Terraced Sidelot Bioswale Mark lives on a street that is full of vacant lots and abandoned buildings in Troy Hill. He has been working diligently to transform the block into a lively space with occupied homes and beautiful green spaces. Like many Pittsburgh lots, the lot that Mark is currently working on has some interesting topography. In fact, it is entirely made up of terraces and is raised about 15 feet off the street. The design for the space incorporates this interesting topography…Read More
Star Meditation Garden Angela’s street in Perry South has been surrounded by overgrown, empty lots for many years. She had a role in the transformation of other empty lots in her neighborhood in the past, but hadn’t yet attempted to take on the lot next to her home. After her sister, Starla, passed away unexpectedly in November of 2014, Angela decided to transform the lot next to her home into a beautiful space that would be dedicated to her sister. It will be…Read More
Perry Hilltop Gateway Beautification Project Ayanna is a life-long resident of the Northside and currently calls the neighborhood of Perry Hilltop her home. Her neighborhood is one of the most blighted neighborhoods in the City of Pittsburgh with a 20% vacancy rate. The lot that Ayanna is working on has been vacant for several years. The first step was to remove the invasive plant, knotweed, that filled the site and take preventative steps to keep it from coming back. The design for the site incorporates…Read More
A Place for Moms: Welcome Corner Cynthia Levy-Mendoza lives right on the north edge of Pittsburgh in the neighborhood of Observatory Hill. For many years, a corner lot on her street has been an eyesore for those waiting at the bus stop and passersby getting their first glimpse of Pittsburgh as they drive through. Cynthia, however, has a new plan for the lot. She calls it “A Place for Moms: Welcome Corner”. She is the founder of an organization, Brown Mamas, which assists African-American mothers in…Read More
Waisenhaus Park When Linda Wallen moved to Spring Hill in 1983, she noticed a large, empty vacant lot and wondered why nothing had been done with it. Almost three decades later, Riley Baker moved to the neighborhood with his young family and had the same thought. Both learned that the large vacant lot in their neighborhood used to be the site of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Orphans’ Home. The lot, now owned by Spring Hill Civic League, is about an acre of…Read More
Historic Knoxville Incline Greenway From 1890 to 1960, the Knoxville Incline served as a connector between the South Side Flats and the hilltop. In 2011, a mural was added at the intersection of Brosville and East Warrington Avenue to remember the historic site. There is a foot trail accessible off of Brosville Street which leads to the Welsh Way stairs and Fritz Street – which both connect to the South Side Flats. This project’s will highlight and the entrance and will replace the existing…Read More
Biggs Hillside Garden Nicole Flaherty is a resident of Fineview, a neighborhood nestled in the hills of the Northside. As its name suggests, Fineview has truly incredible views of the city. Nicole loves exploring her neighborhood with her family. In one of her many walks around the area, she found a vacant lot next to a set of city steps that she decided to reclaim as a quiet community space. The lot was enveloped by several beautiful old trees, and edged on one…Read More
Baytree Street Community Garden Doug Deckert carries the spirit of Pittsburgh neighborliness with him wherever he goes in Observatory Hill – you can often find him at events, participating at community meetings and instigating fun activities in his Northside neighborhood of Observatory Hill. It is important to Doug that he and his son connect to their neighbors in their community. That's why, in 2014, Doug began designing an outdoor space that encourages connectedness in Observatory Hill. There was a vacant lot on Baytree Street…Read More
Allegheny Mountains Lot Matthew Yurkovich loves the great outdoors. He also loves his Northside neighborhood of Brighton Heights. As a way to connect his neighbors to the greater ecosystem that Pittsburgh is part of, Matthew came up with the idea of the Allegheny Mountains Lot. It's a micro woodland and wildflower meadow full of native plants. The once nondescript vacant lot sits on a busy intersection in Brighton Heights. Matthew’s design transforms an unimpressive space into a garden with a purpose. The cobblestone-lined…Read More
Green Playces: Hilltop About Green Playces: Hilltop Through Green Playces Hilltop, Grounded (working as GTECH) worked with local partners in Pittsburgh's Hilltop to transform a vacant lot into a youth-focused space. The primary partner for the project was the Allentown Learning and Engagement Center (ALEC) which is run through the Brashear Association. For more information on the Allentown Learning and Engagement Center, check out this video they made. Earlier this year, the lot adjacent to the Allentown Learning and Engagement Center was not a friendly space for…Read More
Bootcamp ’15 Blight Bootcamp is a day-long event to learn about resources and best practices to increase the impact of community-led blight elimination efforts. The first Blight Bootcamp took place on November 7th, 2015. The event was put together by the City of Pittsburgh, Neighborhood Allies, GTECH, PCRG, and The Design Center Pittsburgh.Read More