Allegheny Landing Background
Allegheny Landing is an approximately 2.7 acre site between the Roberto Clemente and Andy Warhol Bridges on the northern bank of the Allegheny River across from Downtown Pittsburgh. A jewel in the riverfront park system, and possibly one of Pittsburgh's most photographed riverfront parks, this green sanctuary is enveloped by an enormous urban-and-natural amphitheater with the city skyline as its backdrop and stunning views of the Allegheny river.
The Landing was dedicated in 1984 as one of Pittsburgh’s first modern riverfront parks and one of the nation’s first riverfront sculpture parks. It was established in recognition of Pittsburgh’s riverfront potential for recreation and incorporating arts within the urban landscape. Over the past several decades, Allegheny Landing has become a well-used node in the City's riverfront trail system. But continuous use and deferred maintenance have left the park in need of improvements.
Allegheny Landing lower park and Mythic Source by Ned Smyth
Project Details
Riverlife is currently working on the restoration of Allegheny Riverfront Park, and is about to embark on a full-scale redesign of Allegheny Landing. The River Room is a broader concept that incorporates Allegheny Riverfront Park on Fort Duquesne Boulevard, the iconic Sister Bridges, and Allegheny Landing into a broader transformative destination in downtown Pittsburgh. These transformations, combined with the decorative lighting that the County is installing on the Sister Bridges will integrate history, light, art, and play to create an immersive destination in downtown Pittsburgh.
After a competitive proposal process, Riverlife has selected dwg. to lead the design efforts for Allegheny Landing. Based in Austin, Texas, dwg. is a landscape architecture firm specializing in inspired, sustainable design and public open spaces like Springdale Green, SXSW Center, and Waterloo Park. The design phase will begin in late May 2023.
Riverlife is committed to deep and varied community engagement strategies to inform its work. During the design phase of the Allegheny Landing park’s restoration, Riverlife installed a shipping container to serve as a hub for community outreach. The shipping container, outfitted as a storefront and filled with archival photos, relevant historic memorabilia, and in process design materials, will be the headquarters for on-site engagement for design preferences at Allegheny Landing–collecting feedback as the planning process moves forward.
Refined Conceptual Design
Following three public input sessions and further discussions with the artists who crafted the park's sculptures, the design team has refined the conceptual design (see image below). The current phase will concentrate on the red dash outline area, aiming to preserve the original intentions of the park's art pieces to the fullest extent while introducing new accessible and playful elements to meet evolving user needs. The design is presently undergoing the Public Art & Civic Design Comission review process, with forthcoming steps on the horizon.
Refined Final Concept Design, December 2024
Community Engagement
Public Meeting 1
Riverlife hosted the first public meeting on June 27th, 2023 as we reimagine Allegheny Landing to better serve the vibrant North Side and Downtown communities. This park renovation aims to better meet community needs, address pressing accessibility concerns, rejuvenate signature historic and art elements, and make the Landing more playful for all. In the first public meeting, participants learnt about the project background, met the design team, and kick-started engaging conversations.
You can watch the meeting recording from the link below:
Public Meeting 2
The second public meeting was held on August 8, 2023. During the meeting, the design team presented three conceptual alternatives for the park. You can see the full presentation in the video below and find the presentation document under the Documents section.
To garner additional feedback, we ask you to fill out this interactive survey. The survey will be open from Aug 21 to Sep 1, 2023. Your participation in this collaborative process is crucial in creating a vibrant, fun, and inclusive park for our community.
Click to watch the full presentation recording!
The video may take a minute to load
Public Meeting 3
Riverlife and dwg. landscape architects hosted a virtual unveiling of the updated conceptual design for Allegheny Landing on October 11, 2023. The design team presented the insights we've gathered so far, highlighting how your input has influenced the development of three innovative concepts. This unveiling marks a significant milestone in our journey toward revitalizing Allegheny Landing in partnership with the City of Pittsburgh.
Watch the full meeting recording here:
