A Vision Plan for Pittsburgh’s Riverfronts
In 2000, Riverlife set out to develop a plan for reconnecting Pittsburgh with its rivers. Input from the community was complemented with study and inspiration from architects, artists, urban planners, and designers. Examples of waterfront redevelopment from around the world brought stunning creativity to Riverlife’s design challenge. The vision created through this process is changing the paradigm of Pittsburgh’s relationship with the rivers. It is a vision dedicated to reconnecting neighborhoods, businesses, recreation, leisure, art, and nature to coexist in a harmonious balance on and near the rivers. Called Three Rivers Park, this bold stroke of planning and investment is already taking shape in the form of a grand urban river park with the principal asset being the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio Rivers themselves.
Design Principles:
- Organize riverfront investment based on an understanding that the three rivers are Pittsburgh’s premier public domain.
- Let Pittsburgh’s history and traditions inspire riverfront development.
- Plan for the range of uses the public wants for its riverfronts.
- Increase the connections between existing and new neighborhoods and the rivers.
- Encourage diverse river uses while keeping an eye on potential conflicts.
- Establish Pittsburgh’s bridges as an important aspect of Three Rivers Park.
- Connect public parks and green space to the river’s edge.
- Consolidate transportation and minimize industrial obstacles along the rivers.
- Embrace the concepts of sustainable development.
Links to the full Vision Plan in PDF format
The document has been separated into smaller-sized PDFs for easy viewing.