Urban Open Space

This is picture of "Lake Elizabeth" in Allegheny Commons Park on Pittsburgh's North side. The downtown Pittsburgh skyline is in the background. This is a beautiful bit of open space in an area of the city that has seen a good deal of improvement in the past decade or so. This space is an urban respite, but the view connects you to the city. This is an incredible community asset. It it vitally important that cities preserve places like this and create them in existing neighborhoods where it is possible.

Mexican War Streets Steps

These are row houses in the Mexican War Streets neighborhood of Pittsburgh's North Side.  The style of these homes and the materials used to build them are both things of lasting value and they are worth renovating because of that.

Historic designation

Above is a plaque in the Northside of Pittsburgh.

Below are hand written notices of the historic nature of a building in Oatman, Arizona. 

They both accomplish the same thing, but the hand written note seems so much more earnest and adamant that you know as much about the building as possible. There is a more formal (and very worn) sign indicating the building is on the National Register.

Controlling Water Runoff in Pittsburgh

Forbes Avenue in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh. This is simple and easy to maintain infrastructure. Water runoff from the sidewalks has an opportunity to be absorbed into the soil and reduces the amount of polluted runoff being sent to the storm drains and possibly into the rivers. The stone is sturdy but easily removed and replaced if one should crack. Just use caution if you're exiting the car in stilettos.

A Tale of Two Sidewalks

I posted the side by side pictures below on Facebook and asked my friends which neighborhood sidewalk seemed more appealing. The responses reminded me that the aesthetic ideal of an urbanist is not generally how people evaluate a place.  My friends preferred the image on the right which is in West LA, because the pavement is flat and seemed that it would be easier to walk on in (especially in heels). They also liked that the sidewalk on the right is wider and unobstructed and easier to maneuver. One even noted that there were no places for bad people to hide in the more open suburban sidewalk. I argued that the street on the left, which is located in Pittsburgh, was shaded and the narrowness slowed traffic and the cars provide a safety buffer for pedestrians - all the stuff we planners love to talk about - and they didn't buy it. I suppose you could improve the sidewalk on the left by paving it properly, but that wouldn't really get at the bigger issue which is that the the image on the right more closely reflects what most people are familiar with and is more suitable for their lifestyles so they can imagine themselves walking down that sidewalk whereas with the Pittsburgh sidewalk they have a difficult time seeing themselves in that environment.

Which of these neighborhoods is more appealing to you?

 

 

What Was Once a Parking Lot...

A former parking lot in Pittsburgh becomes a popular park and outdoor living area and a place worth caring about.  From the city's web site:

Used as a parking lot for decades, the five-acre Schenley Plaza was restored to its intended use by the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy and its community partners in 2006. A second phase of the Plaza's revitalization, the restoration of the Mary Schenley Memorial Fountain, was completed in 2008. Future plans for the site include the restoration of the Magee Memorial Fountain in front of the Carnegie Library.  A full-service restaurant, The Porch at Schenley, opened in the Plaza's northwest corner in the fall of 2011.

Scroll down the bottom of this link to see incredible the parking lot "before" picture.

When I visited it was a very hot day. Most people were competing for the shady spots with the exception of some sunbathers. In hindsight, I should have gone back in the evening to see if the unshaded tables were being used.