AN AERIAL-VIEW OF A PROPOSED RENDERING OF MARKET SQUARE WITHOUT VEHICLE TRAFFIC CIRCLING THE PERIMETER | RENDERING COURTESY ALLEGHENY CONFERENCE ON COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Imagine a more lively entrance to Downtown’s Point State Park with a running track, children’s play area and outdoor cafes.

Imagine enjoying Market Square without having to navigate around the vehicles constantly circling the perimeter – a space that’s more like a festive European plaza.

And imagine a better developed Eighth Street in the Cultural District that might include an outdoor amphitheater, outdoor games, water play area, food trucks and more.

A RENDERING OF AN EIGHTH STREET BLOCK PLAZA | RENDERING COURTESY ALLEGHENY CONFERENCE ON COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Those are three areas of focus for a “Vision Plan” that the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, the City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County announced this week to help revitalize Downtown as it tries to rebound from changes that occurred during and after the pandemic.

“Our goal is not to try to recreate the downtown Pittsburgh of the past – a place where people had their offices and were forced to commute every day – but to completely reimagine it as a place people want to be,” said Bill Demchak, chairman and chief executive officer, The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. and chair of the Allegheny Conference’s downtown task force that worked on the plan, in a statement. “Collaboration and a shared vision across private, public and non-profit sectors will be critical to realizing a new future for our city.”

Sara Innamorato, Allegheny County executive, agreed. “Now it is our time to create a Downtown that is different than it was before, more vibrant and welcoming to all, for people who call Pittsburgh home today and people who will call Pittsburgh home in generations to come.”

The groups have turned to experts inside and outside the region to help develop these concepts, including New York-based landscape architecture and urban design firm Field Operations, which has been the force behind Manhattan’s High Line and Chicago’s Navy Pier.

Among the details:    

Eighth Street Block and Allegheny Descent 

AN AERIAL-VIEW RENDERING OF THE EIGHTH STREET BLOCK | RENDERING COURTESY ALLEGHENY CONFERENCE ON COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Plans would transform acres of surface parking adjacent to Fort Duquesne Boulevard and the Allegheny River to create a more dynamic gathering space. The Eighth Street Block could include a “large, flexible lawn, cafe, outdoor amphitheater, water play, a backyard area with outdoor games, food trucks, and moveable furnishings.” In addition, the project could use Fort Duquesne Boulevard “to create a balcony over the river, which could lead to the Allegheny Descent – a lush walkway to the water – creating a strong pedestrian connection to the river.”

Point State Park 

AN AERIAL-VIEW RENDERING OF THE ENTRANCE AREA OF POINT STATE PARK | RENDERING COURTESY ALLEGHENY CONFERENCE ON COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

The entrance to Point State Park – the area on the Gateway Center side of the Portal Bridge – would become a more welcoming “front yard” to the park. Without disturbing native species of plants, more amenities would be added to make the entrance more vibrant. Moreover, “innovative approaches to traffic patterns on Liberty Avenue, including a rightsizing of the roadway, could be implemented on Liberty Avenue with proposed activations that could allow for amenities like sports courts or dog parks in the medians on Liberty to intentionally connect Point State Park to Market Square.” 

Market Square  

A RENDERING OF MARKET SQUARE. WITHOUT VEHICLE TRAFFIC, THERE IS MORE ROOM FOR PEOPLE AND VARIOUS ACTIVITIES. | RENDERING COURTESY ALLEGHENY CONFERENCE ON COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

The concept calls for new paving, furnishings and other features that support everyday use and community events like the Thursday farmers market, concerts and other gatherings.Traffic would be restricted to provide more space for people.

These projects are “visionary and conceptually designed” and would lead to more detailed design phases going forward. They would include “coordination with the local, state and federal agencies, as well as a public input process to guide decisions about access and the revitalization of the spaces.”

“We need the region’s public and private sector partners to engage the appropriate local, state, and federal organizations, as well as the broader community, to seize this opportunity to advance what’s next for Downtown Pittsburgh – the heart of our region,” said Allegheny Conference CEO Stefani Pashman, in a release. 

The government and civic leaders say they hope these improvements would encourage more people to move Downtown and to revitalize the overall Golden Triangle. 

Details about these projects and other initiatives can be followed here.