First we want to list some of the places that we like and hope will not change.

We like: Carnegie Museums and Library, Heinz Memorial Chapel, the Cathedral of Learning, Schenley Park, Phipps Conservatory, Forbes Field Wall, three colleges within a mile of each other, St. Paul Cathedral, the O [Original Hot Dog], shops and the excitement of the area.

These are changes we would like to see occur.

Transportation: Use Forbes and Fifth avenues as the main transportation route. Add another parallel street at the top of the hill (Terrace Street). Build the maglev along these routes so people will not have to drive so many cars to Oakland. The amount of traffic would be greatly reduced. The maglev should reduce pollution. The maglev would be a new design for this area, and we think there are only two others working, so people would be anxious to ride it and to see it.

Businesses: We would like to see Oakland have more shopping and entertainment. The present businesses could be encouraged to paint and decorate their places. We like the idea of a raised plaza above Forbes Avenue. Pedestrians could get to the plaza at each intersection by using an escalator. The plaza could have shops and walking spaces.

The plaza could have trees and plantings to give it a pleasant appearance. The traffic would be traveling on the lower level while people could safely walk and shop on the plaza above. This would attract tourists to our city.

Clean Up: Oakland is already beautiful with all of the trees that have been planted and the beautiful architecture. It could be cleaner. Organize volunteers just as they do on the highways to clean up the sidewalks. We hope Oakland becomes an even greener place. Plant more trees and colorful flowers.

Encourage businesses and homes to plant window boxes with flowers. We hope Oakland becomes an extension of beautiful Schenley Park.

Safety: Usually Oakland is safe, but it could be even safer. Have more police walking a beat, and riding on horseback. It would be neat to see the horses in Oakland. Close illegal places that have illegal gambling.

Buildings: We wish people did more to take care of their businesses and property. The city could encourage renovation of storefronts and houses. Encourage people to have roof gardens. That would add greenery to the area, and when you are on the hills of Oakland and look out over the lower sections it would look like a park.

We are eager to hear how Oakland will change.

Mrs. DiPerna’s class, Carlow Campus School

(The following submission was written by Carolyn Leonard Carson, Ph.D., coordinator of the urban studies program at the University of Pittsburgh. After reading of the PG Benchmarks on Oakland, two sections of her "Introduction to Urban Studies" took on the matter as a class project. The following is the result of the input of those 98 students.)

There has been a great deal of discussion among city and county leadership in recent months regarding Downtown development and riverfront development. A key focus has been on the need to provide recreational facilities, partially to attract young people and to prevent them from leaving the region. Interestingly, there are thousands of young people in Pittsburgh who are craving just such recreational activity, many without adequate transportation or time to travel to Downtown or the riverfront. These are the very people Pittsburgh would like to keep permanently. They are the students of two major universities and one college, all located in Oakland! Why not consider Oakland as not only a major cultural center, but the recreational hot spot of the city as well. Oakland is a 24-hour neighborhood already, so why not capitalize on that!

Entertainment and recreation: Recently, student alcohol consumption has received a great deal of attention, locally as well as nationally. Interestingly, the biggest complaint on the part of students is the lack of anything to do, and many claim that this is responsible for the widespread excessive drinking.

Students want alternative places to go at night, whether or not they are under 21 For many, the bar scene or an open fraternity party is the only option for entertainment at night. They want to meet friends and "hang out," preferably in a place that has pool tables and snacks. The facilities in the student union close around 10 p.m., just when students are beginning their evenings, not ending them. Further, many feel that the union is not primarily a student gathering place since numerous university offices occupy it.

Students all like to eat, and again, at late hours of the night. They express a need for more sit-down restaurants, like Eat’n Park and TGI Friday’s, that will be open very late, if not 24 hours. These types of places would serve as good gathering places, an alternative to bars. Adding outdoor cafe space to these restaurants would heighten their appeal during the warmer months.

There are a number of entertainment businesses that could thrive in Oakland, such as a movie theater. Riding the bus to Squirrel Hill or Waterworks takes more time than students have to spend. In addition, the buses don’t run late or often enough at night to allow them to feel safe riding to other neighborhoods for a late movie.

Recreational facilities, such as a "fun park" or "sports emporium" would clearly be an asset and would also attract people from other parts of the city. An indoor recreational facility that would include laser tag, paint ball and a rock-climbing wall would provide fun activities. Students would like to have a bowling alley or game arcade. An outdoor sports complex that included a skateboarding and roller rink as well as go-carts and miniature golf would attract young people throughout the city. Staying open until very late in the evening, however, would be a key factor in the success of these facilities.

Students are also eager to have informal outdoor sports facilities. Outdoor basketball courts or tennis courts on lower campus would attract a lot of students on all but the coldest of days. Students often want to take a quick break in between studying. Taking the time to grab the shuttle to Trees Hall requires more time than they have to spend. The space in between Mervis Hall and the Frick Fine Arts building would serve as a good site to establish a nice softball field, where students could play impromptu pickup games. Bike lanes in the major streets or bike trails leading outside of the neighborhood, perhaps linking up with other trails that are already planned or in place, would bring the students in contact with other parts of the city, while providing them with an additional activity.

Outdoor recreational green space is clearly inadequate. Even the walk to Schenley Park takes more time than students want to spend. The most obvious solution to the problem of inadequate green space and the perils of vehicular traffic is to permanently close down Bigelow Boulevard in between Fifth and Forbes avenues. Students have suggested creating a small park in its place by adding a fountain, perhaps a duck pond and definitely flower beds, benches and picnic tables. This would physically tie the cathedral to the rest of lower campus.

Retail businesses and services: Students are very frustrated that they cannot purchase a variety of necessary items in the Oakland area. There is a desperate need for a grocery store, not only for students but also for permanent residents of the community.

Students and the permanent residents have other needs not met by current retail shops and businesses. A majority of the students feel the need for a variety store, similar to a Kmart or Wal-Mart. Although these stores are typically of the "big box" variety, encompassing a large area, it was suggested that there was no reason this type of store could not be built in a three-story building. In fact, that in itself would be an attraction.

Students, and permanent residents, need a store that offers reasonably priced everyday items. In addition, dry cleaners are essential, as are hair and nail salons. Further, there is a major need, throughout Pittsburgh in fact, for African-American hair salons. Many students would like to see an accessible video rental store.

Safety: Students consistently pointed out that safety is a key concern. This can be divided into two main issues: protection from people and protection from vehicles. An overwhelming concern is the problem with the panhandlers. Almost every student has been accosted at least once by street people begging for money. Some, especially the women, have felt threatened and very uncomfortable, especially when the panhandlers touch them physically. Suggestions for dealing with this issue include the establishment of a homeless shelter to better enforcement of vagrancy laws and panhandling laws. Many of the students suspect that the panhandlers are not necessarily needy. For that reason, most favor law enforcement.

Many students feel that the police presence is far from adequate and suggest that police on foot walk the streets, as opposed to their current practice of sitting in their vehicles across from the Original Hot Dog Shop. A number of students have suggested placing Blue Light emergency phones in areas not owned by the university and making them more visible.

Lighting is another key concern of the students. Most feel that lighting along Forbes, especially between Bouquet and Bigelow is very inadequate. In addition, lighting along side streets, where many students live in off-campus housing, is also inadequate. Students would prefer better lighting at bus stops, as many rely on public transportation late at night. Lighting can also serve to enhance the beauty of the street by utilizing unique light fixtures.

If businesses stayed open later, they would provide the eyes of the street late at night. Lighting from storefronts, as well as people inside, make a street safer. In addition, if new businesses are established and more people are on the streets late at night, that in itself will help to reduce the crime rate, or fear of crime, and will clearly minimize the perception that crime is a problem.

Transportation, pedestrian safety: The public transportation system as well as the university system do not adequately meet student needs because they do not serve students who are traveling very late at night, placing students at high risk. The university shuttle system shuts down before students are ready to return home. Further, Van-call does not take students where they’d like to go, a major problem for young women out late at night.

Vehicular traffic poses a great menace to the students. Many have suggested the establishment of crosswalks, perhaps with crossing guards, at busy intersections, such as Forbes and Bigelow. The curve on Forbes by David Lawrence Hall is considered to be a very dangerous crossing place.

Yes, students do jaywalk, but that is to be expected when they’re hurrying to class. Many have requested that the police enforce the speed limit along Forbes. Others feel there should be an additional crosswalk at that point in Forbes. Other suggestions have included a return to two-way traffic on Fifth and Forbes and directing through traffic to Fifth and local traffic on Forbes. If Fifth Avenue reverted back to a two-way traffic thoroughfare, an island in the middle filled with flower beds, such as those on Grant Street, it would not only beautify the avenue, but would also increase safety for pedestrians.

The bus lane on Fifth Avenue is a major safety hazard, and most students have near-miss stories. Because Fifth Avenue is one-way, many neglect to look in the opposite direction for buses. Students have suggested a widening of the bus lane and more prominent signs.

The sidewalks are in terrible condition in many places, causing students to trip and fall, especially at night when lighting is inadequate. Others express concern that winter sidewalk maintenance and snow removal is far from adequate, making walks to class on snowy and icy days rather hazardous.

In order to make Forbes Avenue more pedestrian-friendly it would be advisable to add parallel parking to both sides of the street instead of just one. This serves several purposes. First, it serves as a buffer between the vehicular and pedestrian traffic. Secondly, parallel parking on both sides of the street will slow traffic down enough to improve the safety for pedestrians, but, according to studies done in other cities, not enough to restrict traffic flow. This would also provide additional parking.

Physical appearance of Oakland There are a number of improvements that could be made to rectify the current situation. Landscaping in Oakland is minimal. The side streets in Oakland, such as Atwood, Meyran, Oakland and Bouquet streets, would benefit from the planting of a grass strip in between the sidewalk and the street. In addition, lining Forbes Avenue, and the side streets, on both sides of the street with either hedges (of shrubbery) or planters and trees would beautify the community.

The use of decorative touches over streets and on building exteriors would improve the appearance of the neighborhood. Placing awnings on other businesses, besides those that are Pitt-owned, would unify the buildings, making them more appealing aesthetically. Students feel that school spirit could improve if there were Pitt banners and flags making it clear to motorists and visitors that they were passing through the campus area.

Others suggest the use of holiday decorations and lights on the streets. Murals, preferably painted by students, on buildings that lack street front windows would make the street more interesting and unique.

Students in a high-density area tend to accumulate a lot of garbage that is not disposed of adequately due to a combination of factors. Landlords do not provide an adequate number of trash cans, and collectors frequently ignore the loose garbage that overflows from cans and lands on the ground, where it remains. More garbage cans, with ashtrays on top, would help to keep the neighborhood cleaner. Excessive garbage was a major complaint from students.

The physical condition of housing in South Oakland is nothing short of abominable. Standards should be developed and enforced through the establishment of a zoning ordinance. Many may already be in violation of safety codes. In general, homes of permanent residents are not physically in the state of disrepair as those that provide rental housing. Landlords need to be held accountable for the poor physical condition of housing in South Oakland.

One final, but important, issue is that of parking. Additional garages are desperately needed now. If Oakland does develop into a community that attracts greater numbers of people from the outside, then additional parking is essential, and this can best be accomplished with underground, or above ground, affordable parking garages.

Space and place: The development of recreational facilities, or a movie theater requires space. It is imperative that current businesses and permanent residences not be displaced through the power of eminent domain. There are a number of vacant lots or parking lots in the area bound by Bates Street, Forbes and Bouquet Street. In addition, housing with an absentee landlord could be acquired through the power of eminent domain and this entire area could be revitalized to include new housing for students and others desiring to move to the community as well as new recreational facilities and businesses. This would provide ample space to build new two- to three-story townhouses facing directly onto the street as well as new businesses with storefronts facing the street and apartment units on the second and third stories.