Uptown PartnersOakland Planning & Development CorporationCity of Pittsburgh

The process has been an opportunity to bring community members together and talk about their hopes for the future

vision:

Uptown/West Oakland will reinforce Pittsburgh as a hub of innovation and serve as a model for equitable growth, economic opportunity and sustainability.

> As Pittsburgh’s healthiest community, Uptown/West Oakland will test new tools and innovative techniques to improve the quality of the community’s air, water and land for the benefit of its residents, businesses, employees and the Hill District at large.

> We will be intentional in fostering an inclusive and diverse community while encouraging new housing that will support new stores, new businesses and new jobs for residents.

> Strategic investments in our infrastructure will improve and expand the community’s green space, create safe streets and, provide transportation choices for all.

Community Goals:

> Work with banks to address credit issues of local residents.> Connect residents with available housing programs

> Uptown / West Oakland needs a Housing Advocate to:

> Put the proposed Housing Trust Fund to work in Uptown for housing rehabilitation support for owner–occupied and rental housing

> Local partners need to work with the City to implement the Affordable Housing Task Force Plan:

Pathways to housing affordability:

> It is critical to obtain site control in the community –create a land trust for long-term affordability

PRESERVE AND STRENGTHENTHE EXISTING COMMUNITY

> We need to support weatherization and basic systems rehabilitation for existing homes.

Pathways to reduced demand and lower utility costs

Pathways to jobs. Repairing or weatherizing a home requires work. As do many of the things contained in this plan. We need to connect residents to these jobs by partnering with organizations that provide training.

Those that know the community best remember when fifth avenue looked like this.

ENCOURAGE BALANCED, EQUITABLE, AND GREEN DEVELOPMENT

Unfortunately, fifth avenue today often looks like this.

If we encouraged new housing for all family sizes and incomes, we could again support local stores.

“When I was a child there were a lot of stores up and down Fifth and Forbes Avenues- there were a lot of mom and pop stores, small businesses. There are some opening up near the university, but there aren’t many stores left. “

But today, zoning in Uptown doesn’t work. New construction requires a lot of variances and ground floor parking (instead of retail). This is expensive and bad for the community.

So we should change the zoning to get more of what we want. The approach is to both allow for higher densities and protect the core of the neighborhood.

DISTRICT PARKING + BATTERY STORAGE + COMBINED HEAT & POWER + BIKE STORAGE AND BIKE SHARE + SOLAR + AIR MONITORING…

A key component of the new zoning is to separate parking requirements from each development site. Instead, parking is managed at the district scale which is more efficient. Coupled with other community assets, we call these community infrastructure hubs.

Imagine new development at 5th and Dinwiddie that includes a civic plaza – one that helps to connect Uptown to the Hill District. A Transit-Oriented Development that maximizes investment in transit.

What 5th and Dinwiddie could like in the future

New infill development provides housing and space for jobs as well as improved infrastructure throughout the community.

And close to the Arena, there are opportunities for more density designed to support more retail services. The potential density is achieved by meeting affordable housing and stormwatergoals.

PROVIDE CHOICE IN MOBILITY & ACCESSIBILITY

RESIDENTS HAVE TALKED ABOUT ISSUES WITH SPEEDING TRAFFIC

BOTH OF THESE OPTIONS SHOW SPACE FOR CARS, PARKING, BUSES, BIKES AND PEDESTRIANS. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS THE LOCATION OF THE BIKE LANE. A similar approach can be taken to 5TH AVENUE.

Brt rendering

Imagine streets that are safe for all, that help to reduce congestion and are attractive for new and existing businesses

Brt rendering

Imagine streets that are safe for all, that help to reduce congestion and are attractive for new and existing businesses

Imagine the opportunity to address severe safety issues like this – the longest crosswalk in Pittsburgh?

Imagine creating a new plaza and improving safety for pedestrians

BOULEVARD OF THE ALLIES: The original idea…

“With an ample roadway for all kinds of traffic, with trees for shade and decoration, with a broad promenade overlooking the river and the hills to the south, it would furnish rare and much-needed facilities for recreation”

1910 Olmstead plan for pittsburgh

Besides neighborhood streets, we should start a conversation about the future of the Boulevard of the Allies

Today, a different end result

Imagine transforming the Boulevard of the Allies, a highway only in Uptown, from this…

…to this – Uptown’s Riverfront

“Sustainable infrastructure” like addressing community health, stormwater runoff, flooding, air quality and energy

INVEST IN SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE

Imagine energy efficient, inexpensive and resilient energy…made in the community. The improvements along Fifth and Forbes enables us to provide district energy – we add the micro-grid while the streets are being improved.

Solar and Natural Gas combined heat and power units distributed across the neighborhood and connected with a micro grid

With respect to health and open space, this plan follows the PWSA’s stormwaterapproach but also the desires of the residents – to better manage water through the design of local parks. There are a number of opportunities for new park spaces:

Imagine if Tustin Street was a true community space – a place where kids and their parents could meet their neighbors

Imagine if Tustin Street was a true community space – a place where kids and their parents could meet their neighbors

But what about a broader approach? Think of the hillside as a park, managing stormwaterand extending trail connections to the Hill District and the Heritage Trail

The Hillside can be redesigned to slow stormwater coming down the hill and include overlooks. These overlooks would be part of a larger trail network nestled within an “edible forest.” The overlooks could include air quality monitors to measure air quality. Overall, a measurable improvement to community health.

Extending from the Hillside, imagine if Colwell Street was a “green connector” – a trail from the Hillside to Albert “Turk” Graham Park in the Hill. A fitness trail that can be used by clients of the Center for Hearing and Deaf Services as well as other local service providers.

Extending from the Hillside, imagine if Colwell Street was a “green connector” – a trail from the Hillside to Albert “Turk” Graham Park in the Hill. A fitness trail that can be used by clients of the Center for Hearing and Deaf Services as well as other local service providers.

Down from the Hillside, a “Freeway Park” under the Birmingham Bridge is designed to manage stormwater, clean the air and connect residents to the Heritage Trail.

Down from the Hillside, a “Freeway Park” under the Birmingham Bridge is designed to manage stormwater, clean the air and connect residents to the Heritage Trail.

What is now a “moonscape” could be much different

What is now a “moonscape” could be much different

implementATION

1. Traditional community planning Neighborhood capacity, City priorities and institutional support

2. Statutory/regulatory approval from Harrisburg

3. Examine non-traditional funding sourcesInnovative programs/non-traditional financingBest practices

THIS IS WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO FUND

1. ORGANIZING: business retention, administering housing programs / activities, land acquisition, linking to training programs, community events, transportation demand management, clean & safe, art

2. ADVOCACY: tax policy changes at State level, energy tariff for district energy at the state, PennDOT coordination and, local advocacy to steer dollars (like the housing trust fund) to Uptown

3. ZONING: re-writing local codes to support EID goals

4. MIXED INCOME HOUSING DEVELOPMENT: development of affordable housing and new market-rate housing

5. ACADEMIC VILLAGE: Development of Duquesne Light site plus connection with local academic programs / institutions

6. COMMERCIAL WORKSPACE CREATION / REHAB: working to secure financing / subsidy for ground floor retail / commercial space and rehabbing existing buildings for small businesses

7. BUS RAPID TRANSIT: full reconstruction of 5th / Forbes

8. COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE HUBs: development a prototypical hub with energy, bike share, stormwater and parking - either a garage or lot or both

9. STORMWATER PARKS: 5th & Dinwiddie, Tustin Street, Hillside, Watson Alley, Highway Park (around Birmingham Bridge)

10. DISTRICT ENERGY: installation of Solar PV, battery storage, CHP and digester gas power generation systems interconnected by a micro grid to ensure secure electricity supply to Uptown

11. Performance: installation, maintenance and monitoring of smart sensors and real-time data

HOW DO WE PAY FOR IT???

> Federal, State, Local funding opportunities• Federal resources expected to be directed to BRT and related infrastructure• Local funding required for Federal match• Competitive state programs (RACP, GTRP, MTF, LIHTC, etc)

> Utilize the DCED Neighborhood Assistance Program• Competitive program

> NID / BID• Requires agreement of major institutions and business owners

> Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Financing• Requires changes to State regulations

> Carbon Trading• Requires changes to State regulations

> District Energy Micro-Grid Financing• Requires changes to State regulations

> TRID / Value Capture

> Pay for Success Social Impact Bond

TRID

A few key challenges to TRID

> Poor market conditions and other development constraints within the study area

> Timing / need to jumpstart implementation - Limited dedicated TRID implementation funding to “jump-start’

revitalization

• DCED TRID Fund 2016

• $350,000 annual grant with required match (2:1)

> Geography / Scale - Large upfront boundary limits potential value capture

> Use of Funds - How much of the TRID financing will go to the BRT Local Match vs. other Plan implementation priorities

Pay for Success – social impact bond for Green Infrastructure

Create mechanism to capture some of the anticipated value to help pay for the improvement

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Today, a community facing a lot of challenges, some traditional and some unique

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Imagine an Uptown / West Oakland that puts new technologies & design techniques to work for the community and serves as a model for community revitalization

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Promoting EcoInnovation through technologies & design approaches

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Linked to innovative financing mechanisms to capture the benefits and support some of the capital costs

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And supporting job development by linking job training for new construction technology

We are currently working on ways to ensure these things happen.

Want to learn more? Visit ecoinnovationdistrict.org

THANK YOU! > ?