Imagine that downtown Pittsburgh is so visibly green that it delights the eye and turns heads.

Imagine that the green technology and buildings for which Pittsburgh is developing a national reputation become visible “on the outside” in the landscape itself. “Greening Pittsburgh’s Golden Triangle,” a plan developed by WPC’s Community Gardens and Greenspace Program with support from the Heinz Endowments, could make this vision of Pittsburgh a reality. The assessment offers a wide range of opportunities, potential partners as well as the costs for downtown greening strategies. WPC staff are developing partnerships to pursue these opportunities and help transform Pittsburgh into a memorable green destination.

At this crucial moment of new development and investment in downtown Pittsburgh, this greening strategy will play an important role in the creation of a livable downtown.

The assessment focuses on five key areas of downtown: Gateway, Firstside, Fifth and Forbes/Market Square, the Cultural District and Grant Street. It recommends greening opportunities for each of these areas, such as street trees, planters, hanging baskets, green roofs and walls and green parking lots. Implementation would begin this year, during Pittsburgh’s 250th anniversary.

Downtown Greening Assessment

In 2007 Western Pennsylvania Conservancy began a partnership with the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership to add green accents to Market Square. As part of its strategy to enliven downtown and make Market Square a key to the revitalization of downtown as a great place to live, the Partnership asked WPC to add planters and special spring and perennial plantings in the Square. Along with the hanging baskets provided by the Laurel Foundation, the new green accents added emphasis to new streetside sitting areas for restaurants and provided a wonderful backdrop to the cafes, businesses and activities such as the weekly Farmers’ Market. The Partnership found that the greening of Market Square was a great help in increasing local business and was frequently noted by people who thanked the Partnership for its efforts to improve the downtown area. The plantings continued in 2008 and 2009 with an added spring bulb display, followed by summer, fall and holiday highlights.