What are goals?

Goals are long-term outcomes that organizations and the City of Pittsburgh will work towards by taking action on policies, projects, and programs. Goals are aspirational in nature and express the neighborhood's collective desires and values for various topics in the plan. Compared to the policies in the section below, goals can encompass many different ideas and desires whereas policies focus on one specific topic. The goals below are organized as specified in the City's Neighborhood Plan Guide.

C2. Cultural Heritage & Preservation

• C2.A Preservation supports housing goals. Existing structures are part of the strategy to provide affordable housing and different living opportunities in Oakland.

C5. Public facilities and services

• C5.A Zero fatalities. All spaces should take into consideration the needs of Oakland's children and their caretakers.
• C5.B Recreation and community facilities. Facilities that support community gatherings and recreation are present throughout Oakland.

C6. Public Health

• C6.D Access to local food hubs. Provide a diversity of local, affordable, accessible food options, including grocery stores, particularly as a part of transit-oriented developments and as part of development on publicly owned property or where public investments are utilized.

D2. Urban Sustainable Design

• D2.A High performing buildings. Buildings reduce energy, water, and other resources used in construction, materials, management, and across their life cycle.
• D2.B Prioritizing green. Buildings in all areas of Oakland incorporate green features to improve the comfort and livability of Oakland for people and other animals.
• D2.C Excellent urban design. Building design incorporates high-quality materials, values Oakland’s unique character and outstanding architectural heritage, and contributes to the public realm.

D3. Equitable Economic Development

• D3.B Buildings that overcome inequities. The construction, rehabilitation, and tenanting of buildings are opportunities to overcome inequities experienced by residents, entrepreneurs, and employees.

D4. Housing

• D4.C Housing Diversity. Ensure a mix of rental and for-sale owner-occupied housing is available for residents at a wide range of income levels, providing a variety of affordable options for all residents.

D5. Transit Oriented Development and Commercial Corridors and Nodes

• D5.B Integrate development and transit. Development provides amenities for transit users including commercial services, enjoyable waiting areas, and first-mile/last-mile multimodal facilities.

I3. Energy System Planning

• I3.A Reduce Energy Burden. Reduce energy burden today to fight displacement, while making investments in structures to permanently reduce energy demand.

I6. Habitat Restoration

• I6.A Biophilic Design. Nature and natural spaces are integrated throughout Oakland to improve people’s physical and mental health, fitness, and wellbeing.

M3. Accessibility

• M3.A Accessibility Without Bounds. True accessibility results from intentional design on the part of public and private investments in the right-of-way and in buildings.

M4. Bicycle Infrastructure

• M4.B Bicycle-oriented development. Activities and facilities in the ground floors of buildings and public right-of-way support and are supported by cyclists.

M6. Parking

• M6.B Transition Parking. Development that incorporates significant amounts of parking is carefully designed so that parking structures can be converted to other uses and circulation between buildings can be efficiently reprogrammed for non-auto uses.

What are policies?

Policies set a preferred direction and describe what must be done to achieve the goals in the section above. Where goals can have many elements that relate to a central theme, policies should have one clear focus. They are specific enough that future projects can be assessed to determine if they would advance the values in the plan or run counter to them. Along with the vision statement, and goals, policies are formally adopted by the City's Planning Commission. The policies below are organized as specified in the City's Neighborhood Plan Guide.

C2. Cultural Heritage and Preservation

• Center equity in preservation. Ensure affordability and economic inclusion throughout historic preservation processes.
• Preserve Oakland’s distinct character. Thoroughly study and preserve existing art outside and inside historic buildings in Oakland. This could be traditional historic preservation of buildings, but also the reuse and repurposing of building elements and artistic features.
• Blend historic and new development. Development projects reuse existing buildings whenever possible including building onto and around structures as part of larger-scale developments. Resulting structures maintain Oakland's existing character and fabric while allowing development that meets modern needs.

C3. Public Art

• Increase art installations throughout Oakland. Public and private investments incorporate art into public spaces, buildings, and infrastructure.

C5. Public Facilities & Services

• Invest in community and recreational facilities. Increase the number of public facilities, including open spaces, recreation centers, and other facilities to ensure adequate services are provided to the neighborhood.
• Design public facilities for diverse ages and abilities. Ensure open spaces, and sport and recreational facilities are nearby and accessible for all residents of Oakland, particularly seniors, children and their caretakers, and the disability community.

C6. Public Health

• Center universal design. Ensure design is friendly to all ages and supports a universally designed, age-in-place neighborhood. Reinforce this built experience with health and supportive services such as case management support, mental health resources, health programming and education.

C8. Nuisance and enforcement issues

• Manage occupancy issues. Occupancy issues are appropriately, consistently, and equitably enforced through the City of Pittsburgh Code.

D1. Land Use Policy & Regulations

• Managed density. Locate dense development in appropriately designed buildings and in locations near transit and other supportive amenities.
• Reduce negative externalities. Design new buildings to internalize or otherwise address nuisance issues to avoid increasing conflict between residents.

D2. Urban Sustainable Design

• Excellence in sustainability. Incorporate sustainability principles and best practices into public spaces, buildings, and infrastructure.
• Design for topography. Design infrastructure and buildings to help residents overcome topography challenges and enjoy unique publicly accessible views.
• Amenities for all ages. Use public and private investments as opportunities to provide publicly accessible amenities for people of all ages.
• Inspiring gateways. Incorporate unique architecture, open spaces, public art, and plantings into entry points to the neighborhood to present an image of what Oakland is and aspires to be.
• Design for children. Design buildings, open spaces, and transportation projects to establish safe places and routes that allow children to navigate the neighborhood.

D5. Transit Oriented Development and Commercial Corridors and Nodes

• Community hubs. Build up transit station amenities, wayfinding, and adjacent ground floor activities in buildings to create local hubs of community activity.

I3. Energy System & Planning

• Energy burden. Reduce the costs of heating and cooling homes for low-income residents to improve public health outcomes and avoid displacement.

I4. Waste Management & Recycling

• Prioritize reuse. Preserve historic buildings to retain character and history of areas, sustainably reuse buildings, and create attractive, unique places.
• Material reuse. Reduce the carbon footprint of redevelopment that involves demolition by reusing as much of the building materials on-site or through resale to third parties.

What are the projects and programs?

The projects and programs are a shared "To Do" list where the community and government identify the projects they want to undertake over the next 10 years to make the vision a reality. Many of the ideas you see below are the result of ideas from people in Oakland, supported by research and case studies, and now ready for your review and inclusion in the final plan.

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Dig into the details

In the lists below, you'll get a title, brief description, and information about how the project or program could be realized including when it should start, by whom, and potential funding sources. For many of the ideas below there is "Learn More" button that takes you to a page full of details, drawings, illustrations, and specific ways to provide comments on that strategy. We highly recommend you dig into the details to see what your fellow Oaklanders came up with.

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D-2. Design Guidelines - CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

Create design guidelines that establish shared expectations for both developers and the community about how to integrate community input into project design. These guidelines should create a design process that allows residents and other community members to feel that development and other types of projects contribute to their neighborhood instead of serve only to displace.

• When to start: 0 - 2 years
• Project lead(s): DCP, Arts & Design Committee
• Project partner(s): OBID, OPDC, PID, CMOA, OPA, art and design faculty at the University of Pittsburgh and CMU, local artists and designers
• Potential funding source(s): City Capital Budget, grants

D-6. Oakland Town Center - CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

Redevelop University of Pittsburgh, UPMC, and City land in the Zulema Park area to create a dense node of activity where affordable housing, sustainable buildings, community service hubs, groceries, transit, and an enhanced Zulema Park serves the needs of residents. Isaly’s Building is retained and reactivated as a centerpiece of this area. Transform the Boulevard of the Allies from a barrier into a neighborhood connector.

• When to start: 0-2 years
• Project lead(s): DCP, University of Pittsburgh, UPMC
• Project partner(s): URA, HACP, PennDOT
• Potential funding source(s): Developers, bonds, grants, City Capital Budget, foundations

D-8. Sustainability for existing buildings

Work with the Department of Permits, Licensing, and Inspections and other partners to identify opportunities to establish requirements for making sustainability and landscape related improvements for existing structures such as new occupancy permits, license renewals, and changes of use. This should link to the implementation of the Rental Registry program and could be coupled with informational campaigns, training, and funding opportunities.

• When to start: 0-2 years -- Part of the DCP Energy Strategy
• Project lead(s): DCP
• Project partner(s): PLI, GBA, AIA PGH, DLC
• Potential funding source(s): City Capital Budget, grants

D-9. Sustainability for new buildings

Establish requirements, incentives, and funding programs for new buildings that ensure they are as sustainable as possible. All buildings, including affordable housing, should meet the high standards.

• When to start: 0-2 years -- Part of the Oakland Zoning Proposals
• Project lead(s): DCP, GBA
• Project partner(s): None specified
• Potential funding source(s): None needed

I-2. Comprehensive sustainable policy table

Create a table that establishes a policy basis for expectations for sustainability goals for development at different scales. Needs to align with Zoning and Building Code categories.

• When to start: 3-5 years
• Project lead(s): DCP, GBA, AIA
• Project partner(s): None specified
• Potential funding source(s): GBA, grants

I-5. Energy Strategy - CLICK TO LEARN MORE

Establish a long-range energy plan that meets the needs of Oakland’s major energy users, reduces energy burden for residents and businesses, and decarbonizes buildings and energy sources.

• When to start: 0-2 years
• Project lead(s): GBA, DCP
• Project partner(s): Institutions, UPMC, DLC
• Potential funding source(s): Institutions

I-13. Plan for On-Site Renewables

Consider amending Zoning Code to address scale issues for smaller buildings and homes adjacent to new larger structures that protects access to light and air needed for on-site renewables such as solar photovoltaics and wind turbines.

• When to start: 3-5 years years
• Project lead(s): DCP, GBA, AIA
• Project partner(s): Not specified
• Potential funding source(s): None needed

What are the projects and programs?

The projects and programs are a shared "To Do" list where the community and government identify the projects they want to undertake over the next 10 years to make the vision a reality. Many of the ideas you see below are the result of ideas from people in Oakland, supported by research and case studies, and now ready for your review and inclusion in the final plan.

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Dig into the details

In the lists below, you'll get a title, brief description, and information about how the project or program could be realized including when it should start, by whom, and potential funding sources. For many of the ideas below there is "Learn More" button that takes you to a page full of details, drawings, illustrations, and specific ways to provide comments on that strategy. We highly recommend you dig into the details to see what your fellow Oaklanders came up with.

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C-7. Community service hubs -- CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

Combine community centers, daycares, career services, educational programming, and free wifi in a single location.

• When to start: 0-2 years
• Project lead(s): DCP, DPW, City Council
• Project partner(s): Citiparks, OPDC, institutions, neighborhood associations
• Potential funding source(s): City Capital Budget, institutions, grants

C-10. Homeowner rehab program

Develop a program for existing resident homeowners to support their efforts to maintain and improve their homes. The program could be structured in a way to improve the health and sustainability of homes, and for older homes, could involve preservation of important architectural details.

• When to start: 3-5 years
• Project lead(s): OPDC, GBA, ReBuilding Together
• Project partner(s): Not specified
• Potential funding source(s): Grants

C-11. Honor Oakland's heritage

Conduct annual studies to understand the architectural and cultural heritage of different areas of Oakland and/or topics that lead to more formalized preservation activities by non-profit partners.

• When to start: Ongoing
• Project lead(s): OPDC, PreservationPGH, DCP
• Project partner(s): OBID
• Potential funding source(s): State grants, foundations, institutions

I-18. Commercial stakeholder education

Educate Oakland area organizations and developers about C-PACE and how this can be integrated into commercial and multi-family projects. Also discuss "dark skies" efforts.

• When to start: 0-2 years
• Project lead(s): GBA, City of Pittsburgh
• Project partner(s): Not specified
• Potential funding source(s): Foundations, Institutions