShore, a 230,000 square feetfacility located between theNinth and Seventh StreetBridges. Other recent develop-ments include construction of

Penn Liberty Plaza, a complex of large floorplate offices total-ing 374,000 square feet just west of the Veteran’s Bridge nearthe Convention Center. The computer design firm Daxus (113employees) renovated a historic Penn Avenue structure contain-ing 30,000 square feet in the Cultural District. GNCCorporation renovated 150,000 square feet of office space at300 Sixth Avenue Building for its headquarters.

PNC and Mellon recentlyannounced plans for construc-tion of large floorplate opera-tions centers along GrantStreet, adding hundreds of jobsin the Downtown area.Proximity to mass transit was akey factor in the decision.

Proposed Mellon Bank Operations Facility

Alcoa Headquarters

Recent land acquisitions in theGolden Triangle by PNC and Mellonfor large-floorplate operations cen-ters mean that future demand willlook to the North and South Shoresand the Strip District to find similarsites. Blue indicates proposed officebuildings, with existing buildings inbeige.

c Business Climate


w Downtown office tenants will increasingly demand largefloorplate, flexible building space that will readily adapt to newtechnologies and make it possible for them to reach economiesof scale. Key issues in locating new offices will be site size, withtenants demanding prominent sites of between 30,000 and75,000 square feet constructed in a horizontal form withadjoining parking and services. The Triangle has few remaininglocations on which it is possible to achieve these parameters.Therefore, up to 75 percent of the demand during the next 10years is expected to be filled in the North Shore, Strip andSouth Shore areas.

w Certain districts, including the Fifth and Forbes area, FirstSide and the Cultural District, have an abundance of historicClass B and C office structures—narrow “sliver” buildings andolder skyscrapers—that need to be upgraded. Building codesand the code compliance process, to date, have not alwaysacknowledged the special situations presented by these types ofadaptive reuse projects. Small and start-up businesses in areassuch as law, real estate, accounting, engineering, and advertis-ing comprise 70 percent of all Downtown office tenants. Thesecompanies and firms perform a vital service, and the Plan rec-ognizes the importance of providing a full range of office envi-ronments.

w Future office and employment growth will require a constantassessment of mass transit and parking conditions. More than50 percent of the 160,000 daily workers, shoppers, students,and visitors to Downtown rely on commuting by transit or car-pool, much higher than comparable urban centers. The Planrecognizes the need to balance growth with Downtown’s overallefficiency and comfort. Steps should be taken to maximizetransit and pedestrian flow, and to create pleasant street envi-ronments.

Research Findings

Our market study projectsDowntown employment togrow to 139,600 by the year2010 from 120,000 in 1990.This represents a 16-percentincrease which is greater thanthe projected regional employ-ment growth of 10 percent dur-ing the same period. Growthwill likely be strongest in thefinance, insurance, real estate and construction industries, con-sistent with national trends. That growth rate translates into ademand for an additional 250,000 square feet of Class A officespace during the next five years. Projections also call for anadditional 750,000 square feet of large floorplate office spacelikely to be situated primarily outside the Triangle. These pro-jections amount to absorption rates of 200,000 to 400,000square feet per year. Currently, Class A office space rents aver-age $21 per square foot, relatively low compared with rentalrates in comparable cities. This is a primary factor inhibitingthe development of new office towers in the core.

c For more information, see Appendix.

Challenges

The Plan to expand Downtown office space and support futureemployment growth acknowledges several important chal-lenges.

C

B

A

OTHERLOCATIONS

DOWNTOWNLOCATIONS

Two-thirds of the region’s total office space, including a majority of all prime Class A office space, is found Downtown.

Downtown serves as a hub for theregion’s highway and mass transit net-work. Future employment growth, dri-ven by the need to attract and retainemployees, will cluster around masstransit stops.

North Shore

c Business Climate



The density of offices and employees in a compact, easy toaccess Downtown bode well for the growth of complementaryelements of the 24-hour city: new residential units and expand-ed retail, restaurant and entertainment choices. The businessdevelopment strategy hinges on the ability to distribute newoffices and employment centers to the Triangle, as well as theStrip, North Shore, South Shore, and provide a system oftransportation, parking and pedestrian access to connect allsites to each other and to the business core.

RecommendationsThe Pittsburgh DowntownPlan’s projections for employ-ment and new business develop-ment reflect current marketconditions and a conservativeforecast for Downtown employ-ment growth. Trends towardconsolidation and merger in keyindustries, and an ongoing effort to recruit and retain employ-ers, could significantly alter the forecast and market conditions.

Phase One Research and recent corporate investments, including construc-tion plans announced by PNC and Mellon, confirm that majortenants will increasingly seek to consolidate operations. ThePlan process will continue to identify new large floorplate siteson the North Shore, South Shore, and Strip District, whiledeveloping existing Class B and C space to accommodate

expansion within the Triangle. Equally important is a series oftransportation and parking improvements designed to reducevehicle congestion around major employment centers.

Phase TwoLong-range development of large floorplate, flexible officespace in districts such as the North Shore, South Shore, andStrip District will require aggressive land assembly, and in somecases the reestablishment of a traditional urban street grid todefine development parcels. Such employment and office devel-opment will help provide a year-round, 24-hour customer base

BuswaysFreeways

LRT'sProposedExisting

HOV Facilities

Second Avenue parking facility

c Business Climate


for attractions, restaurants and retailers. For smaller space users,development of the Cultural District and First Side as residen-tial neighborhoods will help attract small firms and managerialand technical talent.

ImplementationFrom the outset, The Plan process relied on experts and stake-holders in each focus area to help establish a developmentstrategy. The Business Climate Task Force has identified criticalfirst steps and suggested the following assignments:

w The Mayor’s Office, City Planning Department and theBureau of Building Inspection will assist realtors and develop-ers working to identify sites for both infill and new districtdevelopments that will accommodate the current demand forlarge floorplate office buildings. All agencies will coordinateefforts to make Downtown attractive to building types andbusinesses that might otherwise locate in suburban sites.

w Led by the City Planning Department and UrbanRedevelopment Authority, a group of real estate, design andfoundation interests will pursue the recommendations of acomprehensive Adaptive Reuse Building Code Study, and insome cases look to upgrade Class B and C office space onupper floors, with street level retail and services below.

Penn Avenue Place

Strip District proposed new street grid

OVERVIEW

FOCUS AREAS


Business Climate

cHousing

Summary

Current Projects

Research Findings

Challenges


Institutions

Transportation

Urban Design

DISTRICTS

APPENDIX

THE PITTSBURGH DOWNTOWN PLAN Housing

c Housing


Summary

Downtown has always been and remains a residential neighbor-hood. The Plan outlines steps to support and further stimulatethe housing market, and in doing so attract additionalDowntown residents. The specific steps include expanding thenumber and variety of housing options in key Districts, creat-ing clusters of housing and neighborhood-scaled commercialservices, and emphasizing Downtown’s location and amenities:with easy access to work, recreation, cultural events and muse-ums, and retail and restaurant choices. The Plan demonstrateshow Downtown residents will help to anchor and complete the24-hour city.

Lincoln at the North Shore features convenience of city living along with theamentities of riverfront living.

Currently, residential buildings (indi-cated in yellow) are few and farbetween the Downtown area, althoughadjacent neighborhoods like the NorthShore and Mount Washington remainstrong.

c Housing


Current Projects

After a period of slow decline, Downtown housing demandand values show several signs of recovery. The recent success ofmarket-rate housing ventures, rental and owner-occupied, indi-cates renewed interest in Downtown living. The current trend

began in the late 1980s with the development and success ofCrawford Square, a mixed townhouse and apartment commu-nity located in the Lower Hill, adjacent to the Civic Arena andwithin walking distance of Downtown. Crawford Square con-tinues to expand and will eventually number more than 400units of rental and for-sale housing.

Several recent developments capitalize on waterfront locations:the Village at Washington’s Landing, the 232-unit Lincoln atthe North Shore apartment complex, and an eight-unit, adap-tive-reuse condominium known as 429 First Side Lofts. Also indiscussion or under construction are several other adaptive re-use projects in the Cultural District and the Strip.

Crawford Square

Washington’s Landing

c Housing


Research Findings

Our research finds thatDowntown housing couldexpand by some 3,000 units, orapproximately 300 units peryear over the next decade. Theresearch concludes that a mixof rental and owner-occupiedcondominiums should initiallybe concentrated in two areas ofthe Triangle, First Side and theCultural District, and fall alonga continuum of price points.The majority (1,480 units) areprojected as above-medianpriced rental units, with anadditional 890 below-medianrental apartments, and 560condominiums.

As resident services and parking expand, and the overallDowntown market strengthens, the tenure would likely shifttoward ownership. The study concluded that while high landvalues make single-family detached housing prohibitive withinthe Triangle, such housing could be accommodated in laterphases on the North and South Shores, and in the StripDistrict and raise 10-year demand to 5,000 new households.

Most of the demand (95 percent) would come from existingAllegheny County residents, with younger singles and couples,typically the most risk-tolerant and earliest buyers, comprisingtwo-thirds of the potential buyers. Other large market seg-ments would include empty nesters and retirees, representing28 percent of the market.


Challenges

The interest in attracting new residents Downtown is temperedby several important challenges.

w Developers and architects face obstacles when trying to con-vert historic structures, both narrow “sliver” buildings andolder skyscrapers, into loft and apartment housing. Buildingcodes and the code compliance process, to date, have notacknowledged the special situations presented by these types ofadaptive reuse projects.

w Along with help in navigating the bureaucracy, developersrequire other incentives—including selective tax abatement andexemptions—to assume the risk of rehabilitating older struc-tures and introducing new housing types to Downtown.

w Downtown lacks the full range of commercial services (gro-cers, delis, etc.) needed to support a large, self-contained resi-dential population.

wWhile Downtown’s compact street grid creates an appealingplace for pedestrians, it also creates real and perceived shortagesof convenient, secure and affordable on-street and off-streetparking, an important need for residents.

1988Year

Number of Units

1998 2007

4781

1851

1375

The plan’s implementation is predictedto potentially produce three times asmany housing units than exist currently.

c Housing



The impact and presence that 24-hour residents will bring toDowntown is a key component in the overall developmentstrategy. The Plan recognizes the direct connection betweennew housing options and other types of investment. As eachnew piece of the development puzzle—offices, retail, destina-tion attractions—falls into place, more people will give seriousconsideration to living Downtown.

Recommendations The Pittsburgh Downtown Plan’s initial projections of housingdemand reflect current market conditions and a conservativegrowth forecast. Each new Downtown resident will help tostrengthen the overall impression of Downtown as a conve-nient and attractive place to live. Demand for downtown hous-ing could grow significantly in response to other investments:transportation and parking improvements, or new retail,restaurant and entertainment options.

Phase OneResearch confirms that the greatest near-term potential forDowntown residential development exists in two areas: FirstSide and the Cultural District. Both contain importantstrengths: a critical mass of buildings suitable for adaptive

reuse, access to work and thewaterfront, a scale that isamenable to residential living,and the potential for support-ing and sparking parallel devel-opments in retail, entertain-ment, and offices.

Phase TwoAs the Cultural District and First Side become more firmlyestablished as residential neighborhoods, demand and thedevelopment focus will shift. New and more expensive units,different in character that those developed in Phase One, willattract more risk-averse and affluent households increasinglycomfortable with the idea of downtown living.

Both public- and private-sector efforts will expand to otherparts of the study area, including the North and South Shore,the Strip District, the Civic Arena area and other niches andlocations within the Triangle. Waterfront locations will contin-

Historic buildings in the CulturalDistrict and First Side offer the rightmix of location and charm to attractapartment and condominium dwellersto Downtown. City officials helpassemble financing to bring theseadaptive reuses to market.

Cultural District

c Housing


ue to attract interest, and locations along the North and SouthShores, and in the Strip District, suitable for single-familydetached housing.

Implementation From the outset, The Plan process called upon experts andstakeholders in each focus area to help establish a developmentstrategy. The Housing Task Force has identified critical firststeps and suggested the following assignments:

w City Planning and BBI will implement the Adaptive ReuseBuilding Code Study. The recommendations include develop-ing new building code strategies, more effective housing designand construction, the role of a single source code officer insimplifying the building code approval process, and creation ofan Adaptive Reuse Handbook that would inform developersand help demonstrate project viability.

w The Mayor’s Office, City Planning Department and othergovernment agencies would consider the following tools tostimulate development of older buildings into creative andattractive residential units: selective application of tax abate-ment and exemption programs; and aggressive public/privatefinancing, including a gap financing pool for small projects.

w The Plan’s Transportation Committee, along with theParking Authority, Cultural Trust and other interests, wouldundertake a detailed study of potential free or reducedovernight residential parking for each potential new housingdevelopment, including incentives to developers who add tothe parking inventory, use of municipal garages and creation ofa Downtown residential permit program.

Sliver building in theCultural District

Cultural District

OVERVIEW

FOCUS AREAS


Business Climate

Housing

cInstitutions

Summary

Current Projects

Research Findings

Challenges


Transportation

Urban Design

DISTRICTS

APPENDIX

THE PITTSBURGH DOWNTOWN PLAN Institutions

c Institutions


Summary

Downtown’s various colleges, universities, trade schools,churches, hospitals, and other institutions represent an impor-tant link between the region’s past and future. Although theseinstitutions generally maintain a lower profile than neighboringcorporations or major retail stores, they contribute vital energyand human services to Downtown and its citizens.

Downtown institutions attract people from across the city andregion—students, faculty, congregation members, visitors andstaff—including many weekday, evening and weekend users.They contribute to the ongoing success of Downtown, in everydistrict and across all focus areas. Consider that 35,000 peopleattend Ash Wednesday services at St. Mary of Mercy Church.

The question of how these organizations and their constituentscan add to the long-range viability of Downtown deservesmore attention. The Plan, with the help of the InstitutionsTask Force, suggests ways that Downtown institutions canthrive, and in the process help Downtown attract and supportfuture economic growth.

Downtown schools, churches, governmentand other institutions (indicated in pur-ple) help to give Pittsburgh a deepsense of rootedness in time and place,and attract a significant year-roundstream of students, congregation mem-bers and visitors.

Downtown’s growing student bodyrepresents a cross-section of collegesand universities, and numerous privateart, culinary and business schools.

c Institutions


Research Findings

Our research finds that some 23,000 students attend three pri-vate colleges and universities (Duquesne University, RobertMorris College and Point Park College), and more than tenprivate career schools (including the Art Institute of Pittsburghand two culinary academies) within the Downtown study area.

The collective student body, along with faculty, staff and visit-ing friends and parents, uses Downtown as an extended cam-pus, both during peak week-day times, and nights and week-ends. Research confirms that Downtown retail, entertainment,and housing strategies should consider this group—a young,diverse audience accustomed to setting trends and willing tospend a significant share of their disposable income—as animportant customer base. Research also finds that students rep-resent a potential pool of part-time employees needed to attractand sustain key elements of the 24-hour city. Nurturing andtargeting this market segment is particularly important giventhe out migration of young people from the region.

Current Projects

Although most of Downtown’s churches, colleges and schoolstook root decades—and in some cases a century or more—ago,not all of Downtown’s institutions are distinguished solely byage. The role and presence of institutions continues to evolve.

At the corner of Fourth Avenue and Wood Street, the LibraryCenter—a collaboration between The Carnegie and Point ParkCollege—has breathed new life into a collection of turn-of-the-century bank buildings. The new Library Center has become abright new focal point for students and other Downtowninformation users. Expansion and improvements underway atDuquesne University have helped to merge the campus morewith the surrounding businesses and residents of the LowerHill. Other schools, such as the Art Institute of Pittsburgh andPennsylvania Institute of Culinary Arts, are also growing, withan eye toward expanding their operations in Downtown.

The Library Center

Art Institute of Pittsburgh

Duquesne University

Pennsylvania Institute of CulinaryArts

c Institutions


Challenges

The job of bringing institutions and their patrons more fullyinto the daily economic and social lifeblood of Downtownfaces several important challenges:

w New and enhanced open spaces should be established in thestudy area to attract students, and regulations should allow andencourage active recreation uses in Downtown parks andgreenways wherever space and conditions permit. Urban designimprovements should reinforce the feeling of safety, day andnight, through the addition of lighting, clear signage and otherstreetscape elements.

w The plan for centralized marketing of key Downtown retailcorridors should emphasize alively mix of shops and 18-hour activities geared towardthe student population andothers. Outdoor concerts, festi-vals, and other programmingcould attract students andextend their visit.

w New Downtown housing options should open a two-wayexchange of benefits. Students and other institution users couldhelp to support neighborhood-scaled businesses such as smallgrocery stores, laundries and dry cleaners. Downtown residents,in turn, could access services and facilities within churches andschools—speakers, book clubs, travel groups and other ameni-ties—that add value to city life.

w The overall retail climate should meet the needs of students,churchgoers, families of hospital patients, social service clients,visitors and other Downtown populations. This includesextending operating hours that recognize the presence of popu-lations after 6 PM and on the weekends, and maintaining adiversity of price points to serve a wide variety of users.

w Many congregation members and students drive from outly-ing areas to attend events, services and classes. High parkingcosts and reduced evening and weekend transit service con-vince many to limit the length of their stay. A coordinatedparking validation program would encourage more patrons toshop and otherwise extend their stay Downtown.

w Off-peak, transit service would serve both institutional usersand others trying to access retail and entertainment options.Downtown attractions, including the Regional History Center,Carnegie Science Center, Cultural District, and The AndyWarhol Museum, could be linked by a cultural/historical loop.

Andy Warhol Museum

Carnegie Science Center

Sixth Street Bridge Party

c Institutions



The relationship between Downtown’s educational institu-tions—both non-profit colleges and universities, and for-profittrade and technical schools—and future development shouldbe a mutually beneficial one. Pittsburgh’s schools compete withthose from other cities for students. A bright and vibrant retailcore, with special attention paid to the tastes and trends ofyoung adults, can help Pittsburgh grow its student population.

RecommendationsThe Pittsburgh Downtown Plan’s projections for growth inemployment, housing, and retail and entertainment accountsfor the presence of so many Downtown institutions. Theseorganizations and their constituents help to keep Downtown asafe, family-friendly place to work, visit and play. All sectors ofthe Downtown economy benefit from the stability and frame-work that these institutions provide.

Phase OnePittsburgh’s institutions occupy key locations throughout thestudy area. Opportunities to encourage more interaction andmutual reliance between institutions and the major players inretail, entertainment and business abound. Institutions offer animportant audience of customers and employees for new storesand attractions. Students and other institution members couldbe a prime source of tenants for new housing. By pooling landand financial resources, smaller institutions, particularly thetrade schools, could themselves develop new apartment hous-ing designed especially for student populations.

Phase TwoAs the Triangle becomes more firmly established as a retail andentertainment center, issues of parking and store mix will be-come increasingly important. Coordination between the centralretail management group and institution leaders will be critical.

ImplementationDowntown stakeholders must look for ways to support manyinstitutional activities at once, and to ensure that Pittsburghcan support both increased retail and entertainment uses andtraditional institutional activities, especially during off-peakevening and weekend periods. The Institutions Task Force hasidentified important first steps in that process:

w Advocate on behalf of Institutions for improved transporta-tion and parking strategies as they affect students, church con-gregations and other constituents.

w Join with the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership (PDP),Downtown businesses, historical and cultural attractions, andregional marketing organizations, to integrate promotional effortsand position Downtown as the hub for the region’s visitors.

w Pursue, with the help of the City Planning Department andUrban Redevelopment Authority, recommendations of a com-prehensive Adaptive Reuse Study (see appendix) and othertools to stimulate development of older buildings into creativeand attractive residential units for student housing.

w Join the PDP’s Transportation Committee, the ParkingAuthority, Cultural Trust and other interests in undertaking adetailed study of potential free or reduced overnight residentialparking to support new housing development.

Allegheny County Courthouse

OVERVIEW

FOCUS AREAS


Business Climate

Housing

Institutions

cTransportation

Summary

Current Projects

Research Findings

Challenges


Urban Design

DISTRICTS

APPENDIX

THE PITTSBURGH DOWNTOWN PLAN Transportation

c Transportation


Summary

Downtown Pittsburgh is beset with conflicts between trans-portation modes and activities as they compete for limitedstreet and sidewalk space. We attempt to serve a diverse popu-lation, each with distinct transportation needs. This tensioncan compromise the efficiency and character of our publicspaces, and jeopardize the vitality and development potential ofDowntown. The transportation component of the DowntownPlan outlines how to balance the various transportation needsand modes, with the goal of improving the efficiency and sus-tainability of Downtown’s transportation infrastructure.

The transportation component includes recommendations con-cerning roadway, pedestrian, parking, and transit improve-ments that will serve to enhance Downtown’s business climate,support Downtown’s growing retail base, make Downtown’sattractions more convenient and integrated, and accommodatemore people living downtown. Underlying each of these devel-opment targets are specific transportation issues. For improvingthe business climate, all day parking cost and congestion arekey issues. For accommodating an increase in retailing activity,short-term parking and pedestrian-friendly street environmentsare key. Attractions are in need of better connections for theirpatrons to circulate among the various venues in theDowntown area. These connections could be pedestrian ortransit improvements. And accommodating more residents inthe Downtown will require innovative parking arrangementsand more convenient access to neighborhood services.

Brown buildings are existing above-ground parking and transit facilities(the many below-ground garages arenot visible). New parking facilities willneed to be added mostly in less con-gested areas outside the core of theTriangle.

c Transportation


The transportation component of the Downtown Plan providesa framework for shaping the proper mix of modes that bestmeet the diverse access, parking and mobility needs presentedby the proposed development strategy for downtown. Toachieve that mix, the rerouting of Downtown bus service is pro-posed along with the restructuring and expansion of Downtownparking, the enhancing of the pedestrian environment on keyretail streets, and the pursuing of radial transportation improve-ments, especially HOV and transit improvements.

Altogether, the recommendations put forth by the transporta-tion component achieve a better modal balance for accommo-dating the varying and distinct transportation needs of existingactivities and development efforts.

Current Projects

Transportation projects currently under consideration, designor construction in the Downtown area are divided into threetypes: streets and highways, parking, and transit. This list pro-vides a brief description of the six major public transportationproject sponsors involved in the operation, upkeep and expan-sion of Pittsburgh’s Downtown transportation infrastructure. Adescription of the projects along with their scheduled dates forconstruction, estimated total cost, objective (or need), sponsor,and status are provided. Also included is a summary of anycomments concerning impacts or issues related to the project.

Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PADOT),District 11: This is one of 13 districts of the PennsylvaniaDepartment of Transportation. It is responsible for the plan-ning, maintenance, repair, improvement, and expansion of the

state highway and federal interstate systems within Allegheny,Beaver and Butler counties. Along with the interstates and theramps leading to them in the Downtown area, the state is alsoresponsible for the Tenth Street Bypass, the Boulevard of theAllies, and the Smithfield Street Bridge in the Golden Triangle,and Carson Street along Station Square.

Allegheny County: The City of Pittsburgh and its Downtownare located within Allegheny County. The County owns andmaintains three river crossings in the Downtown area—theSixth, Seventh, Ninth Street Bridges and the Tenth andSixteenth Street Bridges just upriver from Downtown. It alsooversees the operations of the region’s primary transit agency—the Port Authority of Allegheny County.

The Plan proposes reorganization and arefocus of our current transportationsystem. Increased ridership of publictransportation and new parking struc-tures are its major goals. Grey indicatesexisting parking and transit facilities.

c Transportation


Port Authority of Allegheny County (PAT): PAT is anauthority of Allegheny County and the primary transit serviceprovider for the metropolitan area. It includes the operation ofbus, light rail, paratransit and incline modes and is responsiblefor the planning, maintenance, repair, improvement, andexpansion of all transit facilities within Allegheny County. Itsmajor facilities serving the Downtown area include a light railsystem to the south, two busways (one to the east and one tothe south), a third busway to the west under construction,three contra-flow bus lanes in the Golden Triangle, and theMonongahela Incline tram along Mount Washington. PAT alsohas approval authority over private transit and shuttle opera-tions within Allegheny County.

City of Pittsburgh: The City of Pittsburgh is a Second Classmunicipality of the state of Pennsylvania. It is responsible forthe planning, maintenance, repair, improvement, and expan-sion of local streets within the City of Pittsburgh as well as themaintenance and timing of traffic signals.

Pittsburgh Parking Authority (PPA): The PPA is an authori-ty of the City of Pittsburgh responsible for the planning, main-tenance, repair, improvement, expansion, and operation(including regulation and enforcement) of publicly ownedparking facilities and street meters within the City ofPittsburgh. PPA currently owns eight garages Downtown witha total of 5,293 spaces, 330 street meters, and two lots with atotal of 1,364 spaces. Total number of spaces controlled byPPA is just under 7,000.

Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA): The URA is anauthority of the City of Pittsburgh responsible for redevelop-ment projects including residential, commercial, industrial andmixed use projects. Many of these projects involve the con-struction of new roadways and parking facilities within theredevelopment areas.

Street and Highway Projects

Fort Pitt Bridge/Tunnel RehabilitationThe Fort Pitt Bridge/Tunnel carries I-279 over theMonongahela River. Its rehabilitation is scheduled for 2000and is to include deck replacements and some rehabilitationwork to its piers and other substructure members. Also includ-ed will be the reconstruction of the I-376 Parkway ramp offthe north end of the bridge. While some work is currentlyunderway, the main portion of the work will occur in twophases. The inbound bridge/tunnel will close in 2002 for reha-bilitation. Following its completion the outbound work willbegin in 2003. Because the Fort Pitt Bridge/Tunnel carries over120,000 vehicles a day, extensive mitigation measures are beingimplemented first to minimize the impact of the bridge’s clo-sure on regional traffic and Downtown commercial andemployment activity. Construction: 4/00-4/02

Fort Pitt Boulevard Reconstruction/Relocation Fort Pitt Boulevard eastbound is a viaduct extending fromStanwix Street over the Mon Wharf to Smithfield Street. It isin need of extensive repairs. It currently serves as an interstate-to-interstate link between southbound I-279 and eastbound I-376 as well as an entrance into the Golden Triangle. The pro-ject will reconstruct the viaduct either in place or relocatedadjacent to the westbound lanes. The project is being designedand scheduled in conjunction with the Fort Pitt Bridge and I-376 reconstruction projects. A relocated Fort Pitt Boulevard is90 percent designed. The options for rebuilding the viaduct inplace are currently under discussion. Construction: Unknown

c Transportation


I-376 Reconstruction This project includes the complete reconstruction of the I-376viaduct extending from the Fort Pitt Bridge over the MonWharf to Smithfield Street. It is part of the Fort Pitt Bridgerehabilitation project and is in need of reconstruction. Stillundecided are the options to either rebuild it in place orrebuild it at a lower level so as to provide room for a park con-nection between the Mon Wharf and First Side. Construction:3/99-7/00

New I-376/279 Connector This project consists of a new direct ramp connection provid-ing interstate to interstate access between southbound I-279and eastbound I-376 in the vicinity of the Mon Wharf. It is tobe located in the corridor currently occupied by existing FortPitt Boulevard and will connect with the Wood Street on-rampfor access to I-376. Also included in the project is a reuse ofthe Mon Wharf parking ramp as an off-ramp to Wood Street.Currently, traffic headed southbound on I-279 across the FortDuquesne Bridge must use the City’s congested Fort PittBoulevard to enter I-376. This connection involves three trafficsignals and is currently a bottleneck for both through andDowntown destined traffic. The connector will remove theinterstate to interstate traffic from Fort Pitt Boulevard andimprove the pedestrian environment. (Construction: 4/02-11/03)

Wood Street Phase 1 Reconstruction Design This reconstruction includes a complete upgrade of the utilityand drainage systems under the roadway, a reconstruction ofthe roadway and sidewalks, and installation of street amenitiesfrom Liberty to Fourth Street. The reconstruction of WoodStreet is to occur concurrently with Fifth Avenue so as to have

them both completed before the 1998 scheduled opening ofthe new Lazarus store at Fifth and Wood. Construction: 3/98-9/99

Fifth Ave Reconstruction The project includes the complete reconstruction of the cart-way and sidewalks from Ross Street to Liberty Avenue. Itincludes a complete upgrade of the utility and drainage systemsunder the roadway, a reconstruction of the roadway and side-walks, and installation of street amenities. Fifth Avenue servesas a major retail and transit corridor. The objective of this pro-ject is to restore Fifth Avenue as the City’s ceremonial boule-vard and this region’s premiere retail street. It is being done intwo phases: Phase One—Ross Street to Smithfield Street andPhase Two—Smithfield Street to Liberty Avenue. Phase Onewas completed in June of 1996. Construction of Phase Two isscheduled to be completed in the fall of 1998 coinciding withthe opening of the new Lazarus department store. Construction:3/95-9/98

Fort Duquesne Boulevard Relocation This project includes relocation of the westbound FortDuquesne Boulevard lanes from Sixth Street to Tenth Street sothat they are next to the east-bound lanes and provide addi-tional land for a riverside promenade. The project also includesintersection and pedestrian improvements along FortDuquesne Boulevard. The relocation of Fort DuquesneBoulevard is intended to improve the open space along theboulevard and create a promenade overlooking the riverenhancing adjacent residential and commercial development.Construction: 3/98-4/00

c Transportation


Computerized Traffic Response/Traffic Control System This project consists of the automation of Downtown’s trafficcontrol signals. The automated system will include 93 intersec-tions in the downtown, wired by fiber optics and connected toa mainframe computer housed in the basement of the CityCounty building. The objective of the project is to improvetraffic flow by coordinating the flow of traffic through eachDowntown intersection. Construction: 9/94-10/98

Parking Projects

Fifth Avenue Parking Garage at LazarusThis project is a 492-space parking garage to be built under thenew Lazarus Department store at Fifth Avenue and WoodStreet. It will be a short-term public parking garage with up to30 spaces reserved for leases. The objective of this project is toprovide additional short term parking spaces convenient toDowntown’s Fifth Avenue retail corridor. It is currently underconstruction, scheduled to open in the fall of 1998.Construction: 5/97-10/98

North Shore Parking Garage This project is a proposed 600- to 1,000-space parking garagelocated off General Robinson between Federal and SanduskyStreets. Accommodations for retail and a future, fixed-guide-way mass transit link into Downtown will be included in itsdesign. The objective of this project is to replace parking dis-placed by current development projects and to meet the park-ing needs of existing tenants and pending development projectsin the North Shore area. Construction: 98–99

Mellon Bank Operations Garage As part of Mellon Bank’s operations center development project,an 800-1000 space parking garage is to be built off Fifth Avenueeast of Sixth Avenue. This garage is to accommodate Mellonworkforce at the new operations center. Construction: 98–99

First Avenue Parking Garage In conjunction with PNC’s operations center under develop-ment at First and Grant as well as a new First Avenue LRT sta-tion adjacent to the development, the City is pursuing the con-struction of a 1,400- to 2,400-space parking garage adjoiningthe new LRT Station. This garage would serve to interceptcommuters destined for the Golden Triangle from the east andsoutheast, distributing them to their final destination via theLRT system. By intercepting these commuters, additionalspaces in the Golden Triangle can be made available for off-peak visitor and shoppers. Construction: 99–00

WAY

Penn/Liberty Garage

North ShoreGarage

AlcoaGarage

LazarusGarageFifth Avenue

Wood Street

Ft. Pitt Boulevard

TrailSignal UpgradeRoadway ImprovementsPedestrian ImprovementsParking

Ft. Duquesne Boulevard

Allegheny Riverfront Park

Ongoing Transportation Improvement Projects

Ongoing ImprovementsThroughout the Golden Triangle andNorth Shore, several new parkingfacilities, pedestrian and roadwayimprovements are being considered toprovide for proposed development. Inaddition, traffic signals are beingupgraded throughout the downtown toimprove the flow of traffic and reducecongestion.

c Transportation


Civic Arena Garage with Maglev People MoverThe Western Pennsylvania Maglev Development Corporation(WPMDC) is proposing to construct a 5,000 space parkinggarage to the east of the Civic Arena with a Maglev connectionto the Steel Plaza subway station at Grant Street, a distance of2,200 feet. The parking component of this project is intendedto address the parking deficit of over 5,000 spaces estimated forthe Grant Street corridor on the eastern edge of the GoldenTriangle. The Maglev component is intended to serve as ademonstration program for a commercially viable, slow-speed,magnetically levitated people mover (Maglev). (There stillremain numerous issues to be addressed before this projectwould receive City support. Those issues include access con-cerning interstate ramp congestion and weaving related to thesize of the garage, compatibility with adjacent residentailneighborhood, and financial feasibility.) Construction: Unknown

Downtown Meter Expansion Program There are currently 330 street meters serving the core of down-town. The City has recently installed an additional 215 meterswith another 224 meters approved for later installation whenstreet construction activity in Downtown is complete. Alsounder consideration is a reduction in the meter rates which arecurrently at $.25 for seven and half minutes. This project is inresponse to a need for additional convenient and affordableshort-term parking in the Downtown area to better accommo-date daily business visitors and shoppers. Potential conflictswith loading zones, bus stops and traffic movements have lim-ited the number of new locations. Ongoing

Transit Projects

First Avenue StationThe Port Authority of Allegheny County is pursuing construc-tion of a new First Avenue LRT station adjacent to the pro-posed PNC operations center and proposed public garage onFirst Avenue. The station would not only serve PNC operationscenter but would also provide direct LRT service into theGolden Triangle for commuters parking in the proposed garage.

Regional Projects

Airport Busway The Airport Busway is a bus-only road extending from CarsonStreet west of the Golden Triangle west to Carnegie (PhaseOne) with the possibility of eventually extending to theGreater Pittsburgh International Airport. It is being built onexisting and abandoned railroad right-of-ways and will be simi-lar in operation to the existing East Busway. The busway willtie into the Golden Triangle via Carson Street and the Fort PittBridge. The purpose of the Busway is to (1) improve bus ser-vice to the neighborhoods and communities in the Airport-CBD corridor; (2) provide traffic mitigation for the Fort PittBridge rehabilitation; and (3) improve transit service betweenDowntown and the new Airport. Construction: 4/96-11/99

Martin Luther King East Busway ExtensionThe Martin Luther King East Busway provides busway serviceinto Downtown for the East End communities and suburbs.This project will extend the busway from its current terminusin Wilkinsburg along a Conrail right-of-way through

c Transportation


Edgewood and Swissvale to the Rankin Border. It is intendedto improve bus service to Downtown from the Mon Valley andeastern suburbs. Construction 99–01

State Route 28 UpgradeState Route 28 serves as a major radial highway providing com-muter access into Downtown from the Allegheny River valleycommunities. It is a four-lane divided freeway from ArmstrongCounty to Millvale. From Millvale to the City it is a substan-dard four-lane principle arterial. This project is to upgrade theMillvale to City portion to a freeway, thereby improving thehighway’s capacity and eliminating various safety hazards.

Mon/Fayette ExpresswayThis project is a 68-mile, four-lane turnpike under construc-tion from West Virginia to Pittsburgh connecting to I-376 intwo places—just east of the Downtown and in Monroeville.The intent of this toll road is to improve access to/from theMon Valley communities for economic development andrelieve Parkway East congestion. It will also improve radialaccess into Downtown from the Mon Valley. Construction:01/05

LRT Stage IIThe Port Authority is pursing the rehabilitation of its Stage IILRT line running form South Hills Junction to CastleShannon via Overbrook and from Washington Junction toLibrary. This line would serve the South Hills neighborhoodsand communities. It was closed in 1996 because of its deterio-rating conditions and resulting safety hazards. The rehabilita-tion will bring the line up to current design and operationalstandards, allowing the Port Authority to run express serviceinto Downtown as well as bypass any congestion or disruptionon its current line.

Liberty Tunnel South PortalAs part of the Fort Pitt Bridge mitigation measures, PennDOTis reconstructing the south portal Route 51 intersection withthe Liberty Tunnel. This project will grade separate the inter-section, replacing many of the signalized movements with freeflow movements. The project is intended to enhance move-ments between the tunnel and Route 51.

New I-376/279 ConnectorThis project consists of a new ramp connection providingdirect interstate-to-interstate access between southbound I-279and eastbound I-376 in the vicinity of the Mon Wharf inDowntown Pittsburgh. It is to be located in a corridor vacatedby the relocation of existing Fort Pitt Boulevard.

Currently traffic headed southbound on I-279 across the FortDuquesne Bridge must use the City’s congested Fort PittBoulevard to enter I-376. This connection involves three trafficsignals and with the relocation of Fort Pitt Boulevard, it will bereduced from three lanes to two lanes. This reduction wasapproved under the assumption that the I-279/376 Connectorwould be in place. Without the connector, Fort Pitt Boulevardwill create a bottleneck for both interstate and Downtown traf-fic, including traffic exiting from stadium events.

Total project costs is estimated at around $17 to $20 million. Theproject is currently on the draft 1997-2000 TIP for $1.6 millionfor engineering and design. However, PennDOT has expressedconcerns that it does not have sufficient funds for the entire pro-ject and may seek to remove the it from the TIP. A local match of20 percent in City or state funds would be required.

This project was to be part of the Fort Pitt Bridge rehabilita-tion project with engineering and design beginning in thespring of 1997 and completion scheduled for 1999 prior to the

c Transportation


closing of the main span of the Fort Pitt Bridge and opening ofthe relocated Fort Pitt Boulevard. However, because of fundingit has been deferred indefinitely. Keeping to its original sched-ule is crucial if the traffic bottlenecks on relocated Fort PittBoulevard are to be avoided.

LRT Spine Line North Shore ExtensionThis project would extend the LRT system or some other formof transit technology to connect the Golden Triangle with theNorth Shore area. An immediate phase of this project would bethe investment in low tech/low cost transit strategies thatimprove existing transit service between the two areas.

Transit service improvements between the Golden Triangle andthe North Shore area would serve to better integrate the activi-ties of the North Shore area with Golden Triangle activities,including fringe parking activities for both workers in theGolden Triangle and for stadium event attendees. The develop-ment plans for both the North Shore and Cultural Districtareas (such as a ballpark and expanded convention center)could benefit greatly from improve transit service.

Because a preferred transit improvement program has not beenidentified, specific cost estimates have not been made. Theoriginal cost for extending the LRT system to AlleghenyCenter was estimated at about $200 to $300 million with 20percent having to come from a local source such as the county,city, or state.

The timing and nature of transit investments in the NorthShore area are crucial to the development planning currentlytaking place. The planning for a new stadium and any accesso-ry development needs to incorporate a comprehensive packageof transit improvements. Thus, it is important that the plan-ning and development process for the LRT Spine Line exten-sion to the North Shore be initiated immediately.

Research Findings

Downtown’s Regional Role and AccessibilityAs the region’s largest employment center, its relationship tothe region’s transportation system is crucial to Downtown’scontinued vitality. Much of the transportation efficienciesexhibited by Downtown Pittsburgh are a result of its integra-tion with the region’s radial transportation system and arereflected in the relatively high number of Downtown workerscommuting by transit and carpools. About 50 percent of theGolden Triangle workers, visitors, and shoppers commute toDowntown by transit. Workers parking in the Golden Trianglehave an average occupancy of 1.4 while those parking in thefringe areas of Downtown have an average of 1.1 persons percar. For shoppers, recent market surveys estimate that 50 per-cent to 70 percent arrive via transit.

Regional Transportation FunctionDowntown’s regional transportation functions stem fromDowntown’s location at the nexus of the region’s highway, tran-sit and river systems. Downtown is the center for the region’scross-country bus and rail service. Both the Greyhound BusTerminal and Amtrak railroad station are located in the north-west corner of the Golden Triangle across the street from eachother. Equally important are the convenient private (and nowpublic) transportation services linking the Downtown area withthe Greater Pittsburgh International Airport. These links pro-vide Downtown convenient access to the nation’s air trans-portation system enabling Downtown to function as a satelliteto this region’s national and international air terminal.

c Transportation


Given the region’s radial transit system, Downtown also servesas the system’s principal transfer center. Most trips to destina-tions other than Downtown require a transfer in Downtown.(The one notable exception is Oakland, which is served bysome direct transit routes and two new through routes provid-ing continuous service for the North Side through Downtownto Oakland and other points east.)

Downtown is also located at the nexus of the region’s threemajor rivers, affording Downtown the opportunity to developwater-based transportation modes such as taxi, commuter andexcursion services.

All roads (and buses) lead to Downtown. While this is notentirely true, much of Downtown’s character and role as aregional employment and activity center stem from the radialstructure of the region’s transportation systems and their focuson Downtown. The continued vitality of the Downtown isdependent in part on the continued effectiveness and enhance-ment of this radial network of highways and transit lines.

Downtown’s Regional AccessProviding access for the 160,000 daily workers, shoppers, stu-dents, and visitors coming to Downtown Pittsburgh is a systemof radial highways and transit lines that converge on theGolden Triangle. This system includes three interstate high-ways, an HOV facility, two busways (with a third under con-struction), and two LRT lines (one closed for rehabilitation).

With over two thirds of the Downtown work force comingfrom outside the City, regional commuter access, such as thatprovided by the Parkways, busways and LRT system, becomesan important factors in the continued economic vitality andeconomic growth of the Downtown area. The volume of com-

muters that can conveniently and affordably access Downtownthrough these corridors helps to determine the number ofworkers that Downtown an accommodate.

There are a number of regional transportation projects underconsideration that will enhance the radial transportation infra-structure serving Downtown. The Mon/Fayette Expresswayand extension of the Martin Luther King East Busway will pro-vide freeway and busway access into the Monongahela RiverValley as well as improve freeway and transit service in the eastcorridor. An upgrade of Route 28, Millvale to I-279, will com-plete freeway access into Downtown from the Allegheny Rivercorridor. The Airport Busway will improved transit servicefrom the west and the rehabilitation of the Stage II LRT linethat would improve LRT service in the south corridor.

Downtown Regional PortalsThe physical interface between the regional transportationinfrastructure and Downtown’s transportation infrastructureare the regional portals into downtown. They include the inter-state highway ramps, HOV facilities, and Busway connectionsto Downtown streets as well as the LRT Stations. The func-tional interfaces occurs at the Downtown parking facilities, busstops, and loading zones where the commuters and goods aretransferred between the Downtown destinations and theregional system and mode (i.e., the automobile, bus, andtruck).

In most cases the regional portals interface with the Downtownarea on its perimeter with the exception of the LRT system,which penetrates under Downtown, delivering its commutersinto the heart of Downtown. However, in the case of thebusways, HOV facilities and interstate ramps, they all interfacewith Downtown streets either on the perimeter of the Golden

c Transportation


Triangle or in the fringe areas. The functional interfacesbetween the regional and Downtown systems are scatteredthroughout the core of Downtown in the form of parkingspaces, bus stops and loading zones.


Challenges

Pedestrianw Bring the often competing demands of vehicle and pedestri-an movement into better balance.

w Enhance the pedestrian scale and design of Downtownstreets and pathways with the result of improved safety, conve-nience and connectivity throughout Downtown.

w Reduce the “barrier” effect of the Downtown river crossings,and improve the pedestrian connections between Downtownand its adjacent neighborhoods.

Transitw Find greater harmony between the transit rider’s desire forconvenience and the retailer’s need to maintain a pleasantpedestrian environment conducive to storefront appeal andsidewalk dining. Minimize the physical impact of buses onadjacent street uses while maintaining service levels.

w Redistribute and redesign bus stops to mitigate overcrowdingproblems, and improve bus travel times through Downtown tominimize delays and patron inconvenience.

w Improve the availability and convenience of off-peak circula-tion via transit throughout the Downtown area.

Parkingw Establish the right number, price mix and utilization of park-ing spaces in the study area to accommodate commuter, shop-per/visitor and resident demands.

w Properly distribute the parking spaces in Downtown so as tominimize congestion and the physical impacts of automobiletraffic on Downtown streets.

w Maximize the number of shared parking spaces so as to min-imize the number of spaces needed and maximize the utiliza-tion of existing spaces.

Regional Accessw Preserve Downtown’s role as the hub of a regional radialtransportation with improvements to the current paired systemof transit (busway) and highway (HOV) access, while recogniz-ing physical limitations and load capacities for Downtown.


Every development strategy and investment presented in thePlan hinges in some way on the need to transport people toand from the 24-hour city, whether on foot, by transit or byautomobile. The design of such an interlocking transportationnetwork is a complex and delicate process, with a constantneed to monitor and adjust transportation activities so as to

c Transportation


optimize infrastructure and enhance, not detract from, theattractiveness of Downtown as a place for working, living anddoing business.

Consider the mixed blessing of transit, credited with transport-ing 45 percent of all Downtown retail shoppers, and blamedfor many problems such as noise, pollution and congestion.Complicating these issues and somewhat unique to Pittsburgh,are downtown’s very narrow streets and the competition forthat space from cars, trucks and buses, and pedestrians wantingto circulate through it all while retailers and restaurants try toconduct business.

Parking, likewise, carries both risk and opportunity. Whileparking is a necessary component of development projects,both functionally and financially, parking also consumes valu-able real estate, contributes to congestion and reduces transitusage. All of this can detract from the quality of an areas activ-ities and environment.

Finally, the issue of highway and transit access between sur-rounding neighborhoods and suburbs and Downtowndemands regional cooperation and a long-range perspective.Regional transportation improvements serving Downtown andits development should focus on:

w Encouraging transit friendly residential development throughout the city and region.

w Eliminating existing bottlenecks in the radial transportationsystem.

w Developing new radial HOV/transit facilities so as toincrease the ridership (as opposed to vehicle) capacity of theradial transportation system.

Principles and GuidelinesThe overall goal of transportation planning Downtown is toprovide a transportation system that supports existingDowntown activities and enhances Downtown developmentopportunities. Downtown’s future vitality and efficiency willrequire a pedestrian-scaled approach that preserves the bestqualities of a dense, urban street environment.

Downtown MobilityThe Downtown transportation system should give priority topedestrian and transit modes for circulating people amongrelated Downtown activities, including employment, retail,entertainment, parking, transit, and recreational. TheDowntown circulation systems should use, wherever possible,Downtown’s regional transit modes.

Pedestrian IssuesThe safe, efficient movement of pedestrians throughout theDowntown area will benefit every type of development dis-cussed in the Plan.

Attention should be paid to the smallest details of street andsidewalk environments, to bridges and pedestrian crossings, toopen spaces and seating areas, and to the interaction betweenpedestrians and street-level storefronts, restaurants, and officeentry ways.

Elements such as clear signage and effective landscaping shouldenhance the pedestrian experience. The standard should be tobuild and maintain convenient, clean, safe and pleasant pedes-trian environments.

c Transportation


Related issues include the ability to encourage safe and conve-nient use of bicycles as a means of circulating throughoutDowntown, and to discourage the use of skywalks so as tomaintain a healthy level of street traffic and related storefrontactivity.

Transit IssuesThe movement and loading/unloading of buses throughout theDowntown area carries both considerable benefit and costs. Aplan to improve overall transit efficiency will affect every typeof development discussed in the Plan.

Steps to minimize the physical impact of bus operations andbus stops on Downtown’s busiest retail and entertainment envi-ronments should be given top priority.

Planners need to integrate transit access considerations withDowntown development efforts and fringe parking activities.The role and use of more nimble and quieter shuttle vehiclesshould be studied for a variety of Downtown applications:internal and fringe parking circulation, regular service betweenDowntown attractions, and event-day service for major sports,cultural, convention and other heavily attended events.

Better signage and more brightly designated Downtown loopswould encourage people to access the free subway and bus ser-vice to handle Downtown trips of five blocks or more.

Transit service/links from Oakland to Downtown and theNorth Side should be improved.

Auto/Parking IssuesAffordable shopper/visitor short-term parking should be pro-vided in the Golden Triangle through the management of exist-ing spaces and construction of new spaces.

Steps to maximize the shared use of all Downtown and fringespaces (i.e. commuter, shopping, and event parking) should betaken. Improved signage and computer networking of parkingfacilities should be considered to ease parking problems.

Regional Access The competing demands of vehicle access and pedestrian com-fort, between the need to move through and move withinPittsburgh’s concentrated and compact Downtown, requires abalanced radial transportation network of high-capacity transit,HOV, and highway access to the Downtown area integratedwith a system of core, fringe, and satellite parking facilities.The day-to-day goal of such a system is to maximize the num-ber of commuters, shoppers, and visitors that can access theGolden Triangle while minimizing congestion on both theDowntown and the regional transportation systems. Theregional access system should be used to serve Downtown cir-culation needs where appropriate. A number of related issueswill directly and indirectly affect the outcome:

General Issuesw Improvements to the radial transportation system thatenhance existing capacities and safety of its component road-ways and transit lines. (i.e. HOV lanes).

w Compact, mixed-use, transit-friendly suburban developmentthat encourage greater regional and system efficiency, andDowntown-oriented transit use.

w Transportation demand management activities withDowntown employers to spread out rush-hour vehicle traffic(i.e., flex-times, carpools, shorter work weeks).

c Transportation


w A convenient, affordable, reliable transportation link thatprovides quick connections between Downtown and the air-port corridor.

w A safe and convenient system of radial bicycle trails for com-muting to Downtown along the riverfronts with secure andappropriate parking facilities and shower/locker accommoda-tions in Downtown. Also consider the accommodations ofbicycles on transit vehicles.

w Consideration of a regional river commuter service toDowntown.

Transit Issuesw Pre-development consideration of the need to integrate tran-sit access with major new Downtown projects and fringe park-ing activities.

w Expansion of fringe and satellite park-and-ride opportunitieswith convenient and timely transit service into Downtown.

w Rapid transit service from Downtown to all suburban corri-dors and major centers of activity.

w Improved radial HOV/transit access into Downtown withadditional HOV lanes and transit priority systems in under-served corridors (such as the Airport and North Hills corri-dors).

Auto/Parking Issuesw Through automobile and truck traffic should be divertedfrom core streets onto major and secondary thoroughfares.

w Parking in the core of the Golden Triangle should service3+HOV commuter, executive, and shopper/visitor needs, withfavorable short-term rates.

w Discounted HOV commuter parking should be provided atthe terminuses of HOV facilities. New Low Occupancy Vehicle(LOV) commuter spaces should be located in fringe areas, closeto the regional highway system and to the core employmentdestinations.

w Additional fringe and suburban park-and-ride facilities shouldbe provided with convenient access to the regional highway sys-tem and transit service to Downtown.

InfrastructureDowntown’s transportation infrastructure, including its road-ways, parking facilities, bus facilities, LRT system, sidewalksand pedestrian amenities, should be cost effective, efficient,attractive, and consistent with the Plan’s general developmentgoals and policies. The overriding goal—to integrate and coor-dinate infrastructure improvements with public and privatedevelopment activities—can be achieved by:

w Using existing transportation infrastructure as efficiently andeffectively as possible before investing in new infrastructure.

w Designing and locating transportation infrastructure andfacilities with an eye toward preserving or enhancing the sur-rounding built environment and protecting views.

w Considering how infrastructure improvements contribute tothe overall safety, convenience, and affordability of the trans-portation system, especially as it serves the disadvantagedincluding the poor, elderly, and persons with disabilities.

w Establishing modal priorities for each Downtown street basedon adjacent land uses, street geometrics, and Downtown circu-lation needs.

c Transportation


w Minimizing transfer points within a given trip and easetransfers when they do occur. These and other considerationsshould be aimed at reducing pollution, noise, and congestion.

w Restricting truck loading and unloading to times and loca-tions that minimize their impact on pedestrian mobility, busservice, on-street parking, and peak-hour automobile traffic.

w Providing off-street transit facilities such as bus pull-offs andLRT stations so as to minimize conflicts between traffic andbus loadings/unloadings. Maximize the shared use of the entireDowntown transportation infrastructure.

WoodStreet

Gateway

Steel Plaza

Fifth AvenueForbes Avenue

LRT Station Extensions

Extending the underground walkwaysfrom the existing LRT stations wouldhelp to better link the LRT with retaildevelopment proposed along Fifth &Forbes.These extensions would estab-lish station portals closer to the retailcorridor, both from the Gateway andWood Street Stations, similar to theway the Steel Plaza station extendsitself to Grant Street and the USXtower.

WAY

Station Square

Steel Plaza

ITC/BallparkProposed

GatewayWood

Convention CenterProposed

Liberty CenterProposed

General RobinsonProposed

Stadium/Science CenterProposed

First AvenueProposed

Existing LRT Stations

Proposed LRT Stops

LRT Extension Options

Existing LRT Lines

LRT Connection to North Shore

A transit connection between theNorth Shore and the Golden Triangleis an important factor in making therelationship between fringe parkingand proposed development work.TheLRT system or some other form offixed guideway to the North Shorecould provide this connection.Thiswould both increase transit ridershipto the North Shore (thereby reducingparking demand) and provide a high-level transit connection to the GoldenTriangle to serve North Shore fringeparking. A station proposed at FirstAvenue would provide a similar levelof LRT service for near fringe spacesaround the new Jail and Courthouse.A variety of modes are being consid-ered for this link and will probably bea combination of modes.

RecommendationsThe “living” quality of this Plan is particularly evident in thefollowing transportation recommendations. It’s important tonote that the transportation equation changes daily, influencedby fluctuations in everything from employment, to fuel prices,to the weather. Road construction, transit costs, special events,new retail and housing, and countless other factors affect ourdaily transportation habits. The following recommendations arebased on informed projections about future demand and usage.They seek a reorientation, a balance between the need for con-venience and the desire for livability.

c Transportation


WAY

Fort Pitt Boulevard

Fifth & Forbes


Underpass Improvements

Target Streets

Pedestrian Enhancements

Pedestrian enhancements are pro-posed for most of the traffic-sensitivestreets in downtown Pittsburgh.Pedestrians are viewed as the primarymode of circulation in downtown,meaning all of downtown should bepedestrian friendly, providing anattractive, convenient, and safe pedes-trian environment throughout down-town. A pedestrian-friendly environ-ment is desired which can be achievedby reorienting traffic so as to reducecongestion and free up street spacefor the pedestrian and enhancing thepedestrian environment with improveddesign and amenities.

PedestrianPhase Onew Improve pedestrian connections between the North Shoreand North Side and Golden Triangle areas.

w Improve pedestrian connections between the Strip area andthe Golden Triangle.

w Establish a continuous pedestrian-friendly corridor alongFederal Street across the Sixth Street Bridge to Market Streetthrough the First Side area.

w Reconstruct Fort Pitt Boulevard, Fort Duquesne Boulevard,Wood Street, and Forbes Avenue to provide a more conducivepedestrian street environment.

w Improve the pedestrian link between the Lower Hill District,Civic Arena and Grant Street.

Phase Twow Provide new pedestrian link between Station Square and theGolden Triangle via a new lower Triangle Monongahela RiverCrossing.

Implementationw Complete the North Shore to North Side Pedestrian PortalStudy. (URA)

WAY

Shuttle Routes

Shuttle routes could provide supple-mental transit service for the throughroutes with shuttles that are smaller,distinctive, street-friendly buses.Thisservice would be designed as an off-peak service geared toward visitorsand shoppers. Red indicated major vis-itor attractions.

c Transportation


TransitPhase Onew Test the conversion of some bus routes to through routes andreduce bus volumes on Fifth & Forbes Avenues.

w Extend LRT station platforms at Gateway and Wood to theFifth Avenue corridor, and construct a First Avenue Station.

w Improve pedestrian amenities at Downtown bus stops.

w Provide dedicated shuttle bus service for connecting the vari-ous attractions and accommodations in the Downtown area.

w Investigate use of the rivers for transit purposes.

Phase Twow Extend the LRT system to the North Shore.

w Convert major Downtown bus routes to through routes.

w Improve transit link between the Civic Arena and GrantStreet.

w Provide a transit link between Station Square/Wabash Tunneland the lower Triangle.

Implementation w Conduct a North Shore/CBD Transportation CorridorMajor Investment Study

w Conduct a Pittsburgh Downtown Bus Routing Study

w Convene a working group with PAT’s operations staff todevelop recommendations for reducing bus volumes on FifthAvenue and Forbes Avenue and for making other adjustments

WAY

Through Bus Routing Concept

As a means of further reducing busvolumes, the concept of through rout-ing buses has been proposed.The con-cept brings buses in one corridor andout another which is shown in theschematic of a through routing systemwith each corridor color coded as itcomes in and out of downtown.Through routing of buses could reducebus volumes by as much as 40 perfectas well as reduce problematic turningmovements, and simplify downtownroutes. Reducing bus volumes by elimi-nating the long loops the buses takethrough the downtown could helpattract the type of “street-sensitive”development desired for the core ofthe Golden Triangle. However, inrestructuring downtown bus routescare must to taken not to compromiseservice or ridership.

WAY

Fifth AvenueBoulevard of the Allies

Liberty Avenue

Gran

t Str

eet

Increased Bus Volume

Decreased Bus Volume

Change in Bus Volumes

In order to attract “street-sensitive”development including upscale retail,entertainment, and housing, there is aneed to reallocate street usage in thecore of the inner Triangle and CulturalDistrict areas.The traffic-sensitivestreets include Fifth & Forbes, Woodand Smithfield, and Sixth, Seventh andPenn in Cultural District. It is on thesestreets we need to reduce traffic andenhance their pedestrian environmentsin order to attract the type of develop-ment we’re looking for. A shifting ofbus traffic from these traffic sensitivestreets (dotted) to the Downtown innerloop (Grant, Liberty, Stanwix andAllies) as well as some key crossstreets (Fourth, Seventh and Ninth)may produce the desired pedestrian-and development-friendly environment.Also, the inner loop streets are thewidest in Downtown, thus being able tobetter accommodate heavier trafficvolumes.

c Transportation


to bus operations along Fifth and Wood in conjunction withthe opening of the Lazarus Department store in late 1998.

w Pursue the relocation of Conrail/Norfolk Southern trafficfrom the Fort Wayne Bridge.

ParkingPhase Onew Provide additional short term parking spaces in the core ofthe Golden Triangle, adjust core Golden Triangle parking ratesto favor short-term parking.

w Provide additional, low-cost, long-term spaces at the fringeof Downtown with convenient walkways and shuttle serviceinto the Golden Triangle.

w Construct new fringe garages in the First Avenue and NorthShore areas.

w Increase the number of shared parking facilities and provide24-hour discounted residential parking around the fringe ofthe Golden Triangle.

w Provide for affordable or free parking for a cineplex develop-ment along Fifth and Forbes.

Phase Twow Provide parking for the Phase Two Convention Centerexpansion, including spaces to replace those displaced by theexpansion.

CoreNearFringe

Near Fringe

NearFringe

Remote Fringe

Perimeter

RemoteFringe

Shared Parking Options

The proposed development strategycould displace virtually all of the fringespaces on the North Shore and Stripareas while at the same time addinganywhere from 3,000 – 5,000 spacesin demand.To address this problem, afive-tiered system has been proposed.The zones, characterized by distinctlevels of convenience, rate structuresand a distinct market, would includecore, perimeter, near fringe, remotefringe and satellite.The task here is tocalculate the demand for each type ofparking and build accordingly.

WAY

Proposed Garages

Advisory Routes

Existing Garages

Parking Advisory System

A parking advisory system has beenproposed which would include elec-tronic signs directing shoppers, visi-tors, tourists, and event attendees toavailable spaces in downtown. Shownare some of the proposed routes thatcould be equipped with electronicsigns.

c Transportation


BuswaysFreeways

LRT'sProposedExisting

HOV Facilities

Regional Access

Currently, Downtown is the hub of a radial system of highways and transit lineswith, in many cases, interstate freeways paired with busways and HOV lanes.Theextent to which we maintain and enhance this paired system will have a directbearing on our ability to implement the proposed development strategy.

Regional AccessPhase Onew Expand and enhance the existing LRT system.

w Expand existing and construct new HOV facilities andbusways.

w Provide additional Park and Ride lots in strategic suburbanlocations with direct transit service to Downtown.

w Implement bus priority systems such as bus preemption sys-tems and bus lanes on existing radial routes,

w Mitigate the traffic impacts of the temporary closure of theFort Pitt Bridge (I-279) for rehabilitation.

w Fast-track two key “bottleneck” projects: upgrading Route 28to a freeway facility from I-279 to Millvale; constructing a newI-279/376 connector to provide a direct interstate to interstateconnection from southbound I-279 to eastbound I-376.

w Improve roadway configuration of the West End Circle so asto reduce the number of traffic lights and circuitous move-ments.

w Upgrade the Route 51/88 intersection to improve traffic flowand safety.

Phase Twow Pursue development of the new Airport Multi-modalCorridor from Downtown to the airport.

w Pursue development of a high-speed Maglev link between theairport and Downtown as well as other regional destinations tothe east.

OVERVIEW

FOCUS AREAS


Business Climate

Housing

Institutions

Transportation

cUrban Design

Summary

Current Projects

Research Findings

Challenges


DISTRICTS

APPENDIX

THE PITTSBURGH DOWNTOWN PLAN Urban Design

c Urban Design


Summary

Urban design in the context of the Downtown Plan is primari-ly concerned with the physical characteristics of the city andthe implications of design and planning decisions for the pub-lic realm of the city. The urban design strategy must serve as anintegrating tool, which coordinates how various public and pri-vate development proposals, including transportation and pub-lic infrastructure will affect the city physically. The focus ofconcern is the public realm of the city: the public faces ofbuildings, interior public spaces, and the streets, sidewalks,parks and plazas that provide outdoor public venues for wide-ranging activities.

An important guiding principle is to reinforce the traditionalhabits and patterns of city life. Good design emphasizesDowntown streets as the primary public spaces, and extendskey habits and patterns to new districts under developmentsuch as the North and South Shores, the Strip and the LowerHill. Simultaneously, we seek to capture potential amenities

Downtown Pittsburgh

present in our extensive and beautiful riverfronts. As statedmany times in this document, a principal goal of the Plan is toemphasize the rivers’ central role and to place the rivers at theheart of Downtown. To do this will allow us to see them as theelements that unite the greater Downtown, rather than divideand separate it.

The Golden Triangle is the visual focus ofthe Three Rivers Basin.The skyline of theGolden Triangle has been consciouslysculpted into its pyramidal shape throughthe use of zoning controls that requirelower buildings along the riverfronts andpermits taller ones in the core of theTriangle.

c Urban Design


Research Findings

An analysis of the physical conditions of the Downtown studyarea revealed a number of key existing conditions that haveguided our urban design thinking. These are:

w The basin landform created by the intersection of the ThreeRivers is Downtown’s defining physical feature, and in manyways helped to define our expanded notion of Downtown. Theintegrity of basic elements of this landscape, in particular thegreen slopes of Mt. Washington, is essential to the visual char-acter of the city.

w Pittsburgh’s Downtown remains the iconic image for theentire region of Southwestern Pennsylvania. The intimate rela-tionship between the built form of the city and the landscapesetting described above has resulted in one of the most visuallydistinctive American urban centers. Some of these relationshipshave resulted through vernacular development, but others arethe result of planning efforts. For example, the triangular shapeof the city skyline, which mimics the triangular form of theland, is the result of the height limit planes established throughthe city zoning code.

w The rivers and their shores are, of course, major elements ofthe landscape. They constitute major amenities that have onlybeen partially realized through limited public access to theriverfronts at Point State Park and Roberto Clemente Park.Numerous efforts continue to expand riverfront access includ-ing the construction of new parks along the Allegheny Riverand the implementation of the City’s Riverfront DevelopmentPlan.

Open Spaces as Solids

Reversing the normal condition anddisplaying open spaces as solidsreveals the importance of the rivers asopen spaces and the relative density ofthe inner part of the Golden Triangle.

Views Into the City

One of the important visual aspects ofthe city is that there are strong viewsto the core from all parts of the ThreeRivers Basin.The contained nature ofthe landscape and the density of build-ing in the Triangle creates a centralfocus. Red buildings are visual land-marks, yellow lines are major views;the purple line indicates the primaryview corridor along Sixth and MarketStreets.

Views Out of the City

The reverse of the above diagramsshows how the views out of the centerare strongly contained and controlled.Most views intersect the South SideSlopes, and because of the two,unaligned grids in the Golden Triangle,the only continuous views from thecenter to both the Allegheny andMonongahela Rivers are along Sixthand Market Streets (indicated in pur-ple).

c Urban Design


w The strongly contained andconcentrated urban character ofthe Golden Triangle and manyof the surrounding neighbor-hoods such as the North Side,Strip District, Bluff and SouthSide is one of the city’s strongestassets. The fact that the tradi-tional pattern of streets, blocksand buildings is largely intact and has not been interrupted bymajor “holes” in the urban fabric distinguishes Pittsburgh frommany other American downtowns.

w There are, however, a number of large sites, including theNorth and South Shores and parts of the Strip District, thatfor historical reasons related to their former uses as industrialareas do not have the same well-developed urban character.Other areas, notably the Civic Arena and Allegheny Center,have suffered from the misguided effects of Post-War urbanrenewal.

w The large and architecturally significant stock of historicbuildings and other structures (in particular bridges) is anotherof the important physical assets of Downtown. Both nationallyrecognized landmarks such as the Allegheny CountyCourthouse as well as unknown background buildings makeimportant contributions to the visual character and texture ofthe city. Many of these buildings have changed uses duringtheir lifetimes which establishes an important trend—thatolder buildings can successfully be adapted to new and futureuses through sensitive renovation and preservation efforts.

Sun Studies

The primary grid, of mostly narrowstreets, runs east-west in the GoldenTriangle, and most of the tallest build-ings are concentrated in the center dueto zoning. As a result, many of thestreets in the center of town are inshadow much of the day. This limitsthe ability to successfully grow streettrees in the urban core mostly to thewider streets like Grant, Liberty andthe Boulevard of the Allies. Conversely,the areas along the edges of theTriangle have good solar orientation aswell as views making them very attrac-tive for housing development.

Downtown as viewed from the South Side

Mid-Morning equinox

Noon equinox

Mid-Afternoon equinox

c Urban Design


Current Projects

A number of public space improvements have recently beencompleted or are well underway in the Downtown area.

w The completed $4 million Fort Duquesne pedestrian bridgeis an enlargement and reconstruction of the pedestrian walk-way along the Fort Duquesne Bridge and provides a direct andhandicapped accessible walkway and bikeway between PointState Park and Three Rivers Stadium.

w The Three Rivers Heritage Trail along the Allegheny River isnearly complete. The section of this trail that extends from theCarnegie Science Center to Washington’s Landing will be com-pleted in fall 1998. This trail will incorporate existing parkssuch as Roberto Clemente Park as well as new park segmentsin front of the new Alcoa Corporate Center and the Lincoln at

North Shore housing develop-ment. A renovated railroadbridge will connect the trail tothe south end of Washington’sLanding.

w The Eliza Furnace bike andwalking path was completed in1998. Currently running fromthe First Avenue parking lotDowntown to Greenfield thisformer railroad right-of-way willbe extended to Grant Street andOakland in the next few years.

w The $6 million AlleghenyRiverfront Park Phase One isunder construction. Fall 1998completion is anticipated forthis river level section of thepark. It will link the CulturalDistrict to Point State Park viaaccessible ramps at the SeventhStreet Bridge and a continuous riverwalk. The second phase ofthe park will involve the reconstruction of the upper level atFort Duquesne Boulevard.


Three Rivers Heritage Trail

c Urban Design


w Fifth Avenue reconstructionis due for fall 1998 completionat a cost of $8 million. Itincludes new street repaving,sidewalks, lights, trees andother pedestrian amenities.

wWood Street reconstructionis due for fall 1998 completion. It includes new street repaving,sidewalks, lights, trees and other pedestrian amenities.

w Isabella Street reconstruction is complete at a cost of $0.5million.

w Anderson Street reconstruction north of the Ninth StreetBridge is complete.

Challenges

Perhaps the greatest challenge from an urban design perspectiveis to establish the link between development opportunities andenhancements to the public realm through high-quality publicand private design standards.

Specifically, this means a number of things:

w Continuing to improve the quality of public open spaces, inparticular pedestrian-scaled streets and riverfront access.

w Encouraging sensitively designed new buildings that rein-force the traditional strengths of the city and contribute to thepublic realm.

w Finding new ways to preserve and reuse important historicresources of the built environment, with particular emphasis onthe adaptive reuse of historic and “obsolete” buildings in theGolden Triangle.

w Encouraging high-design standards for all public infrastruc-ture projects, requiring that they make significant contributionsto new and existing public spaces including streets and otherthoroughfares.

Adaptive Reuse building prototype

Current construction on Fifth Avenue

c Urban Design



District PlansThe role of the urban design task force and consultants hasbeen to integrate the work of the other aspects of the Plan andto study the physical implications of development proposals,with a particular focus on the public realm. Thus, determiningthe organization and configuration of the District proposalswas a key element of their work. These District proposals were,however, broad and diagrammatic. For certain Districts, thislevel of detail will not be sufficient for the future implementa-tion of the development proposals outlined in the Plan. A nec-essary implementation step will be to conduct detailed designand development plans for the Districts with intense levels ofconcentrated development. These are:

w North Shore area between the two new proposed stadiums

w Strip District area west of the Sixteenth Street Bridge

w Fifth & Forbes Avenues from Stanwix to Smithfield Streets

w Civic Arena / Lower Hill area from Sixth Avenue toCrawford Street

North ShoreThe Strip

Civic Arena/Lower HillFifth & Forbes

Areas requiring district plans

The Plan proposes a more family-friendlyand inviting urban landscape through aseries of public space improvements,including new open spaces, brighterstreet and sidewalk treatments, andgreater access to the waterfront.Theseimprovements will knit together the vari-ous proposed developments (red, blue,and yellow).

c Urban Design


General Urban Design InitiativesBeyond the work related to the Districts, there were also gener-al urban design issues addressed that relate to the entire studyarea. Described below are these general urban design strategieswhich would be implemented simultaneously in both PhaseOne and Phase Two of the 10-year development strategy.Generally these focused on three categories:

w Enhancements to the public infrastructure, in particularstreets and public transit to be more pedestrian-friendly andsupportive of public transit usage.

w Expansion and development of the riverfront park systemand its connection to the core of the city.

w Establishment of Urban Design Guidelines and a reviewprocess to insure that new projects are of the highest qualityand conform to the principles detailed in the Downtown Plan.

Streetscape Improvements

Golden Triangle Boulevard System (Phases One & Two)Because the Plan considers the streets of Downtown to be itsprincipal public spaces, it has been a consistent focus to targetthem for improvement as part of the overall upgrade ofDowntown’s infrastructure. While nearly all of the streets inthe study area are considered to be important pedestrianstreets, certain streets were targeted for significant pedestrianstreetscape improvements as part of the general DevelopmentStrategy.

As part of the larger bus-rerout-ing strategy (described in theTransportation section) whichinvolves moving buses off thecongested interior streets of theTriangle and on to surrounding,larger capacity streets, streetimprovements are proposed forStanwix Street and theBoulevard of the Allies. Thesetwo streets would, in conjunc-tion with the Grant Street andLiberty Avenue (recently recon-structed), complete an “InnerLoop” of upgraded streets thatwould support the linkage between streetscape improvementsand transit. Specifically, this would include new amenities relat-ed to bus riders, such as shelters, benches and waiting areas aswell a general street amenities such as new paving, street trees,pedestrian lighting and planted medians.

Similar boulevard configurations should be applied to the twostreets that form the edges of the Triangle, Fort Duquesne andFort Pitt Boulevards.

The conversion of Fort Duquesne Boulevard to a pedestrianboulevard with an enlarged park area along the north side ofthe street overlooking the Allegheny River is slated for imple-mentation as the second phase of the Allegheny River Parkconstruction. Fort Duquesne Boulevard should be consideredfor extension as a tree-lined boulevard through the StripDistrict up to 21st Street in order to create a strong riverfrontage for that District.

Proposed streetscape cross-section for Stanwix Street and Boulevard of the Allies

c Urban Design


Fort Pitt Boulevard should be give a similar pedestrian-scaledtreatment with street trees and other amenities as part of thereconstruction of that section of the Parkway East which wouldinvolve the lowering of the roadway closer to river level.

Boulevard improvements, similar to those in the Triangle,should also be made to the section of Centre Avenue thatextends from Sixth Avenue to Crawford Street by the CivicArena. This section of the street is extremely wide and over-built and could easily be converted to a tree-lined pedestrianboulevard while still accommodating the large vehicular vol-umes that converge at Civic Arena events. Such alterationswould greatly improve the pedestrian connections between theLower Hill neighborhood and the Downtown core as well assignificantly upgrading the visual quality of the Civic Arenaenvironment.

Underpasses and Connections (Phase One)There are number of places in the Downtown study area whereelevated highways and railroads create unpleasant underpassconditions for the streets below them. In particular, these occuralong I-279 on the North Shore and at Fifth and ForbesAvenues below the Crosstown Expressway. Currently, the URAis conducting a study of the North Shore underpasses to exam-ine various potential amenity upgrades. These streets are partic-ularly important because they constitute the only points ofconnection between the North Side neighborhoods and the

North Shore. Given the scale of new development proposed forthat area, substantial improvements to these connections isrequired to make travel back and forth safe and pleasant. Asimilar study of the Fifth & Forbes underpasses should be con-ducted.

Street Standards for New District Development (Phase Two)Street standards, similar to those currently in use for the recon-struction of streets in the historic parts of the Golden Triangle,should be applied to new district developments (or redevelop-ments) such as the North Shore area, the Strip, and the SouthShore. These standards require granite curbs and utility accessstrips, pedestrian and vehicular light standards and recommendstreet trees, decorative finishes for sidewalks, and pedestrianwayfinding signage.

Walkable City Project (Phase Two)As a sub-set of the work conducted for the Downtown Plan, aschematic design study was undertaken to examine possibleimprovements to the Downtown streetscape environment witha particular focus on pedestrian wayfinding signage needs.Prototype designs were developed for a system of maps andwayfinding signs that would serve to orient and direct touristsand visitors as well as residents. Preliminary proposals were alsomade for this

ConventionCenter

Benedum Center

O’ReillyTheater

ByhamTheater

HarrisTheater

Heinz Hall

C U L T U R A LD I S T R I C T

C E N T R A LD I S T R I C T

S T R I PD I S T R I C T

HarrisTheater

Typical cross-section for Centre Avenue improvement

Walkable City Project design prototypes

c Urban Design


system so that could be expanded to include bus shelters andother sidewalk structures within the same design language andmanufacturing system as the other signage elements. ExistingCity standards for other street elements including curbs, side-walks, trees, trash receptacles, and streetlights were also docu-mented as part of this study.

Riverfront Park System (Phase One & Two)

In principle, the proposals for the riverfront park systemshould conform to the Riverfront Development Plan undercompletion by the Department of City Planning.

The general goal for the Downtown area is to provide a contin-uous riverfront park system along the Golden Triangle andalong the North Shore of the Allegheny and Ohio Rivers.Future potential exists to expand that system to the SouthShore of the Monogahela River as well. The proposals fordevelopment of the park system fall into two categories: reno-vation and enhancement of existing parks, specifically, PointState Park and Roberto Clemente Park, and the construction ofnew parks along the Golden Triangle.

Point State Park (Phase One)The park should be opened up to a wider range of activities bypermitting active recreation such as cycling and rollerblading aswell as through the addition of new amenities. A playgroundshould be added to the east edge of the park in order to makethe park more family-friendly as well as to provide much need-ed facilities for the many day-care centers operating in theGolden Triangle. Visitor facilities such as cafes, restaurants andconcessions should be added in a manner compatible with andsympathetic to the existing character of the park.

Point State Park currently suffers considerable stress during cer-tain times of the year due to very large crowds that attend vari-ous festivals. While it is important that we recognize the role ofthe Point as the region’s gathering place, there may be longterm opportunities to relieve some of this pressure.Development of an amphitheater and expanded park facilitieson the North Shore (see the next section) could allow for therelocation of some parts of major festivals such as the Regattato those new venues. This would permit Point State Park toreturn to its original character as a largely passive-recreationpark.

Roberto Clemente Park (Phases One & Two)With the expected development of two new sports venues,expansion of the Carnegie Science Center, as well as the devel-opment of the mixed-use district describe elsewhere, expansion

WAYPoint StatePark

Allegheny Riverfront ParkUnder Construction

Fort Pitt Boulevard ParkProposed

Science & Art ParkProposed

Market Square

Downtown-OaklandBike Trail

Fort Duquesne BoulevardExtensionProposed

Park Open Space Concept Plan

c Urban Design


of riverfront amenities will be important. A two-level parkshould be established by reconfiguring North Shore (orStadium) Drive as a pedestrian-oriented, park-like drive withoverlooks to the river. This street would be strongly connectedto the new development blocks behind it. The possibility alsoexists to develop an enlarged “Science & Art Park” in conjunc-tion with the Carnegie Science Center. The riverfront park infront of the new ballpark will also be reconstructed as part ofthat project.

Allegheny River Park (Phases One & Two)As described earlier, the first phase of this park development iscurrently under construction with completion expected in fall1998. This first phase will involve a connection to Point StatePark. The second phase will involve the reconstruction of FortDuquesne Boulevard. An important aspect of that project willbe to extend the riverfront section as far as the expandedConvention Center (Phase One will end at Ninth Street). Theupper level park should also be designed so as to foster a strongconnection between the Convention Center’s river facade andthe riverside.

Fort Pitt Park (Phase Two)The Fort Pitt Park should beconstructed in order to completea continuous system of river-front parks around the GoldenTriangle with continuation upboth the Monongahela andAllegheny Rivers. In the processof reconstructing the ParkwayEast as it runs along theMonongahela River, the Parkwayshould be rebuilt closer to theriver elevation in order to allowa park to be constructed on adeck structure over the sectionextending from Stanwix to Smithfield Streets. In conjunctionwith a renovated Fort Pitt Boulevard, riverfront esplanade andvertical connections between the two, this would establish ariverfront park that would serve as a companion to theAllegheny River Park. Connections to Point State Park and therecently completed Eliza Furnace Trail will permit continuousriverfront bicycle and pedestrian travel.

Design Guidelines & ReviewIncluded in this document are the text and illustrations for theDowntown Urban Design Guidelines. It was one of the recom-mendations of the Urban Design Task Force that theseGuidelines be used as the basis of a Design Review process forthe Greater Downtown area. The Department of City Planningwill take the lead responsibility for the implementation of theguidelines and review process.

Proposed plan for Allegheny Riverfront Park

Proposed plan for Fort Pitt Park

OVERVIEW

FOCUS AREAS

DISTRICTS

cFifth & Forbes

Summary

Challenge

Approach

Action Items

Transportation

Gateway

Sixth Street Connection

North Shore

Cultural District

Convention Center

Strip District

South Shore

First Side

Grant Street Corridor

Civic Arena / Lower Hill

APPENDIX

Fifth & ForbesTHE PITTSBURGH DOWNTOWN PLAN

Mixed retail andentertainmentdistrict

c Fifth & Forbes


Summary

The Fifth & Forbes planning area, including Market Square,enjoys a high-regional profile as the center of Downtown retail.The fall 1998 opening of a new Lazarus department store atthe corner of Fifth Avenue and Wood Street provides the linch-pin for a focused and revitalized retail and entertainment dis-trict—brighter and more vibrant than anything before experi-enced here. The district encompasses Fifth and Forbes Avenuesfrom Liberty Avenue on the west to Grant Street on the east.Its drawing power as a regional shopping destination is secured

by a flagship Kaufmann’s, SaksFifth Avenue, the new Lazarus,and by several clusters of spe-cialty retail, particularly alongSmithfield Street. MarketSquare, once known for abustling nighttime dining andmusic scene, remains a focal

point of warm weather, daylight activity and evening concerts.The Plan envisions the Fifth & Forbes area as a year-round,24-hour destination: a main stage for brand-name shopping,dining and entertainment, a point of embarkation for regionaland out-of-town visitors, and a reason for Downtown employ-ees to extend their day with shopping and entertainment.

Market Square

New Lazarus department store

c Fifth & Forbes


Challenge

The challenge is to revitalize the traditional retail heart ofDowntown by attracting global retail and entertainment devel-opers, improving overall traffic flow, and preserving andenhancing the distinct character of the Fifth & Forbes area.Introducing a centralized retail management and marketinggroup charged with facilitating development, setting policiesand carrying out the kind of joint promotion, parking and cus-tomer service functions—typically found in suburban malls—is critical to the Plan’s success.

Approach

The Plan finds that the Fifth & Forbes area offers a buildingdensity and customer market favorable for sustaining a diverseand selective set of stores and attractions. Rather than recruitone new store or attraction at a time, Pittsburgh seeks a com-prehensive development solution. The primary objective forthis planning area is to enhance the retail core, add a strongdose of new dining and entertainment options, and improvethe overall pedestrian environment.

The Fifth & Forbes area should become a “must see” for all vis-itors, including those whose primary destination might be anational trade show at the Convention Center, a performancein the Cultural District, or sports-related activity on the NorthShore. Upgrading the overall mix of stores and entertainmentshould entice employees to stay beyond working hours, andattract suburban residents, and leisure travelers, both day-trip-pers and overnight guests.

Action Items

Phase One Restore the stature of Fifth & Forbes district as the region’spremier shopping destination, building upon the success ofKaufmann’s and Saks’ stores, and the draw of a new Lazarus.Two immediate goals are the expansion of Saks, and the intro-

duction of a fourth, better qualitydepartment store offering a wider vari-ety of merchandise. This additionaldepartment store should be located tothe west of the other major departmentstores to distribute the balance of poweralong the corridor. Market researchfinds an opportunity for this fourthdepartment store to be at least 125,000square feet in size, and may range up to200,000 square feet.

Attract national-brand specialty retail and destinationrestaurants, in part by leveraging the drawing power of fourmajor department stores. Market analysis indicates thatbetween 150,000 and 250,000 square feet of additional special-ty retail space could be developed Downtown, most of whichshould be located in the Fifth & Forbes planning area. Thesespecialty retailers could offer everything from prepared gour-met foods to athletic shoes. Sit-down restaurants would beamong the most desirable tenants because of their potentialcontribution to the overall vitality of the Downtown area. Topreserve the market diversity that has traditionally been anasset of Downtown shopping, retail tenants should continue tooffer a variety of goods and prices to appeal to a broad cross-section of consumers.

Fifth Avenue

c Fifth & Forbes


Empower a central management entity to oversee the storeand merchandise mix, operating standards, public spaces,and retail marketing throughout the Fifth & Forbes retail cor-ridor to the mutual benefit of all tenants. Such an entity wouldrecruit specific retailers or general categories of businesses, andestablish standards for operation, most importantly store hours.Management would also have the capacity to develop market-ing programs that would help to support off-peak retail hoursusing special events and promotional discounts. Unlike subur-ban mall managers, this retail management entity must balancethe unique public demands and private interests represented inthe Downtown area, and be responsive to public opinionaround issues such as parking, bus routing and historic preser-vation.

Improve the pedestrian environment, with the rebuilding ofcurbs, sidewalks and street surfaces, new street furniture andfacade improvements. These improvements will improve visualcontinuity, lending a sense of unity from block to block.Shoppers will appreciate the well-managed, attractive publicspaces that complement the improved retail offerings. A similareffort should be applied to re-routing transit services to reducecongestion and noise on the most retail intensive streets. Byshifting some routes to peripheral streets, shopping streets willaccommodate more local traffic and pedestrian movement.

Develop additional short-term parking, and create a carefullytiered pricing strategy to encourage local employees to usefringe lots, freeing up inventory for short-term use by daytimeshoppers. The development of long-term parking structures inother areas of the Triangle should alleviate pressure. Thesedevelopments are discussed in the area plans for the Cultural

District, First Side, the Strip District, and the Civic Arena /Lower Hill area. The reconfiguration of the bus routes throughthe Golden Triangle will present additional short-term parking.By shifting heavy bus traffic from the retail core, especiallyalong Fifth & Forbes Avenues, metered spaces can be providedfor short-term use.

Phase Two As with the Sixth Street Connection, the importance of thisplanning area in the revitalization of Downtown is so great thatno major actions should be deferred beyond the near term.Again, continued management and maintenance are critical tothe success of these efforts, and must be extended through theentire planning period of this Action Plan.

Transportation

Although the current LRT system delivers a large number ofcommuters into the Fifth & Forbes planning area, Downtown’sthree stops sit at the fringe of the proposed shopping andentertainment district. One solution would be the expansion ofexisting station walkways to provide convenient, year-roundaccess to department stores and other developments. As dis-cussed earlier, the reconfiguration of bus routes should reducepollution and noise levels in the retail core. A thorough discus-sion of bus rerouting and other transit issues can be found inthe Transportation section of the Plan.

Congested downtown streets areprime candidates for bus rerouting.

OVERVIEW

FOCUS AREAS

DISTRICTS

Fifth & Forbes

cGateway

Summary

Challenge

Approach

Transportation


North Shore

Cultural District

Convention Center

Strip District

South Shore

First Side



APPENDIX

THE PITTSBURGH DOWNTOWN PLAN Gateway

c Gateway


Summary

As Pittsburgh’s first plannedDowntown revitalization pro-ject, Gateway Center began aprocess in 1947 that continuesto the present. Until GatewayCenter, it was not clear ifPittsburgh could muster thepolitical and economic capitalto transform itself. While nolonger the most modern orarchitecturally daring of thecity’s buildings, the GatewayTowers still hold their own inthe modern Pittsburgh skyline.More recent additions—PPGPlace and Fifth Avenue Place—

along with Penn Avenue Place help to define one edge of theGateway Center area. The other is dominated by Point StatePark, long the ceremonial and symbolic gateway to the region.The Gateway Center area stretches from the north bank of theMonongahela to the south bank of the Allegheny, and includesa significant portion of the Pittsburgh region’s Class A officespace and office employment. The district is linked to theNorth Shore via the Fort Duquesne Bridge and a new pedestri-an walkway.

Gateway Center and Point State Park

The Point in 1932

The Point in 1812

c Gateway


Challenge

The challenges include continually measuring and improvingconditions that support the Gateway Center area as a regionalemployment center, and the ceremonial heart of the region. Asemployment grows, so do the demands for mass transit andparking, an ongoing issue for the area. One objective for thisplanning area is to improve the relationship among Point StatePark and activity centers in the Triangle, and the North andSouth Shores. While Point State Park continues to foster manyregional festivals and events, it is overburdened with large-scaleproductions, while underutilized for more casual recreation. It’sworth considering how some large events might move to newfacilities such as the proposed North Shore amphitheater,relieving Point State Park from constant high-stress on its lawnsand facilities, and recognizing its true nature as a passive park.

Approach

Although the Gateway Center area may not change in buildingdensity, its immediate and long-term future will be central tothe growth of Downtown. Entertainment and retail develop-ments along Fifth and Forbes, the sports facilities on the NorthShore, and various cultural venues all rely on patronage fromGateway Center employees. Also, the development of largefloorplate office space in nearby planning areas will benefit theGateway Center area. Back-office operations for national andinternational firms located in the Gateway Center area can belocated near their front offices, in new, efficient, and affordable

developments. This will enable some key employers to remainin the Downtown area, rather than moving to locations in thesuburbs or in other metropolitan areas.

Point State Park is undergoing a transformation as well, bothin its reach and character. Flanked on either end by First Sideand the Cultural District, Point State Park represents a trea-sured amenity for new and current Downtown residents, aswell as city and regional visitors. The Allegheny RiverfrontPark on the south bank of the Allegheny River will connect toPoint State Park. A continuation of the linear park on theMonongahela side would provide continuous pedestrian accessto the southern edge of the Triangle in the First Side area. Newrecreational uses for the park—including bikes and roller-blades—will be encouraged, along with more family-centered

The plan for the Point State Park renovation in the 1960s.

c Gateway


programming and possibly the installation of a playground.Other ways to enliven and animate the Park such as program-ming, riverfront cafes, and other vendors should be considered.

Transportation

Many Gateway Center employees rely on North Shore fringeparking. Proposed development of the North Shore couldgreatly reduce the number of such spaces. Replacements to thiscrucial parking inventory are recommended in the North Shoreas well as Cultural District and First Side, with additionalspaces to be provided in the Strip District and Civic Arenaareas. As appropriate, additional shuttle services from the far-ther fringe lots will be recommended.

The reconfiguration of the bus system in the Downtown areawill also affect the Gateway Center area. By reducing bus ser-vice on the interior streets of the Triangle and rerouting busesto peripheral streets, Stanwix Street and the Boulevard of theAllies—major access ways to the Gateway/PPG develop-ments—will bear a heavier load than they do currently. Caremust be taken to avoid congestion, and streetscape improve-ments should take this change into account. Potential LRTexpansion from Gateway across the river to the North Shorewould service both visitors and employees who park and shut-tle to offices in the Gateway district.

OVERVIEW

FOCUS AREAS

DISTRICTS

Fifth & Forbes

Gateway

cSixth Street Connection

Summary

Challenge

Approach

Action Items

Transportation

North Shore

Cultural District

Convention Center

Strip District

South Shore

First Side



APPENDIX

THE PITTSBURGH DOWNTOWN PLAN Sixth Street Connection

Sixth Street Bridge

Retail and restaurants

Garage

Restaurant Row

Fifth & Forbesretail and entertainment

c Sixth Street Connection


Summary

A good place to demonstrate how public space improvementscan influence development decisions and the viability of certainprojects is in the area of Sixth Street, including both shores ofthe Allegheny River, and incorporating the Sixth Street Bridge.Changing pedestrian traffic patterns and encouraging a new setof habits here will require imagination and investment. Theobjective is to create a physical and psychological link betweenthe Triangle and the North Shore, with strong centers of activi-ty at either end connected by an equally interesting corridor ofsupporting activity.

Challenge

The challenges include creating an attractive and vital environ-ment that promotes pedestrian movement between the NorthShore, the Cultural District, and Market Square via Sixth Streetand Market Street. A primary goal is to make the waterfront lessof a real and perceived obstacle, and more of a staging area andfront door to Downtown activity on both shores.

Approach

The Plan finds Sixth Street and the Sixth Street Bridge to bethe right connector for a variety of reasons. Cultural Districtpatrons have already established this area as a prime evening

Sixth Street corridor looking north

Market Street corridor looking south



and post-performance dining spot. The planned location of abaseball-only stadium at the foot of the Sixth Street Bridge,and a new cinaplex theater planned for Market Square, provideimportant bookend attractions. And as one of Pittsburgh’s“three sisters” bridges, the Sixth Street Bridge already handles asignificant amount of pedestrian traffic, both Downtownemployees and stadium patrons. Plans call for the Bridge totransform into a festive marketplace on game days, evoking thePonte Vecchio of 16th-century Florence.

Action Items

Phase OneDevelop sports and entertainment activity on the NorthShore end of the Sixth Street Connection, including thePirates’ ballpark, restaurants, and lodging as described in theNorth Shore District Plan. One key role of the Sixth Street

Connection is to give attendeesat ball games easy access to thefull inventory of GoldenTriangle parking, and toencourage office workers totake a more leisurely after-work stroll between theTriangle and game-night activ-ity on the North Shore.

Invest in pedestrian-friendly urban design on the SixthStreet Bridge, including the segregation of vehicular andpedestrian traffic, dramatic lighting, signage, banners, and

other streetscape improvementson the Sixth Street Bridge. TheBridge could convert to a pedes-trian-only route across theAllegheny River during majorweekend festivals and events,with vendors and activitiesstaged along a promenade thatbecomes a destination in itself.

Promote new dining activityand facade improvementsalong the Sixth Street corridor,enlivening the passage to andfrom the North Shore andTriangle. Public investments in streetscape improvementsshould be made, including trees, light, curbs and sidewalks,and other visual elements that promote continuity with theother elements of the Sixth Street Connection. Also, a criticalmass of restaurants and cafes should be developed along thiscorridor to generate evening activity. These restaurants willserve patrons of the Cultural District, Downtown employeesand residents, and Convention visitors, as well as those peopleattending North Shore events.

Develop year-round entertainment offerings in MarketSquare as a counter-weight to North Shore activity. TheSixth Street Connection will naturally direct people to andfrom the Fifth and Liberty Avenue/Market Square vicinity,making this an obvious location for a large state-of-the-art“megaplex” cinema with 12 or more screens. Most megaplexesrequire a minimum building of 60,000 square feet. Free or

Market Square

New Pirates Ballpark



reduced-fee parking options would be a necessity for any oper-ator trying to compete with suburban competitors. Such anopportunity exists because of the large supply of parking thatgoes unused after work hours and on the weekends. Themerestaurants, coffee shops, book stores, and music shops wouldbe natural complements to any cinema development.

Establish a visual and spatial corridor between activity cen-ters on both shores of the Allegheny River. The location is akey opportunity because it is the only point in the Trianglewhere the two street grids align in such a way that you can seeboth the Monongahela and the Allegheny Rivers. A strongvisual relationship and sense of continuity from Market Street,across Market Square and Sixth Street to the North Shore iskey to establishing the Sixth Street Connection and shorteningthe perceived distance between points. Creative urban designincluding the introduction of new open space can help toestablish such a view corridor.

Phase Two This Sixth Street Connection planning area is critical to thesuccess of revitalization efforts on both sides of the river. Asidefrom continued management and maintenance of Phase Onedevelopments, there are no recommendations for this area thatshould be deferred beyond the near-term.

Transportation

Aside from improved pedestrian connections and parkingissues, the most important transportation consideration for theSixth Street Connection would be expansion of the LRT to ser-vice all current and planned North Shore sites, including twonew stadiums. A new entrance to the Gateway LRT stationfrom the public space proposed for the Liberty, Fifth andMarket intersection would better serve riders. Construction ofthe new Allegheny Riverfront Park will help pedestrian flowbetween the Cultural District, Convention Center, NorthShore and Triangle. Changes in bus routing and short-tripshuttle service along Penn, Liberty and Fort DuquesneBoulevards and across the Sixth Street Bridge should also beconsidered to support both day and evening activity.

OVERVIEW

FOCUS AREAS

DISTRICTS

Fifth & Forbes

Gateway


cNorth Shore

Summary

Challenge

Approach

Action Items

Cultural District

Convention Center

Strip District

South Shore

First Side



APPENDIX

THE PITTSBURGH DOWNTOWN PLAN North Shore

Practice field

Ampitheater

Garages

Office and retail

Garages

Hotel

"First-day"attraction

c North Shore


Summary

Pittsburgh’s professional baseball and football teams attract 2.6million fans annually to the North Shore. But scarce develop-ment near Three Rivers Stadium—an island of activity sur-rounded by a sea of surface parking—has prevented the areafrom reaching its full economic potential. Segregated, single-land-use development has produced four decades of lost eco-nomic opportunity. The miscalculation reminds us that all tripsbegin and end as pedestrian trips. Future development of theNorth Shore should restore the integrity of the area’s street gridand rebuild a high-quality pedestrian environment. Plans callfor two new sports stadiums, an outdoor music amphitheatreand a high-quality, first-day attraction. Complementary restau-rant, hotel and retail development, as well as new residentialand office tenants, will be recruited to ensure year-round, day-and-night activity. The district spans the northern banks of theOhio and Allegheny Rivers, from the West End Bridge to theFort Wayne Railroad Bridge on the east. Bounded by thewaterfront to the south, the area terminates at Interstate 279on the north. In addition to Three Rivers Stadium, the NorthShore is also home to the Carnegie Science Center, The AndyWarhol Museum, the Pittsburgh Children’s Museum and theNational Aviary. Rendering of Proposed Plan B

c North Shore


Challenge

The challenges include learning from past mistakes, and estab-lishing a new mixed-use district that supports the 24-hour city.While new stadiums and related development would enhancethe area’s national profile as the setting for professional sports,equal attention should be paid to attracting new employers andresidents. A delicate balance should be sought between provid-ing new transit connections, regional highway access and ade-quate structured parking, while at the same time creating anew urban, pedestrian scaled landscape.

Approach

The Plan finds that the North Shore offers the best sites for thetype of large-scale sports and entertainment facilities proposed.Generations of sports enthusiasts, local and national, associatePittsburgh with its teams and their playing location along theAllegheny and Ohio Rivers. By setting the proposed develop-ment in the context of a restored urban street grid, pedestriansshould reclaim a habit, familiar to fans in other cities but losthere, of building a day or evening of shopping or diningaround a sports or entertainment event. That same environ-ment should be attractive to employers and residents, impor-tant foundations and sources of regular, year-round customersneeded to support 24-hour activity. New riverfront parks on

both sides of the river, and the use of Sixth Street and the SixthStreet Bridge as a primary connector to the Triangle, will fur-ther encourage pedestrian flow. Such features will help makethe waterfront less of a real and perceived obstacle, and more ofa staging area and front door to Downtown activity on bothshores.

New Pirates Ballpark


Action Items

Phase OneDevelop new sports facilities to keep Pittsburgh profession-al baseball and football franchises competitive, on and offthe field. The current Three Rivers Stadium lacks the amenitiesand seating structures found in more modern facilities. Thisstadium should be demolished and replaced by two single-usefacilities.

The Pirates’ new ballpark should be located several blocks eastof the existing stadium, at Federal Street and East GeneralRobinson Avenue, on the northern side of the Sixth StreetBridge. The visibility to and from this site will help make it abeacon for people moving in both directions. Easy pedestrianand transit access will funnel patrons to a variety of dining andentertainment activities on both sides of the Allegheny River.The ballpark will enjoy regional access from the major highwaynetwork, as well as pedestrian accessibility from the Downtownoffice core, making the site ideal for the many fair-weather,weeknight games in a baseball schedule.

The Steelers’ new football stadium requires less direct accessfrom the office core and more parking, due to its limitedschedule, larger attendance, and weekend orientation. The sta-dium should be located west of the existing stadium, nearReedsdale and Allegheny Avenues. This location would allowfor the necessary regional access, and create an anchor forfuture development between the two new sports facilities.

Assemble land and develop a street grid, combining the for-mer site of Three Rivers Stadium with other surroundingparcels to create a large contiguous area for development. Atraditional street grid should be constructed to define develop-ment parcels. This grid will include the extension of WestGeneral Robinson Avenue and the creation of several paralleland perpendicular streets. The grid, strongly urban in charac-ter, will become the physical framework for future develop-ment in the North Shore planning area.

Attract a mix of destination restaurants, retail, and enter-tainment choices targeted at families and other sports fans.Because of the number of Pirate event days, the area aroundthe new baseball park provides both a built-in customer baseand superior access to and from key origination points in theTriangle, including the office core, the Cultural District andthe Convention Center.

New Steelers Football Stadium

c North Shore

c North Shore


The Pittsburgh market is demonstrably underserved by “desti-nation” restaurants. Both national and local destination restau-rants should be solicited, as the combination will offer both thefamiliarity and the uniqueness that create a comfortable senseof place for visitors and local residents alike. These establish-ments should be clustered near the north access of the SixthStreet Bridge.

Retailers can also benefit from the crowds drawn to the ball-park and surrounding attractions. Specialty retailers, rangingfrom souvenirs and sports memorabilia to ice cream shops,would be particularly appropriate for this high-activity area.Such stores should address the street with entrances and dis-plays to create an interesting pedestrian environment.

Other entertainment offerings should be developed in thissame area. These offerings can include such facilities as virtualreality arcades, large pool halls, or night clubs. Establishmentsthat do not duplicate the venues of other Downtown planningareas will be specifically encouraged. For instance, direct com-petition with existing facilities at Station Square or in the StripDistrict should not be promoted, as the economic health ofthese planning areas is equally important to the revitalizationof Downtown. For this reason, and because of the general char-acteristics of baseball patrons, entertainment programming thatis primarily targeted to families may be particularly appropriatefor this North Shore area.

Build an amphitheater performance venue to enhance theNorth Shore’s drawing power as a regional entertainment cen-ter. A medium-scale outdoor performance venue would com-plement the sports facilities, which may host some outdoorperformances but are too large for many touring acts. Anamphitheater seating 7,000 to 10,000 could host intermediate

acts for which there currently is no ideal venue in the Pitts-burgh market. This amphitheater should be located near thewestern end of the planning area to capitalize on excellentregional access and riverfront setting, while limiting potentialnoise and traffic conflicts with attractions located in the ball-park area.

Develop a mid-priced hotel designed to attract a growingnumber of sports fans who combine trips with sporting events.A 250 to 350 room hotel in this area would be primarily ori-ented toward leisure guests, who tend to be more price-sen-sitive than do business travelers. For this reason, the North

Three stadiums, shown here in relation to one another, will exist for a short time on the North Shore

c North Shore


Shore hotel should be in the intermediate price range. Thishotel may also accommodate a number of visitors to theConvention Center, who may be attracted to the location’sentertainment offerings. This hotel would further benefit fromits superior access to the regional transportation network.

Develop carefully placed parking structures to replace theshrinking inventory, and to support the entertainment area.While surface parking is currently abundant on the NorthShore, the intense development proposed for the area willquickly displace much of this inventory. At the same time, newsports and entertainment will draw visitors from throughoutthe region, increasing parking demand at a time when the sup-ply is shrinking. Parking structures should serve the variousNorth Shore activity clusters, including the baseball and thefootball facilities, and still contribute to the pedestrian environ-ment. Leasable commercial space should be available on thefirst floor of these structures where they abut pedestrian streets,adding restaurants and shops to existing street-level activity.Garages should be located in a zone along the highway, withnew office and mixed-use buildings between them and GeneralRobinson Street.

These parking structures are likely to require public investmentand management to support the considerable private invest-ment being sought for the North Shore area. The proposedoffice and entertainment developments should be able to sharea significant portion of this new parking inventory, due to dif-ferences in peak-hour usage. These lots would also serve as areservoir of fringe parking for Triangle workers.

Expand and upgrade Roberto Clemente Park and develop amarina. Roberto Clemente Park stretches along the north bankof the Ohio and Allegheny Rivers, from the Carnegie ScienceCenter to the Sixth Street Bridge. This park should be expand-ed through the reconfiguration of River Avenue/North ShoreDrive. This expansion would create a wider linear park, accom-modating more activity and programming than is currently fea-sible. Another goal is to inte-grate the park into all of theplanned developments such asthe ball parks, amphitheatre,and proposed expansion of theCarnegie Science Center. Aspart of this park expansion, amarina should be developed topromote private maritime recre-ation. This marina would createadditional visual interest alongthe waterfront, as well as pro-vide a recreational amenity forDowntown residents, workers,and visitors.

Phase Two While a number of possible development scenarios haveemerged for this second phase of North Shore growth, thecommon denominator is the desire to reposition this area usinga high-quality, first-day visitor attraction with regional andnational appeal. A combination of retail, destination restau-rants, an outdoor performance space and various recreationalactivities should have broad family appeal, and complement—not compete with—existing retail strengths and programmingin the Triangle, Strip, and Station Square. Transportation

Roberto Clemente Park

c North Shore


improvements should be made so this new entertainment nicheis easily accessible via regional highways, pedestrian routes andexpansion of light rail service.

Promote employment and office development to provide ayear-round, daytime market for restaurants and retailers onthe North Shore. The current and anticipated availability ofland in this area, combined with the proximity to the Triangleoffice core, make the North Shore an ideal location for thedevelopment of large floorplate office buildings. In assemblingthe land parcels and establishing the street grid, care should betaken to provide discrete parcels of two or more acres.

Develop apartment, infill and single-family housing. As theDowntown residential market matures in the Triangle, theremay be demand for other types of housing in surrounding dis-tricts. Existing and new structures on the North Shore mayprovide opportunities for the development of housing units.More traditional apartments and condominiums such as

Lincoln at the North Shore may also be developed, as well assingle-family townhomes. This housing would be targetedtoward a different market than that sought for the CulturalDistrict and First Side adaptive reuse projects. This market willbe attracted in sufficient numbers only after the image ofDowntown living improves, following the first phase of resi-dential development.

Transportation

Along with a restored street grid, improved pedestrian connec-tions to the Triangle, and a structured parking inventory, themost important transportation consideration for the NorthShore would be expansion of LRT service to all current andplanned North Shore sites, including two new stadiums.Highway ramp improvements would be needed to funnel traf-fic into and out of structured parking. Construction of the newAllegheny Riverfront Park will help pedestrian flow betweenthe Cultural District, Convention Center, North Shore andTriangle. Pedestrian-scaled shuttle buses should also be used tolink the many proposed new attractions to other visitor ameni-ties throughout the Downtown area. Changes in bus routingand short-trip shuttle service should also be considered to sup-port both day and evening activity.

Lincoln at the North Shore

OVERVIEW

FOCUS AREAS

DISTRICTS

Fifth & Forbes

Gateway


North Shore

cCultural District

Summary

Challenge

Approach

Action Items

Transportation

Convention Center

Strip District

South Shore

First Side



APPENDIX

THE PITTSBURGH DOWNTOWN PLAN Cultural District

ExpandedConventionCenter

AlleghenyRiver Park

Hotel

O'ReillyTheater

Residentiallofts

c Cultural District


Summary

Any city seeking to attract thekind of ambiance and visitornumbers needed to fuel a 24-hour destination requires a sig-nificant and flourishing theaterand arts quarter. Many of theright ingredients for synergybetween day and night-timeuses exist in Pittsburgh’sCultural District, a 14-blockarea located just north ofDowntown’s retail and officecore, between the AlleghenyRiver and Liberty Avenue. TheDistrict is home to a growing

collection of premiere cultural venues, including, the ByhamTheater, Heinz Hall and the Benedum Center. Recentstreetscape improvements to Liberty Avenue have completedthe District's infrastructure overhaul, which included recon-struction of Penn Avenue, and Sixth, Seventh, Ninth andTenth Streets.

Challenge

The challenges include positioning the Cultural District as agateway connecting the North Shore, Triangle and ConventionCenter, without in any way diminishing the Cultural District'srole as a center for the performing and fine arts. Existing uses

will be asked to share the Cultural District with new entertain-ment, retail, and residential elements. One key is the City’sability to promote adaptive reuse of many of the area's older,narrow buildings for housing, office and street-level retail andentertainment. A thorough Adaptive Reuse Study (see appen-dix) should help develop new building code strategies for moreeffective design and construction, and clarify the building codeapproval process.

Approach

The Plan finds that the Cultural District has particularstrengths as an emerging residential neighborhood, and as anincubator for small and mid-sized companies in addition to thearts. The introduction of new residents will profoundly affectthe vitality of the Cultural District, and the Downtown gener-

ally. Households comprise astrong market for local servicesand retail, thus generatingbusiness development.Households also provide theevening and weekend activitythat is crucial to the image of asafe and vibrant Downtown.

The District’s proven draw as a year-round cultural destinationcontinues to be strengthened with the addition of a fourthmajor arts venue, the O’Reilly Theater. The District could alsobecome a natural service point—housing smaller hotels, restau-rants, and clubs—for such visitor draws as the ConventionCenter and sports-related activity on the North Shore.

Benedum Center

O’Reilly Theater

c Cultural District


Action ItemsPhase OneSupport the Pittsburgh Public Theater’s move to the 650-seat O’Reilly Theater, under construction, along with the adja-cent parking, and office development (279,000 square feet),proposed as the Tower at Theater Square to be situated at PennAvenue and Seventh Street.

Promote adaptive reuse of Cultural District buildings forhousing. Both rental and owner-occupied units are in demand,and the existing development pattern of the Cultural Districtdictates that the additional residential units should be devel-oped in existing mid- to high-rise structures originally built forcommercial use.

Establish a critical mass of eating and drinking establish-ments, both higher profile restaurants and cafes along the SixthStreet Corridor—the critical passage between the North Shoreand the Golden Triangle—and more neighborhood scaledestablishments, which occupy the first floor of residential andcommercial buildings along Penn Avenue.

Promote neighborhood-oriented service and retail, such asdrug stores, small grocery stores, video rentals, dry cleaners,and beauty salons. These types of establishments will be neces-sary to attract and serve the emerging Cultural District neigh-borhood residents.

Develop parking options for Downtown residents andemployees. The bulk of the parking inventory in the GoldenTriangle is not oriented toward long-term parking, and perma-nent parking may be prohibitively expensive for many poten-

tial households. Arrangements with theParking Authority and private operatorswill need to be reached to promote long-term parking in residential areas such as theCultural District.

Develop a linear Allegheny RiverfrontPark on the wharf area on the south bankof the Allegheny River and on FortDuquesne Boulevard. The park, under con-struction, will connect with Point StatePark and provide continuous pedestrianaccess to the southern edge of the GoldenTriangle in the First Side area. This parkdevelopment will provide a valuable ameni-ty for households in both neighborhoods,and for visitors moving between all parts ofDowntown. It should be extended as far as the expandedConvention Center and into the Strip District during thePlan’s second phase.

Reconstruct Fort Duquesne Boulevard to meet the needs ofresidential developments, and to complete the design of theAllegheny Riverfront Park access between all Downtown desti-nations. Fort Duquesne Boulevard, which runs parallel to theAllegheny River waterfront, is currently under redevelopment.In order to promote sites for new residential developments,Fort Duquesne Boulevard must provide areas in which localresidents can safely stop, unload passengers, groceries, etc., andreturn to the flow of traffic. The Boulevard must provide a safeand attractive environment for pedestrians coming from theConvention Center, the Cultural District, and the Sixth StreetConnection and provide a high quality riverfront amenity.


c Cultural District


w Develop a small or mid-priced hotel. Because of the prox-imity to the Convention Center, the Downtown office core,various cultural attractions, and numerous existing and pro-posed entertainment venues, the Cultural District presents astrong opportunity for hotel development. This facility maytake the form of either a small, European-style hotel of nomore than 80 to 100 rooms, or a larger mid-priced hotel of250 to 400 rooms. The smaller hotel would be oriented towardvisitors to the Cultural District attractions, and attractDowntown business and convention travelers seeking a more

personalized lodging experience. The larger hotel would alsoattract cultural visitors and business travelers, but would likelybe more oriented toward Convention Center visitors.

Phase Two Develop additional loft apartments and condominiums asthe Cultural District becomes more firmly established as a resi-dential neighborhood, and as the overall vitality of Downtownimproves. These units may be of a somewhat different charac-ter than those developed in the first phase, because they willnot be forced to conform to the design of existing structures.They may also be somewhat more expensive, as more risk-averse, affluent households become comfortable with the ideaof Downtown living.

Transportation

Attracting new residents and office tenants to the District willrequire additional parking inventory, and creative solutions for24-hour and long-term parking. Visitor flow between theDistrict, Convention Center and North Shore should benefitfrom improved pedestrian connections via Sixth Street and theSixth Street Bridge, and construction of the new AlleghenyRiverfront Park. Changes in bus routing and short-trip shuttleservice along Penn Avenue, Liberty Avenue and Fort DuquesneBoulevard should also be considered to support both day andevening activity.

Fort Duquesne Boulevard (above) and Allegheny River Park (below)

OVERVIEW

FOCUS AREAS

DISTRICTS

Fifth & Forbes

Gateway


North Shore

Cultural District

cConvention Center

Summary

Challenge

Approach

Action Items

Transportation

Strip District

South Shore

First Side



APPENDIX

THE PITTSBURGH DOWNTOWN PLAN Convention Center

Conventionhotel

AlleghenyRiver Park

c Convention Center


Summary

The expansion of the David L. Lawrence Convention Center,now in its final planning and site preparation stage, shouldallow Pittsburgh to compete with peer cities for its share of themeeting, convention and trade show industry. But the work ofbecoming a prime convention destination extends far beyondthe primary facility. Meeting groups and trade show representa-tives look for value and pleasing ambiance—inside and outsidethe convention hall. Streetscape improvements, new andbrighter stores and restaurants, and a general upgrade of thepedestrian experience will enhance Pittsburgh’s place in themarket. The Plan recognizes that similar changes made in adja-cent areas, especially the Cultural District and Strip, will direct-ly impact the Convention Center district.

The success of the meetings and trade show industry willimpact development, particularly hotels and entertainment-related venues, in the immediate area of the ConventionCenter area (along the Allegheny River, from around TenthStreet to 13th Street), and in adjacent areas like the Strip,Cultural District, North Shore and the retail core.

Challenge

The challenges include capturing, for the first time, the fullvalue of the Convention Center’s waterfront setting, andattracting the most complementary hotel and entertainmentdevelopment in and around the new facility. Equally importantis the ability to connect the Center with the full package of

regional transportation options, with an emphasis on quickand easy access to Pittsburgh International Airport.

Approach

Much as the proposed football and baseball stadiums will cre-ate a centrifugal economic force, attracting visitors and devel-opment to the North Shore, an expanded Convention Center

Expanded Convention Center

c Convention Center


should generate spending and street-level vitality throughoutthe Triangle. For that to happen, the streets and public spacesconnecting the Convention Center and adjacent districts—theCultural District to the west and Strip District to the east—must be improved. Also, the interior of the Convention Centershould connect more directly with the exterior—including theriverfront, as well as the pedestrian spaces—to resolve the feel-ing of isolation that currently plagues the facility.

Action ItemsPhase One Expand the David L. Lawrence Convention Center to com-pete with facilities in comparable cities for national conven-tions, large trade shows and state and regional meetings. Planscalls for an additional 200,000 square feet of exhibit space, a40,000 square-foot ballroom, more and brighter meetingrooms, better service dockage, and improvements to the facili-ty’s overall ambiance and presentation.

Increase the Downtown hotel inventory, with an immediatefocus on rooms with direct, all-weather access to theConvention Center. A minimum of 500 new sleeping rooms,larger and more in keeping with industry standards for ameni-ties, should be developed adjoining to and in conjunction withan expanded Convention Center. When completed, theConvention Center should generate a significant increase inDowntown room nights. While some of this visitation may beabsorbed by existing hotels, additional need will be created andproposals sought for hotels in other Downtown planning areas.

Transportation

Out-of-town visitors should have abundant transportationoptions, day and evening, so that they can more easily enjoythe area’s full menu of entertainment and dining options. Avisitor-friendly transit link to Station Square on the SouthShore should be established. Visitor flow between theConvention Center and North Shore should benefit fromimproved pedestrian connections via Sixth Street and the SixthStreet Bridge, and construction of the new AlleghenyRiverfront Park. Changes in bus routing and short-trip shuttleservice along Penn, Liberty and Fort Duquesne Boulevardsshould also be considered to support both day and eveningactivity. A more visible and pedestrian-friendly connectionshould also be created between the Convention Center and theStrip District, which already offers a number of eating, drink-ing, and entertainment attractions within walking distance.

The Convention Center should also be more directly linkedwith the airport since it will attract a large number of out-of-town visitors, many of whom will arrive by air. The WabashTunnel and airport busway will help establish this physical con-nection, but other transit routing will need to ensure the func-tional link.

OVERVIEW

FOCUS AREAS

DISTRICTS

Fifth & Forbes

Gateway


North Shore

Cultural District

Convention Center

cStrip District

Summary

Challenge

Approach

Action Items

Transportation

South Shore

First Side



APPENDIX

THE PITTSBURGH DOWNTOWN PLAN Strip District

New streets anddevelopment parcels

Garages with retail face

Possible ConventionCenter expansion

Ft. Duquesne Blvd. /Riverfront Parkextensions

c Strip District


Summary

Birthplace of Pittsburgh’s industrial past, the Strip District ini-tially attracted investment from iron and glass barons becauseof its flat, assembly-line-like orientation, and because fournearby residential districts could funnel thousands of workers

into the area. Today, the areahouses an eclectic mix of barsand nightclubs, produce andspecialty food retailers andwholesalers, offices and lightindustry. There is also a newwave of interest in the Strip asa residential area, a quality it

once enjoyed. The Strip District can be segmented into twodistinct areas. The Near Strip lies northeast of the ConventionCenter area and 16th Street, between the Allegheny River bankand Liberty Avenue. Large and small office buildings, alongwith a mix of restaurants and wholesale distributors, dominatethis section. The Veterans Bridge, connecting the Triangle andthe North Shore via Interstate 579, is another prominent fea-ture. The Central Strip encompasses everything from 16thStreet to the 31st Street Bridge.

Challenge

The challenges include how to support new growth into theStrip without diluting or changing the area’s distinct character.A second challenge is overall access, for pedestrians, mass tran-sit riders and vehicles. A number of urban design, transporta-

tion, and parking improvements are needed to improve theconnection between the Strip and other employment and activ-ity centers of the Downtown area. Long-range expansion of theConvention Center to the east raises a number of concernsabout existing rail lines and trestles.

Approach

The Plan finds that one immediate need is the restoration ofthe urban street grid in places where it has been lost in order topreserve the distinct urban character of the Strip. The area’scollection of home-grown entertainment venues would alsobenefit from improved access to the other entertainment-ori-ented developments recommended, including those on theNorth Shore. The proximity of Near Strip businesses and

Strip District circa 1958Metropol nightclub

c Strip District


attractions to the Convention Centers means that Strip areamerchants could attract more of the visitor market using a uni-fied marketing plan. The Strip also offers opportunities for thedevelopment of large floorplate office buildings, which couldcomplement developments in the Triangle office core. Finally,the Strip may be an appropriate long-term target area for adap-tive reuse or infill housing development.

Action ItemsPhase OneRetain the essential local character of the Strip District. TheStrip District offers an eclectic collection of restaurants andentertainment attractions, as well as places of employment. Thearea is characterized by local and regional wholesale and retailfood operations of various sizes and with diverse offerings thathelp to create a unique identity for the Strip District and for

Pittsburgh. This character is dis-tinct from those that will be creat-ed by the entertainment andrestaurant developments elsewherein the Downtown area, which willbe most visibly comprised ofnational and international opera-tions that are immediately recog-nizable to local residents and visi-tors alike.

Due to the distinct character ofthe Strip District, it attracts a dif-

ferent market than will be drawn to other Downtown enter-tainment developments. The Strip District market will tend tobe more local, including many Pittsburgh-area college students,singles, and young professionals. The other developments arelikely to attract somewhat different markets, including familiesand sports fans to the North Shore attractions, and Downtownemployees, mainstream suburban residents, and out-of-townvisitors to the attractions in the Market Square area. Whilethere is sure to be significant co-mingling of these groups asthe destinations are developed, distinctions should be recog-nized and encouraged as appropriate.

Develop loft and infill housing. As the Downtown residentialmarket matures, there may be demand for other types of hous-ing in areas outside of First Side and the Cultural District.Existing structures in theStrip District provideopportunities for adaptivereuse in the development ofloft housing units, whichare distinct from the tradi-tional apartments and con-dominiums to be developedin the other neighborhoods.

Phase Two Promote adaptive reuse of older Strip structures and infilloffice space. The Strip District currently features a variety ofsmall- to medium-size office tenants. Tenant profiles include anumber of design, engineering, and consulting firms—thetypes of firms which frequently maintain non-traditional work-ing hours. The promotion of new office space for small tenantsin the Strip District could produce a critical mass of similar

Heinz Regional History Center in the Near Strip

Strip Lofts under construction

c Strip District


firms, which is a beneficial sit-uation for the firms themselves.These offices could bringdevelopment to vacant lots inthe Near Strip. More workerscould support structured park-ing under the Veterans Bridge,and provide additional supportfor daytime and evening activi-

ty in the Strip District and in other areas of Downtown.

The Strip District may also present some parcels that areappropriate for new housing construction, which may includea variety of multi-family housing types and possibly even sin-gle-family construction. This infill housing would be targetedtoward a different market than that sought for the CulturalDistrict and First Side adaptive reuse projects. This market willbe attracted in sufficient numbers only after the image ofDowntown living improves, following the first phase of resi-dential development.

Transportation

Improved transit and pedestrian connections between the Stripand other areas could help promote the area’s 24-hour vitality.A stronger link between the Near Strip District and theConvention Center would improve this natural relationship.This link could be enhanced through streetscape improvementsthat promote pedestrian access—such as the recently addedsidewalks along Smallman Street—and through limited transitservice, including shuttle buses, between the two areas.

The Strip District would also benefit from improved connec-tions to other entertainment destinations, including the StationSquare development, the North Shore attractions, and therestaurants, theaters, and cinema in the Triangle. While the pri-mary markets are somewhat distinct, visitors to these attrac-tions comprise a strong core of entertainment consumers forwhom simple and direct connections between different destina-tions are not currently provided. Out-of-town visitors in partic-ular need redundant transportation options, day and evening,so that they can more easily enjoy the area’s full menu of enter-tainment and dining options.

Strip buildings proposed for residential and office space

OVERVIEW

FOCUS AREAS

DISTRICTS

Fifth & Forbes

Gateway


North Shore

Cultural District

Convention Center

Strip District

cSouth Shore

Summary

Challenge

Approach

Action Items

Transportation

First Side



APPENDIX

THE PITTSBURGH DOWNTOWN PLAN South Shore

Residential

Housing

Station Squaremaster plan

c South Shore


Summary

The transformation of StationSquare from an abandonedrailroad station and warehousedistrict into a mixed-usedoffice, retail and entertainmentcenter in the late 1970s helpedto establish several importantdevelopment precedents.

Station Square demonstrated the value of historic preservationand its ability to support economic development. StationSquare also created one of the region’s most attractive publicspaces, and gave residents and visitors a chance to enjoy a high-quality “18-hour” environment. Finally, Station Squareexpanded the literal and perceived boundaries of Downtown,effectively making the rivers and riverfront central to its experi-ence. Today, the South Shore area extends along the southernbanks of the Monongahela and Ohio Rivers, from the WestEnd Bridge to the Panhandle LRT Bridge on the east. Thisarea, which is locked between the water’s edge and the steeptopography of Mount Washington, is framed by the bookendDuquesne and Monongahela Inclines.

Challenge

The challenges include encouraging innovation to support theongoing viability and future growth of South Shore develop-ment. While additional office, hotel and entertainment devel-

opment is encouraged, no major change in the character of useis recommended for this area. However, the area’s functionalrelationship with the rest of the Downtown should beimproved. Specifically, there is a need to coordinate implemen-tation of the Station Square Master Plan.

Approach

The Plan supports the idea that within the study area, mixed-use developments—carefully planned and managed—can con-tribute to an overall sense of economic balance across allDowntown districts. In the caseof the South Shore, it’s reason-able to say that the area’s long-running success can be attrib-uted, in part, to being the onlyactivity center of its type.Continued retail and entertain-ment diversity, physical spaceimprovements, a shift to largefloorplate office development,and innovative marketing andco-promotion among tenantswill be needed for the SouthShore to keep pace with areassuch as the Strip District andNorth Shore.

Station Square

IC Light Amphitheatre at Station Square

c South Shore


Action ItemsPhase OneSupport the continued revitalization of Station Square,including its office space, retail, and dining and entertainmentvenues, as well as its hotel, the only one in Downtown thatattracts significant weekend visitation. Station Square is in aperiod of transition, and could become vulnerable to compet-ing developments. Station Square should be supported, andimprovements to various elements of property managementshould be encouraged—including promotions, tenant mix, andthe physical condition of the buildings. Moreover, the generalcharacter of the development should be retained to offer spe-cialty retail and entertainment options for a regional market.

Develop large floorplate office space where such opportuni-ties exist, recognizing the current and projected high demand.While the South Shore planning area is physically constrainedby the Monongahela River and the steep mountain topogra-phy, the area features several expansive surface parking lotswhich could be redeveloped, with structured parking to com-plement the new office buildings. Additional office spacewould provide further support for the retail and entertainmentofferings on the South Shore.

Phase TwoDevelop infill housing on the South Shore waterfront, aftera clear market for adaptive reuse loft and condominium unitshas been established within the Triangle. The South Shore mayprovide some long-term opportunities for the development ofnew housing units. The amenities of the waterfront and theproximity to the office core make the South Shore a potentiallyattractive location for households. Moreover, the availability ofland for new construction may generate housing development

that attracts a different market niche than can be satisfied inother Downtown locations.

Transportation

Improved transportation linksbetween the South Shore areaand key districts in Downtown,including the North Shore, theConvention Center and theStrip, could help ensure parallelgrowth opportunities. Whilemass transit services the SouthShore district, the coordinationof scheduling and service loca-tions could enhance the viabilityof the office, retail, and enter-tainment developments.Furthermore, improved transitservice could create critical link-ages to other Downtown destinations, including a shuttle cir-culation bus connecting the South Shore district with theTriangle, Strip, and North Shore attractions.

The refurbishment of the Wabash Tunnel, which will directlylink the Downtown area with the airport, could benefit thearea through improved regional access if a South Shore inter-change with a connection to Carson Street is provided. Thisdesign would have similarly positive effects on the viability ofSouth Shore development by improving access to and from thesouthern reaches of the region.

Station Square with Fort Pitt Bridge in the background

OVERVIEW

FOCUS AREAS

DISTRICTS

Fifth & Forbes

Gateway


North Shore

Cultural District

Convention Center

Strip District

South Shore

cFirst Side

Summary

Challenge

Approach

Action Items

Transportation



APPENDIX

THE PITTSBURGH DOWNTOWN PLAN First Side

Fort Pitt Park

Loweredhighway

Fort PittBoulevard

“True”boulevard

New & convertedresidential

c First Side


Summary

During the great pioneeringmovement westward,Pittsburgh served as an impor-tant supply depot andembarkation point. The ten-block area known as First Side,bounded by the MonongahelaRiver bank and Fourth Street,

from Stanwix Street on the west to Grant Street on the east,moved to the cadence of river boats and on-shore commerce.Today, the area—marked by long, narrow buildings, manywith playful facades—houses a number of professional offices,eateries and small service businesses. The development of theeight-unit 429 FirstSide Lofts building demonstrates marketdemand for creative new housing options, and a way to revivethese former commercial buildings. Like the Cultural District,First Side enjoys access to employment centers and the water-front. The area also has some important institutional tenants,including Point Park College, the downtown branch of theCarnegie Library, the headquarters of the Catholic Diocese andSt. Mary of Mercy Church, the Salvation Army and theYMCA.

Challenge

The challenges include encouraging developers to pursue theadaptive reuse of many of the area’s older, narrow buildings forhousing, offices and street-level retail. A thorough Adaptive

Reuse Study should help develop new building code strategiesfor more effective design and construction, and clarify thebuilding code approval process. Once housing begins to blos-som, other challenges will emerge: the need to attract residen-tial-scaled services—delicatessens and small grocers for exam-ple—to serve a growing residential population. Solving theneed for residential parking in an already tight parking marketwill be another important issue.

Approach

The Plan finds that First Side has many potential strengths as aresidential neighborhood, including a good supply of build-ings, easy access to Grant Street and other employment centers,and some of the quieter streets in the Triangle. Steps will needto be taken to make the waterfront more of an amenity forboth residents and office tenants, and to strengthen the pedes-trian connection among First Side, riverfront parks includingPoint State Park, the Smithfield Street Bridge, and entertain-ment and retail development on the South Shore. Streetscapeimprovements to the Boulevard of the Allies and other majorconnections should enhance the pedestrian experience.

Action Items

Phase OnePromote adaptive reuse of buildings for housing. As in theCultural District, there are a number of buildings in the First

First Side

First Side

c First Side


Side area that are conducive to adaptivereuse for housing units. These residencesagain should include both rental andowner-occupied units, and be in existingmulti-family structures to conform to thescale and character of existing uses in theFirst Side area.

Promote neighborhood-oriented ser-vice and retail. The introduction ofadditional households in First Side will

increase the demand for neighborhood-oriented services andretail. First Side service and retail development may total10,000 to 18,000 square feet, and is specifically recommendedon the first floor of buildings fronting on the Boulevard of theAllies, Wood Street and Smithfield Street. As in the CulturalDistrict, these establishments may include such tenants as drugstores, dry cleaners, and local restaurants. Unlike the CulturalDistrict, however, First Side is not specifically targeted for theintense, high-profile eating and drinking development that isrecommended for the Sixth Street Connection. First Side mayabsorb a few small, upscale restaurants to serve its local resi-dents and the nearby employee population.

Develop parking structures for Downtown residents andemployees. Additional First Side residences will increasedemand for parking, as is expected in the Cultural District.The First Side area currently offers surface and street parkingfor its small resident population, and some parking structuresoriented toward Downtown employees. This current inventorymust be supplemented with parking structures for long-termusers, including both neighborhood residents and Downtownemployees. This parking development is necessary both to servenew residents and to retain Downtown office employment.

Phase TwoDevelop a linear waterfront park. The north bank of theMonongahela River is appropriate for a linear park similar tothe Allegheny Riverfront Park under construction in theCultural District. This two-level park would provide verticalconnections between the upper road level and the riverfront,and serve as both a commuter path and recreational amenityfor neighborhood residents. The park would connect First Sidewith Point State Park, the Cultural District, and North Shoreattractions, as well as provide a trail connection to the EastEnd via the Second Avenue trail. Fort Pitt Boulevard and thehighway network present an imposing barrier to pedestrianaccess. Lowering the Parkway East will be necessary in order toconstruct the park on a deck above.

Implement Boulevard of the Allies streetscape improvements.

Transportation

With new housing and parking development, the existingtransportation pattern in First Side will be significantly altered.Streets should be improved to meet the needs of increased localtraffic, including drop-off zones for residential developmentsand queuing lanes for parking structures. Streetscapes shouldbe improved to promote pedestrian use for local residents andDowntown employees alike. Major boulevards like StanwixStreet and Boulevard of the Allies will be asked to handle alarger share of transit volume, a change that will require carefulintegration with other improvements. First Side residentswould enjoy easy connections to the LRT system at theGateway Station, and possibly a second LRT stop, part of aintermodal parking garage at the southern edge of Grant Street.

First Side Loft Housing

Proposed Fort Pitt Park

Proposed boulevard cross-section

Current Mon Wharf

OVERVIEW

FOCUS AREAS

DISTRICTS

Fifth & Forbes

Gateway


North Shore

Cultural District

Convention Center

Strip District

South Shore

First Side

cGrant Street Corridor

Summary

Challenge

Approach

Action Items

Transportation


APPENDIX

THE PITTSBURGH DOWNTOWN PLAN Grant Street Corridor

PNC operationsbuilding

Mellon Bank operations building

c Grant Street Corridor


Summary

The present-day coherence andarchitectural beauty found onGrant Street demonstrates theevolving nature of a city’s builtenvironment. DuringPittsburgh’s first two centuries,public and private intereststransformed Grant Street from

a swampy, disjointed dirt path into one of the nation’s mosthandsome promenades. Today, Grant Street holds some ofDowntown’s best known landmarks. It’s importance and statureas an employment center should continue to grow with recentannouncements by PNC and Mellon that they will build newoperations centers in the corridor. The Grant Street corridorflanks either side of Grant Street from the Monongahela Riveron the south to the Amtrak and Greyhound stations on thenorth. The corridor features One Mellon Center, the USXTower, and the world-renown Allegheny Courthouse.

Challenge

The challenges include ongoing steps to support Grant Streetas a regional employment center. As employment grows, so dothe demands for mass transit and parking, an ongoing issue forthe Grant Street corridor and the study area as a whole. Oneobjective for this district is to improve its relationship to therest of the Triangle core and the Civic Arena/Lower Hill.Employees from the Grant Street corridor represent a lifeblood

for both existing and proposed retail, clustered inside OxfordCentre and the Union Trust Building, and along the Fifth andForbes corridor. Currently, Grant Street feels somewhat dis-jointed from the scale and movements of these adjacent retail,entertainment and office clusters.

Approach

Grant Street has nearly reached capacity in terms of buildingdensity, with a few notable “holes” opposite the City-CountyBuilding. Still, its immediate and long-term future will be inte-gral to the growth of Downtown as a whole. As a regionalemployment center, Grant Street will play a major role in help-ing to sustain a number of ele-ments of the 24-hour city, espe-cially retail, entertainment andhousing. Flanked on either endby First Side and the CulturalDistrict, Grant Street employeesshould form the forward guardof new Downtown residents.Grant Street employees will alsoshape the character and successof the proposed Fifth andForbes retail and entertainmentdistrict. Connecting thisemployment base with the farreaches of the study area—par-ticularly the North Shore andStrip—is a priority.

Grant Street

The Pennsylvanian

c Grant Street Corridor


Action ItemsPhase OneSupport planned construction by PNC and Mellon of largefloorplate office development. PNC Bank will develop a largefloorplate office building (300,000 square feet) on the south-east corner of Grant Street and First Street. This project pro-vides custom-fit space for PNC’s less visible operations, andretains those jobs in the Downtown area. While a new 500-carsurface parking lot has recently been completed, it is necessaryto revisit a previous proposal for an intermodal garage structureof 1,400 spaces with a subway stop integrating this expandedparking reserve with the Light Rail Transit System.

The Mellon operations center will occupy a portion of thelong-vacant City Center site, at Grant and Sixth Avenues. Thesite, adjacent to One Mellon Center and the USX Tower, offers

excellent regional access by both transit and highway systems.The open space around the remaining City Center site will bea temporary status, pending future development. In the mean-time, this space should provide a creative and innovativeamenity for users of the transit station on the site, and foremployees in the nearby office developments.

Phase TwoDevelop a permanent use for the remaining City Centersite. As the location of the major light rail transit station in theDowntown area, the City Center site offers a location advan-tage that other Downtown sites do not. As market conditionschange, the remaining City Center site could become a primelocation for new commercial development. In particular, theGrant Street portion of this site is a singularly valuable andimportant parcel that should hold a major development.

Transportation

A core strength of the Grant Street corridor is its direct link tothe LRT system at the Steel Plaza Station. A second LRT stop,part of a intermodal parking garage, would further enhancemass transit service to the employment centers along GrantStreet. As discussed in the Fifth and Forbes section, a reconfig-uration of bus routes, with major boulevards like Grant Streetand the Boulevard of the Allies handing a larger share of vol-ume, should reduce pollution and noise levels in the retail core,and expand the high level of service to the Grant Street officedistrict.

Proposed PNC Bank

Amtrak Station

OVERVIEW

FOCUS AREAS

DISTRICTS

Fifth & Forbes

Gateway


North Shore

Cultural District

Convention Center

Strip District

South Shore

First Side


cCivic Arena / Lower Hill

Summary

Challenge

Approach

Action Items

Transportation

APPENDIX

THE PITTSBURGH DOWNTOWN PLAN Civic Arena / Lower Hill

CenterAvenueBoulevard

Retail / entertainment

Park withparking below

Crawford Squareexpansion

c Civic Arena/Lower Hill


Summary

The Civic Arena has longstood as an engineering mar-vel, but one never able todeliver on its full economicpromise of attracting relateddevelopment. And like ThreeRivers Stadium, one majorobstacle has been the isolatingimpact of surface parking, and

the lack of an urban street grid connecting to the surroundingneighborhood. The Plan Task Force members agree that futuredevelopment around the Civic Arena/Lower Hill area shouldreinvigorate arena facilities, contribute to adjacent neighbor-hoods, honor the area’s urban street grid and provide a high-quality pedestrian environment. The Civic Arena/Lower Hillarea lies just east of the employment centers of Grant Streetand the Triangle, and is home to Chatham Center, theMarriott City Center, and St. Francis Medical Center.

Challenge

The challenges include how to create transitions and connec-tions between the Civic Arena/Lower Hill area and the busi-ness, retail and entertainment functions of Triangle to the west,and a burgeoning residential community to the east. In bothcases, thoughtful development of under-used parcels, and cre-ation of a more pedestrian-friendly environment are key. Suchdevelopment in the Civic Arena/Lower Hill area is made more

difficult by a complex street and highway network that current-ly discourages pedestrian movement.

Approach

The success of the Crawford Square residential development—a mixed-housing community of townhomes, single-familydetached and rentals—has spurred new commercial develop-ment in the Lower Hill. The next challenge is to find a com-patible, neighborhood-scaled connection between CrawfordSquare and the land immediate adjacent to the Civic Arenaunder consideration for mixed-use development.

Action ItemsPhase OneAs described in the Urban Design section, one of the Plan’s rec-ommendations is to conduct District Plans for parts of thestudy area requiring more detailed study than was conductedduring the Downtown Plan. The City Planning Departmenthas begun this process by forming the Civic Arena/Lower HillTask Force and conducting the necessary land use inventoriesto begin the study. This study will focus on development anddesign initiatives that connect the district to the Downtowncore and adjacent neighborhoods.

New retail and entertainment could be developed in associ-ation with the Civic Arena venue and should be located onthe Downtown side of the facility in order to better connect to

Duquesne University

Civic Arena

c Civic Arena/Lower Hill


existing and developing centers in the core. Such new develop-ments should establish a similar streetfront orientation to therest of the Downtown and seek to mitigate the isolated charac-ter of the Civic Arena. These new developments could line aredeveloped Centre Avenue and perhaps even bridge theCrosstown Expressway and further strengthen those connec-tions.

Establish new constructionhousing. As the current phasesof Crawford Square are com-pleted, the opportunities forcontinued development of newconstruction housing on thewest side of Crawford Streetshould be explored. Single-fami-ly houses and apartments of a character similar to those thathave been already constructed should line the west side of thestreet in order to create a two-sided residential street. Higherdensity apartment buildings could line Centre and BedfordAvenues as well.

Develop appropriate parking solutions. Because of parkingdemands for both Civic Arena events and other Downtownbusinesses, the redevelopment of the parking lots behind theCivic Arena into structured parking garages is a logical goal.Too large a structure, however, could have an adverse impact,both from a financial standpoint and because of the excessvehicular traffic it would generate. Any new parking structuresshould be located in the center of the development parcel asindicated in the District diagram and screened and separatedfrom the adjacent streets by residential or commercial build-ings. The roof of such a structure should be treated as a land-scaped plaza because of its high visibility from the Lower Hill.

Phase TwoImplement Centre Avenue streetscape improvements.Centre Avenue is an overbuilt roadway that is disruptive to thesmaller scale of the adjacent residential neighborhoods and cre-ates an inhospitable pedestrian environment. It should beredesigned as part of the system of Downtown boulevards withnew tree plantings, a landscaped median and the use of theDowntown streetscape standards including paving and orna-mental streetlights. The Centre Avenue Boulevard shouldextend from Sixth Avenue, across the Crosstown Expressway, toCrawford Street. This would help to establish a much strongerand more congenial connection between Downtown and theHill District.

Transportation

The major transportation objective for this planning area is toimprove its relationship with the other areas of Downtown andsurrounding neighborhoods. Surface parking should bereplaced with structured parking. The parking structures willincrease the density of the Civic Arena/Lower Hill area devel-opment, creating an environment more similar to the rest ofDowntown. Commercial space can be offered on the first floorof the parking structures, or on land parcels made available bythe parking consolidation.

Crawford Square

Cross-section of proposed Centre Avenue boulevard


Development InitiativesIn order to accomplish the objectives wehave described previously, the following ini-tiatives have been proposed.

Note: In each action item, the LeadershipRole is assigned to the agency that will bethe motivating force pushing for the imple-mentation of the proposed action, not neces-sarily the implementer itself.

Participants1 Banks2 Building Owners and Managers Association 3 Bureau of Building Inspection4 Business Community5 Chamber of Commerce6 Civic Arena7 Civic Groups8 Community Design Center9 County10 Cultural Trust11 Department of City Planning (DCP)12 Department of Engineering and Construction13 Design Community14 Developers15 Foundations16 Greater Pittsburgh Convention & Visitors’

Bureau 17 Institutions18 Mayor’s Office of Economic Development19 Parking Authority20 Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership (PDP)21 Task Force Participants22 Pittsburgh Regional Alliance 23 Port Authority Transit 24 Private Companies25 Property Owners26 Real Estate Community27 Retailers28 Southwestern Pennsylvania Regional Planning

Commission 29 Sports Teams30 Strategic Investment Fund (SIF)31 City Treasurer’s Office32 Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA)

Market StrategyInitiatives

Retail Development Strategy Mayor’s Office 11 20 32

Coordinate a strategy for the revitalizationof the downtown retail district with an ini-tial focus on retail and entertainment alongFifth/Forbes corridor.

Centralized Retail ManagementPDP 18 25 27

Manage Downtown retail as a single entitywith business recruitment, joint promotions,and advertising to compete with suburbanmalls and produce higher-grade retail andhigher level of occupancy rates.

Downtown Marketing Strategy PDP 4 16 22

Project a new image of Downtown andPittsburgh which will change local andnational perceptions of the city.

Promote Large Floorplate Office Developers/Real Estate Community 11 18 20 32

Identify and market sites for both infill andnew district developments that will accom-modate the current demand for large floor-plate office buildings. Make Downtownattractive for buildings and businesses thatnow typically go to suburban sites.

Gap Financing for Small HousingProjects SIF/URA 1 15

Fill in gaps in available funding for smalleradaptive reuse projects and increase theability to finance housing conversions.

Rationalize and Expand Tax AbatementOptions for Housing Development DCP/Mayor’s Office 9 14 20 31 32

Revise and expand current tax abatementsystem to be more user-friendly and createfinancial incentives for housing conversions.

TransportationInitiatives

Re-route Buses in DowntownPDP 11 12 14 23

Reduce bus congestion and provide Downtowncirculation while improving level of service andridership and producing a higher quality ofpedestrian and retail street environments.

Restructure Parking Rates to SupportShort-Term and Fringe UsesPDP 18 19 24

Restructure parking rates to provide avail-ability of parking for short-term visitors andshoppers in the core of Downtown, while pro-viding affordable fringe parking facilities forall-day commuters.

Residential Parking Permit Program PDP 10 11 18 19

Study the feasibility of a Downtown permitdistrict to provide support for new housingdevelopment.

Incentives for Resident Parking Mayor’s Office 14 19 20 24 32

Study the feasibility of reduced rate, resi-dent-oriented lease structures for city andprivate garages.

Increase On-Street Parking Meters withFree Saturday RatesPDP 11 12 18 19

Increase the availability of parking in off-peak hours.

Develop Downtown Circulator ShuttleServicePDP 4 19 24

Increase amenities for visitors and com-muters while connecting attractions, businesslocations and parking supplies within thegreater Downtown area.

Universal Transportation Validation SystemPDP 4 19 23

Provide a universal parking/bus validationsystem from Downtown businesses to theircustomers to improve access to parking anduse of transit.

Urban DesignInitiatives

Design Review Guidelines & Commission DCP 2 7 13 26

Develop design guidelines and an adminis-trative and review procedure in order toassure a high quality of design and develop-ment within the Downtown area.

Streetscape ImprovementsDCP 2 4 10 19

Reduce the visual clutter and unsightlynature of some streets, thereby improvingthe quality of street environments as an eco-nomic development tool and supportingtransit usage.

Pedestrian Wayfinding System DCP 2 4 10 19

Provide directional information and clarityfor downtown visitors and improved “user-friendliness” of Downtown for visitors.

Riverfront Development Plan DCP 14 15 32

Establish standards for high-quality river-front development and support greater useof the rivers as amenities.

Building Code Simplification forAdaptive ReuseDCP 2 3 8 13 15 32

Streamline the administration of buildingcodes to facilitate redevelopment of historicstructures and support the preservation andreuse of historic buildings.

Follow-Up Meetings

Task Force Follow-Up MeetingsDCP/PDP 21

Establish a regular schedule (approximatelyevery 6 months) of follow-up meetings toassess progress in implementation of theplan, which encourages on-going participa-tion in implementation by stakeholders

Monitoring the Economic Health ofDowntown PDP 2 5 10 11 16 18 23

Establish a mechanism to annually up-dateinformation databases developed by theDowntown Plan and others in order to facil-itate investment, marketing and decision-making.

North Shore District Plan DCP 7 14 17 18 29

Develop detailed redevelopment master planfor the area in anticipation of constructionprojects and future development.

North Shore MIS StudyDCP 14 19 28 29Develop a plan for expansion of transit ser-vice from the Golden Triangle to supportredevelopment of the area throughincreased access and connections.

Civic Arena/Lower Hill District PlanDCP 6 7 17 29

Develope a plan for underutilized sites with-in the district, which focuses on better inte-gration of neighborhoods with downtownand the long-term viability of major facili-ties.

CBD Bus Routing StudyPDP 11 12 19

Implement Downtown Plan bus-routing poli-cy recommendations in order to reduce con-gestion, improve level of service and rider-ship, and produce a higher-quality pedestrianstreet environment.


Acknowledgments

Tom MurphyMayor, City of Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH CITY COUNCIL

Bob O'Connor, PresidentSala Udin, Council District 6Dan CohenMichael DivenJim FerloAlan HertzbergValerie McDonaldDan OnoratoGene Ricciardi

CITY PLANNINGCOMMISSION

Thomas Armstrong, ChairJohn DohertyMarilyn DetwilerCindy EsserJeffrey LetwinClifford LevineThelma LovetteEd Sweeney

PROJECT TEAM

Eloise HirshDirector, Department of City PlanningMichael Stern, Project Directorand Urban DesignerMaureen Hogan, Manager,Department of City PlanningJosette Fitzgibbons, ProjectManagerSallyann Kluz, Urban Designer

CONSULTANTS

Market Strategy

ZHA, Inc.Transportation

Neal Irwin, IBI GroupCommunication Design

Agnew Moyer Smith Inc.Computer Modeling

John DeckerAdaptive Reuse Code Study

Pfaffman and AssociatesWriting

Todd ErkelRenderings

Edge Architecture

FUNDERS

Allegheny Conference onCommunity DevelopmentBenedum FoundationBuhl FoundationGrable FoundationHeinz EndowmentsHillman FoundationMcCune FoundationPittsburgh Cultural TrustThe Pittsburgh FoundationRK Mellon FoundationStrategic Investment FundCity of Pittsburgh

TASK FORCE CHAIRS

Advisory Committee

Herb Burger, SpeedwellEnterprisesRetail and Attractions

Brian Kerr, Langholz WilsonHousing

Alan Weiskopf, Perfido WeiskopfAssociates Institutions

Dean George Werner, TrinityCathedralBusiness Climate

Jack Norris, Galbreath CompanyTransportation

Don Carter, UDA ArchitectsSteve Nesterak, Forest CityEnterprisesUrban Design

Seddon Bennington, CarnegieScience Center

The Downtown Plan reliedheavily on Task Force membersfrom every walk of life who con-tributed many volunteers hoursand invaluable ideas to this doc-ument. These same Task Forcevolunteers will help guide andimplement the Plan in the yearsto follow.


Stakeholders

Advisory CommitteeDavid Auel, Synergy Real Estate CorporationBarbara Bateman McNees, Chamber of CommerceSeddon Bennington, Carnegie Science CenterHenry Beukema, McCune FoundationMulugetta Birru, Urban Redevelopment AuthorityCarol Brown, Pittsburgh Cultural TrustHerb Burger, Speedwell EnterprisesEdward Cannon, COMPASS Management and LeasingDon Carter, UDA ArchitectsArthur DeConciliis, Sr., Pittsburgh Beauty AcademyJane Downing, The Pittsburgh FoundationJames Geiger, Mellon BankDave Geissinger, Select Restaurants, Inc.Mina Gerall, City Source AssociatesCatherine Henderson, Point Park CollegeRobert Higdon, Pittsburgh Post-GazetteJim Johnston, Commissioner Dawida’s OfficeJulius Jones, YMCA of PittsburghJeff Joyce, Market Square AssociationJoe Kane, Doubletree HotelJudy Kelly, Pittsburgh Federation for Events & ProgramsBrian Kerr, Langholz WilsonDina Klavon, Klavon Design Associates Inc.Robert Kochanowski, SPRPCAndrew Loza, Allegheny County, Department of Economic DevelopmentTim Maloney, The Card CenterDavid Matter, Oxford Development CompanyNorman Mekkelson, Duquesne UniversityHarold Miller, Allegheny Conference on Community DevelopmentSteve Nesterak, Forest City EnterprisesEdward Nicholson, Robert Morris College

Jack Norris, Galbreath CompanyKarl Ohrman, Downtown Neighborhood AssociationRon Page, Commissioner Dunn’s OfficeTim Parks, Pittsburgh Regional AllianceClarence Reynolds, Kaufmann’sMerrill Stabile, Alco Parking CorporationRobert Stephenson, Strategic Investment FundAnne Swager, AIA Pittsburgh ChapterValerie Swayzee, Saks Fifth AvenueJoel Tarr, History Department, Carnegie Mellon UniversityFranklin Toker, Department of History of Art, University of PittsburghSala Udin, Pittsburgh City CouncilThomas Van Kirk, Buchanan Ingersoll PCAlan Weiskopf, Perfido Weiskopf AssociatesGeorge Werner, Trinity CathedralGeorge Whitmer, PNC BankArthur Ziegler, Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation

Management CommitteeHerb Burger, Speedwell Enterprises

Eloise Hirsh, Department of City Planning

Maureen Hogan, Department of City Planning

Ran Mitra, Councilman Udin’s Office

Harold Miller, Allegheny Conference on Community Development

David Auel, Synergy Real Estate Corporation

Jerry Dettore, Urban Redevelopment Authority

John Straub, Mayor’s Office of Economic Development

Robert Stephenson, Strategic Investment Fund

Sherry Schurhammer, Allegheny Conference on CommunityDevelopment

c Stakeholders


Terry Lorince, Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership

Harry Finnegan, Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership

Lynn Heckman, Allegheny County Department of Development

Retail/Attractions Task ForceAnne Adams Slease, Christian Woods

Jeanne Antonuccio, About Pittsburgh

Kathleen Armstrong, PNC Bank, Real Estate Information Services

David Auel, Synergy Real Estate Corporation

Matthew Bailey, Anderson Consulting

Anthony Boule, Pittsburgh Parking Authority

Cathy Broucek, Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation

Herb Burger, Speedwell Enterprises

John Burke, Urban Redevelopment Authority

Dan Cohen, Pittsburgh City Council

Guy Costa, Pittsburgh Parking Authority

Pat DiCesare, DiCesare Engler Productions

Michael Diven, Pittsburgh City Council

Jim Ferlo, Pittsburgh City Council

Robin Fernandez, Metropol

Mina Gerall, City Source Associates

Paul Giardany, Councilman Ferlo’s Office

Kenneth Goldsmith

Chuck Greenberg, Pittsburgh Penguins

Steve Greenberg, Pittsburgh Pirates

Alan Hertzberg, Pittsburgh City Council

Terry Howell, Larrimor’s

Jim Johnston, Commissioner Dawida’s Office

Jeff Joyce, Market Square Association

Joe Kane, Doubletree Hotel

Elias Kasas, Mahoney’s

Dawn Keezer, Pittsburgh Film Office

James Keisel, D.L. Lawrence Convention Center

Judy Kelly, Pittsburgh Federation for Events & Programs

Brian Kerr, Langholz Wilson

Erika Kirby, Kaufmann’s

Maxine Kisilinsky, Reed Smith Shaw and McClay

Stephen Klein, Pittsburgh Public Theatre

Susan Kolarich, Honus Wagner Sporting Goods

Laurel Konopsky, Pennwood Properties

Dorry Lang, Councilman Onorato’s Office

Rich Lord, Pittsburgh City Paper


Robert Lurcott, RK Mellon Foundation

Valerie McDonald, Pittsburgh City Council

Marla Meyer, Greater Pittsburgh Convention & Visitors Bureau


Kathy Murphy, Newcomer Magazine

Steve Nesterak, Forest City Enterprises

Nick Nicholas, Nicholas Coffee Company

Bob O’Connor, Pittsburgh City Council

Dan Onorato, Pittsburgh City Council

William Peduto, Councilman Cohen’s Office

John Petrolius, Smithfield Cafe

Dawn Petrosky, The Shops at Station Square

c Stakeholders


Sally Pfaff, Pittsburgh Stadium Authority

Janet Pilewski-Bretti, Fifth Avenue Place

Michele Reginelli, One Oxford Centre

Audrey Reichblum, arPR

Gene Ricciardi, Pittsburgh City Council

Art Rooney II, Pittsburgh Steelers

Sid Rosen, Lubin and Smalley


Dan Sentz, Department of City Planning

Doug Shields, Councilman O’Connor’s Office

Carl Slesinger, Larrimor’s

Meribeth Snively-Reeves, Pittsburgh Dance Council

Robert Stephenson, Strategic Investment Fund

Ellen Still, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust

Valerie Swayzee, Saks Fifth Avenue

Gideon Toeplitz, Pittsburgh Symphony

Sylvia Turner, Pittsburgh Regional History Center

Sala Udin, Pittsburgh City Council

Wendy Zbel, Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership

Business Climate Task ForcePatti Andritz, ICF Kaiser Engineers

Deborah Baron, CB Commercial/Arnhiem & Neely

Walter Bialas, PNC Bank, Real Estate Information Services

Cathy Broucek, Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation

Matthew Burger, Meyer Unkovic and Scott


Edward Cannon, COMPASS Management and Leasing


Elliott Coleman, Department of City Planning

Kimberly R. Colosimo, PNC Bank Corporation Realty Services

David Corey, Corey Contracting Company


Dominic Dozzi, Jendoco


Dave Geissinger, Select Restaurants, Inc.


Kenneth Goldsmith

Tom Grealish, Henderson Brothers Insurance


Robert Higdon, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Robert Higdon, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Ray Hildreth, Peters Holding Company

Diana Johnston, Heinz Service Division

David Lancia, Coopers and Lybrand


Vivian Loftness, Department of Architecture, CMU


Jason Matthews, CKO & Co.



Michael D. Morneault, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius

Edward Motley, Motley Financial Group



Ron Page, Commissioner Dunn’s Office

Tim Parks, Pittsburgh Regional Alliance

c Stakeholders




Jody Risinger, TrizecHahn Office Properties

Sherry Schurhammer, Allegheny Conference on Comm. Develop.

Cliff Shannon, SMC Small Business


Leonard Silk, Silk & Stewart Development


Peter Sukernak, Howard Hanna Commercial Real Estate


Deepak Wadhwani, R3A Architects

Rebecca White, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust

David Zeve, David J. Zeve Associates

Housing Task ForceDavid Beckerdite, Smithfield United Church

Henry Beukema, McCune Foundation

Mulugetta Birru, Urban Redevelopment Authority

Becky Burdick, Artists and Cities


Dom Cimino, Bureau of Building Inspection

Tom Cummings, Urban Redevelopment Authority

David DeSimone, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust

Debbie Dodds

Tamara Dudukovich, The Community Builders

Mike Eversmeyer, Perkins Eastman Architects PC

Susan Faigen, PUMP

Michelle Ferris, Air & Waste Management Association

Bill Gatti, GDI


Kenneth Goldsmith

Bob Gradeck, City Source Associates

Ron Graziano, Bureau of Building Inspection

Michael Griffel, Robert Morris College

Courtney Horrigan, Reed Smith Shaw and McClay

Dawn Keezer, Pittsburgh Film Office

Jeremy Kronman, Trammell Crow Company

Ronald Leonard, Grossman Yanak and Ford

Bernie Liff, Board of Standards and Appeals


Tim Maloney, The Card Center

Peter Micheli, Pittsburgh Fire Bureau

Karl Ohrman, Downtown Neighborhood Association

Ann Ostergaard, Ann Ostergaard Associates

Tom Pasternak, Pennsylvania Culinary Institute

Eve Picker, Eve Picker Planning Design Development


Ray Smith, Pittsburgh Housing Development Corporation

Deepak Wadhwani, R3A Architects

Alan Weiskopf, Perfido Weiskopf Associates

George Werner, Trinity Cathedral

George Whitmer, PNC Bank

Arthur Ziegler, Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation

Institutions Task ForceHerb Burger, Speedwell Enterprises

Pam Craychee, Carnegie Library/Downtown Center

c Stakeholders


Arthur DeConciliis, Sr., Pittsburgh Beauty Academy

Carolyn Falk, Pittsburgh Cares


Pam Golden, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust

Kenneth Goldsmith

Catherine Henderson, Point Park College

Julius Jones, YMCA of Pittsburgh

Chuck Keenan, HUD Project Manager

Paul Kelly, Salvation Army


Norman Mekkelson, Duquesne University

Edward Nicholson, Robert Morris College

John O’Toole, St. Mary of Mercy Church

Susan Orr, Art Institute of Pittsburgh

Paul Rosenblatt, Damianos + Anthony Architects


Richard Sobek, Johnson and Higgins

William Stranahan, St. Francis Central Hospital

Will Thompkins, Urban League of Pittsburgh

Susan Tymoczko, Department of City Planning

David Veights, Port Authority of Allegheny County

Jonathan Walkush, Allegheny Policy Council

George Werner, Trinity Cathedral

Transportation Task ForceBruce Ahern, Beaver County Transit Authority

Laurie M. Andrews, Port Authority of Allegheny County

Gary Antonella, Port Authority of Allegheny County

Louis D. Astorino, L.D. Astorino and Associates

Gail Ball, PNC Bank

Robert Beynon, Beynon and Company


Don Carter, UDA Architects


John Coyne, URA

David DeSimone, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust

Chuck DiPietro, SPRPC


Jane Downing, The Pittsburgh Foundation



Louis Gilberti

Kenneth Goldsmith

David Good, GG&C Bus Company

Pat Hassett, Department of City Planning

Walt Heintzleman, Professional Engineer

Richard Heller, Deloitte and Touche, LLP


John Java, Mellon Bank

Robert Kochanowski, SPRPC

Joanne Korach, Firstside Council

Lydia LaBella, Gold & Company, Inc.


David Lint, Mid Mon Valley Transit Authority


Andrew Loza, Allegheny County, Department of Economic Development


c Stakeholders


Jim McCarville, Port of Pittsburgh Commission

Tim McConnell, Kirkpatrick and Lockhart

W. Duff McCrady, Firstside Council



Larry Morris, Westmoreland Co. Transit Authority

Steve Morris, Froggy’s


Jack Norris, Galbreath Company

Henry Nutbrown, PennDOT


David O’Loughlin, Firstside Preservation Council



Darryl Phillips, Department of Engineering and Construction

Kathy Piatt Hitt, Firstside Council

Christine Pregel, Bell Atlantic

Fred Reginella, City of Pittsburgh, DEC


Frank Sacco, Piccolo Piccolo



Urban Design Task ForceTom Armstrong, PNC Securities Corporation

John Axtell, Preservation Pittsburgh

Seddon Bennington, Carnegie Science Center

Fred Bonci, LaQuatra Bonci Associates

Carol Brown, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust


Cameron Curtis, Turner Construction Company

John Decker

Jerry Dettore, Urban Redevelopment Authority

Christian Farmakis, Babst Calland Clements & Zom

Jason Fournier, Hayes Large Architects

James Geiger, Mellon Bank

Kenneth Goldsmith

Barry Hannegan, Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation

Dina Klavon, Klavon Design Associates Inc.

Steven Kolich, Peoples Natural Gas


Andrew Loza, Allegheny County, Department of Economic Development

Anthony Lucarelli, L.D. Astorino & Associates

David Matter, Oxford Development Company

Tracy Myers, Heinz Architectural Center

Marge Myers, Studio for Creative Inquiry


Susan Niedbala, Axiom Real Estate Management

Arch Pelley, Perkins Eastman Architects PC

Rob Pfaffman, Pfaffman + Assocates


John Rahaim, Department of City Planning

Paul Rosenblatt, Damianos + Anthony Architects

Tom Schmidt, Western Pennsylvania Conservancy


c Stakeholders


Bill Seiss, Department of Engineering and Construction

Marilyn Skolnick

Larry Smitley, ICF Kaiser

Anne Swager, AIA

Joel Tarr, History Department, Carnegie Mellon University

William Teitelbaum, National Record Mart

Franklin Toker, Department of History of Art, University of Pittsburgh

David Wohlwill, Port Authority of Allegheny County

Arthur Ziegler, Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation

North Shore Task Force (Ongoing)Jay Alt, Allegheny County Department of Development

Deborah Baron, CB Commercial/Arnhiem & Neely

Seddon Bennington, Carnegie Science Center

Walter Bialas, PNC Bank, Real Estate Information Services

Jean Binder


Ed Brandt, North Side Leadership Conference

John Burke, Urban Redevelopment Authority

Bridget Canady, Tresbri Development Corporation

Don Carter, UDA Architects

Connie Cibrone, Allegheny General Hospital


Pam Craychee, Carnegie Library/Downtown Center



Maggie Forbes, Pittsburgh Children’s Museum

Connie Galbraith, Allegheny Branch Library



Mark Hart, Pittsburgh Steelers

Pat Hassett, Department of City Planning

Walt Heintzleman, Professional Engineer


Chuck Imbrogno, SPRPC

Stephen Klein, Pittsburgh Public Theatre


Anthony Lucarelli, L.D. Astorino & Associates

Barbara Luderowski, The Mattress Factory


Jason Matthews, CKO & Company

Jim McCarville, Port of Pittsburgh Commission



Jack Norris, Galbreath Company




Darryl Phillips, Department of Engineering and Construction


John Rahaim, Department of City Planning

Andrew Raynovich, Allegheny Center Association


Art Rooney II, Pittsburgh Steelers

Gary Schwager, Friends of the Riverfront

Bill Seiss, Department of Engineering and Construction

Dan Sentz, Department of City Planning


c Stakeholders


Doug Skowron, Galbreath Company

Jon Smith



Jack Urbani

Helen Wehner


David Wohlwill, Port Authority of Allegheny County

Civic Area/Lower Hill Task Force (Ongoing)Hank Abate, Civic Arena



Rich Curry, PennDOT

Carmen D’Amico, St. Benedict the Moor Church



James Geiger, Mellon Bank



Barbara Gunn, AUBA Triangle Shops

James Henry, Hill House


Angela Howze, The Hill Consensus Group

James Keisel, D.L. Lawrence Convention Center

Brian Kerr, Langholz Wilson

Walter Kidney, Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation


Carol Lennon, Mercy Hospital



Barbara McMahon, Marriott Corporation

Kevin McVay

Abby Miller


Shauna Moriarty

Edward A. Nicholson, Robert Morris College


David O’Laughlin


Bill Paviol, Marriott City Center

Tonya Payne, Uptown Community Action Group



Janet Schur, Chatham Center Condo Association


Marilyn Skolnick

Estella Smith

John Smith

Robert Spangenberg, Epiphany Church

Evan Stoddard, Duquesne University


Rosina Vento, Washington Plaza

Lew Villotti, SPRPC


the pittsburgh downtown plan€¦ · pittsburgh downtown plan required time, energy, commit-ment,...

Documents