Riverlife Pittsburgh
Evolve Environment :: Architecture

The value of open space became abundantly clear with the onset of the COVID pandemic, as more Pittsburghers than ever became drawn to the existing riverfront trails and green spaces. The riverfront was a place to exercise, to gather and safely meet, and was a staging ground for political expression through public art. Riverlife is dedicated to reimagining Pittsburgh’s riverfronts as a continuous system of parks and open space referred to as “the Loop”. The Plan includes a Scorecard to rate progress for the Loop’s 25 segments and recommends how to improve each segment’s score, which rates Connectivity, Places, Maintenance, Ecology, and Experience.

Early pandemic public engagement necessitated live online events with over 2,100 views. The project team also created an interactive Story Map to share findings from phase one, attracting 3,000 unique views and over 1,000 survey responses. Riverlife’s efforts as outlined in the Plan will leverage public and private investments estimated at over $4.9 billion in the next 10 years. The Plan outlines how partners can help improve local water quality, air quality, tree canopy, and food access and prioritizes underserved communities whose riverfront access is limited. Completing the Loop is a visually compelling and data driven plan. All plans should have more implementation and this delivers.