The Community Design Center of Pittsburgh has awarded its first Civic Design grant to East Liberty Development, Inc. for a green, market-based land use master plan for the Larimer Avenue Corridor in the Larimer and East Liberty neighborhoods.

The $40,000 matching grant will help the agency create a long-range plan that develops green strategies for blighted and vacant land as a way to link the neighborhoods and restore community pride. Considerations will include recreational space for youth; a stakeholder and market-driven housing strategy that respects the community's history and provides housing for every type of resident; and land use concepts for large vacant swaths, unused buildings, and out-of-date abandoned housing.

The Community Design Center established the grant in recognition of the 20th anniversary of its Design Fund, which has awarded more than $1 million in catalytic grants to community-based organizations. The Civic Design matching grant can award up to $50,000 and leverage another $50,000 in matching community investment for a total of $100,000 per project.

"The investment of a Civic Design grant will result in a greater impact on planning, design and the community process of larger projects such as corridors, gateways, and commercial districts," said Anne-Marie Lubenau, president and chief executive officer of the Community Design Center. "We distinguish Civic Design grants as community visioning opportunities rather than site-specific projects."