Project Description
This project was selected as a winner in AIA’s 2023 Regional & Urban Design Awards.
Pittsburgh is defined by its three rivers. And yet highways and railroads have separated many of the city’s neighborhoods from these vital waterways. Created by locally based evolve environment :: architecture, Completing the Loop outlines a 10-year plan for the realization of a 15-mile, 1,050-acre network of trails and open space that will connect downtown Pittsburgh and adjacent communities through a continuous riverfront park system.
The scheme builds on decades of advocacy by Riverlife, a local nonprofit organized to enhance the rivers and link new landscapes with the city’s neighborhoods. The result of an 18-month-long community engagement process, the refined plans develop green street connections that mitigate inequities in river access while encouraging new public art and amenities.
PROJECT CREDITS
Project: Completing the Loop, Pittsburgh
Owner: Riverlife
Architect: evolve environment :: architecture, Pittsburgh
Financial Consultant: Fourth Economy
Development Strategy Consultant: Thread Strategies
This article first appeared in the May/June 2023 issue of ARCHITECT.