Thoughts_Pittsburgh Visit

The first site visit is always incredibly enlightening on a project and extremely beneficial. Pittsburgh is an amazing city with dramatic changes in elevation due to the river valleys. Even though its previously been known for industrial pollution, it has become a clean and thriving city. The snow was just an added bonus!

Image 1: Cityscape of Pittsburgh with U.S. Steel Building in center

Image 2: Snow in Pittsburgh

The site itself was more isolated that I first believed. There is little interaction between the city and the community and little, if any, connection to upcoming development. The Waterfront development was a huge disapointment. The historical steel plant site was turned into a strip mall, placing relics in the midst of a commercial parking lot. Little attention was given to connection the site to its historical heritage and presents an even greater challenge to our site. The community itself is in need of new development to draw in the people and highlight such a rich background. I think one of the keys will be to incorporate the process that took place on the site into an engaging experience for the community.

Image 3: Overlooking our site in the snow