Riverlife group brings its vision nearer to focus

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Riverlife group brings its vision nearer to focus

Thursday, June 22, 2000

By M. Ferguson Tinsley, Post-Gazette Staff Writer

Blue, green and red dotted maps on the right and aerial photos across the left showed the collaboration between architects working for the Riverlife Task Force and community members working to improve Pittsburgh's waterfront.

Here's one of the ideas put forward by architect Alex Krieger for the Riverlife Task Force: Light the Allegheny, Ohio and Monongahela rivers from the West End Bridge (top) to the Fort Duquesne and Fort Pitt Bridges. The drawing was one of many suggestions for the city's riverfronts put on display during a public discussion at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center last night.

A half-circle of bulletin boards pinned with the photos, maps, charts and lists surrounded the meeting area for last night's task force session at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. Nearly 80 Pittsburghers listened to task force presenters paraphrase what they believe the community wants to see done with the city's riverfronts.

Pointing to the dotted maps -- blue dots denoted community suggestions for questionable locations, green dots meant good practices and red dots signified trouble areas -- the presenters followed Boston architect and Harvard professor Alex Krieger's lead that people want "human beings to get first priority along the river banks," not industry.

They said city dwellers want more riverfront trails with restaurants, mixed housing and natural settings. An unhindered connection between the neighborhoods and the rivers needs to be promoted with waterfront terraces that allow "people to touch the water."

Pittsburghers also want more than one docking and launching facility on the water, the architects said. Now, they said, there is only one launching area.

People would rather see water shuttles and water taxis that serve everyone, not just the tourists. Also in the area of transportation, the community wants the Light Rail Transit extended to Kennywood Park, Sewickley and into older neighborhoods.

Another need expressed last night is using bridges for more than carrying cars. Bridge festivals, lighting and painting the bridges so that each is distinct seemed good ideas, presenters said.

Trails should be forums to emphasize Pittsburgh's part in American history through plaques that retell the area's early past, some suggested.

Further, architect Steve Quick of Perkins Eastman, Pittsburgh, said the riverfronts should be treated like "front doors."

"In the past, development has generally turned its back on the river," he said. "If you take the [riverboat ride] you'll see the backs of the buildings. We need to remove all the barriers to the rivers."

Krieger, of Boston, said another task force meeting will take place in the early fall.

Before the meeting, he said the task force will continue working to:

Reorient Pittsburghers' view of the Monongahela, Allegheny and Ohio rivers as tied to the bygone age of industrialization.

Respond to projects by suggesting improvements that strengthen that new attitude.

Listen to community ideas from interested groups and advocates of the river front project.

Determine what short-term changes or additions that can be "magical" in transforming the rivers' facades.

The presenters were: Quick; Krieger and Alan Mountjoy of Chan Krieger Associates, Boston; Mark Klopfer and Wellington "Duke" Reiter of George Hargreaves Associates, Boston; and Michael Kuchera and Roxanne Sherbeck of Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, Pittsburgh.