Pittsburgh’s Strip District – a strip of land bounded by the Allegheny River on one side and an escarpment on the other – has long been an epicenter of receiving and distribution. It’s a vibrant urban neighborhood with thriving local businesses, iconic buildings, and legacy and upcoming housing and offices – with the attendant competing demands of pedestrian safety vs. traffic, parking availability, and the growing pains of a neighborhood on the rise.

Pittsburgh’s Department of City Planning engaged us to examine a representative street, 21st Street, to explore traffic and mobility solutions, but also to imagine placemaking moves and elements that could have broader applications neighborhood-wide, particularly in reconnecting to the riverfront. Public realm design is a necessarily public process, and we couldn’t have pursued this without the participation and valuable perspective of many, many stakeholders.