PITTSBURGH | Development Rundown II

[Wally G]

Originally Posted by Private Dick

SSW seemed badly dated to me the minute it opened. Some of the design I liked, other parts are hideous. No real central public space drawing point... Cheesecake Factory plaza doesn't count.

And improvements have been very slow. The riverfront portion of the development is still far from complete... and it should have been THE featured space of the development. Instead, Soffer blocked it off with dubious building choices and an absolute dead space consisting of 2(!) streets and a grass median. There's no excuse for this extremely poor urban design in the 2000s.

I was just there yesterday and I noticed some construction work being done on the grass medium and close to Hofbrauhaus. Hopefully it's for the best and better utilize the space.

[BrianTH]

The art elements for the Crosstown deck-park sound pretty interesting and appropriate:

http://www.post-gazette.com/local/ci...s/201706220184

A pedestrian park intended to connect the Hill District with Downtown will also tell the history of the Hill and celebrate its African-American community, according to a plan the park’s designers presented to Hill residents Thursday. . . . LaQuantra Bonci Associates, the firm hired to design the park, worked with a team of artists, designers and Hill District residents to create specific elements. At a hearing Thursday at the Hill House’s Blakely Program Center, the team explained that those elements, from signage to sidewalks to stormwater runoff, will symbolize and create a unified narrative of the Hill District.

“It reflects the history of the Hill and the African-American community that sustained it,” said Kim Ellis, a historian and Hill District resident who was part of the design team. On a sound wall bounding the stage area, panels will depict often-overlooked Africa-American figures in Pittsburgh history. One, Ms. Ellis said, is Martin Delany, an abolitionist, journalist and doctor who worked and wrote in Pittsburgh. Another is Frankie Pace, a businesswoman who protested the 1950s urban renewal that displaced many Lower Hill District residents and eventually cut off the neighborhood from Downtown. The classroom space, framed by musical chimes, will contain native plants and metal seats that double as drums. The park will also have totems with historical or other text as well as murals removed from a tunnel beneath the space. Its sidewalks will be roughly shaped like the sankofa, a Ghanaian symbol of learning from one’s past.

Unifying the park’s narrative is “Keisha,” an illustration of a young girl with long flowing braids who reads, plays or stargazes. Essentially the park’s signage, Keisha will appear in many places, explaining the symbolism of the park’s design elements. Ms. Ellis said Keisha is meant to be a positive image of a black girl in a city with few depictions of African-Americans in public art. . . . Lakeisha Byrd, an architectural designer at Communion LLC and a Hill District resident, said Keisha’s braids are particularly important: a winding trench for stormwater drainage will also have patterns that represent Keisha’s braids, and Keisha herself will explain the park’s water system and plants. “Her countenance, her hair, is supposed to represent the entire community,” she said.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

The art elements for the Crosstown deck-park sound pretty interesting and appropriate:

http://www.post-gazette.com/local/ci...s/201706220184

Honestly it sounds like a bit over-the-top pandering to me, but then again I'm not black.

[Urbana]

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[Austinlee]

So all of the photos I have posted on page 1 and most every photo I have ever hosted on this thread are from my Photobucket account that I have had for about 8+ years. I just got an email last night saying that due to bandwidth rules that I have them posted on a public forum I would have to upgrade to a $300 a year package. Umm, no. Not doing that. So what are the best free photo hosting sites that don't have bandwidth limits. Imgur? Some place else?

[dfiler]

Over on the bikepgh forum, there was a photo posted of the Almono development's Signature Blvd.


(photo by paulheckbert)

There will also be a bike based tour of the development on July 19th. Rebecca Flora of ReMake Group and Almono’s Project Director will kick off the tour.
https://www.go-gba.org/events/save-d...o-development/

My take...

Unless I'm under the wrong impression about what appears to be zero accommodation for bikes, I can’t believe that the project director is naive enough to be involved with a bike tour of the development. Those sharrows are an insult and more of a charade than actual bike infrastructure. The project touted the blvd as bike and pedestrian friendly. Yet I can think of no worse design for walking or biking. Seriously, how could it be worse?

The sidewalk is immediately next to the road and blocked by poles. The lanes are so wide that people will drive much faster than the speed limit. The curbs at intersections are so rounded that cars won’t slow down while turning. Turning speed has been optimized over safety. There’s no cross walk. The sharrows are positioned dangerously. Bikers riding on the sharrow won't be far enough left to control/take the lane. That will result in dangerously close passing because cars will be encouraged to pass without leaving the lane.

It’s a shame because it seemed Pittsburgh was steadily marching toward a complete riverfront trail system. And here we are with a development that not only doesn’t include a riverside trail, but the “signature blvd” is built like a highway. For the speed limit that is intended here, the road has the most dangerous design possible for bikes and pedestrians.

I really hope i’m wrong and that the rest of the road is better than shown in the photo…

[wpipkins2]

Originally Posted by Urbana

Yeah, I'm not black either - so I will reserve full judgement, but I will say that reading that made me uncomfortable - especially with the focus on braids. Its just . . . odd.

I do not get the uncomfortable part. What is so disturbing about a little black girl with braids? What is so odd about that? Maybe I am more accepting because I am black and have black women in my family. I have a daughter and she wore braids with beads as a child. There is nothing more black girl than braids with beads and bolly's. Not sure why this is an issue.

I really like the design and do not think it was meant to make a certain segment of the population uncomfortable. Free your mind.

[eschaton]

Just took a look at building permits. It appears construction will get underway shortly on the new North Shore office building (gag) and the first set of new-construction townhouses off of Butler Street in Upper Lawrenceville.

[Urbana]

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[wpipkins2]

Originally Posted by Urbana

I found it odd that the landscaping itself is designed to represent the braids of a nonexistant black girl named Keisha.

Neither black people nor their braids make me uncomfortable.

My trepidation was that it is a bit over the top and that - trying to put myself in the shoes of a black person - it might feel pandering and insulting. If the black community feels it represents them and doesn't have a problem with it, then I don't.

Black people were heavily involved in the design of this project. I do not believe the black people involved in the design process were trying to pander or insult other black people. If you are not black I do not think you can put yourself in my shoes. I am black and did not feel insulted by the design. I along with virtually all the black people that I mentioned this controversy to support and welcome this new addition to our city scape.

[Urbana]

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[BrianTH]

I'll just reiterate I think what has been reported sounds pretty cool. Certainly as a white guy I won't claim to speak for interested African-Americans, but I do think it is important for my kids to be exposed to local African-American history and culture in significant but also easily relatable ways, and this seems pretty on point.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by Urbana

That's great! I will gladly admit I was off base. I have no beef with the design if that is the consensus.

For what it is worth, I think there is very much a real issue here worthy of serious discussion. On the one hand, African-American history has been important to all of us and we shouldn't be reluctant to include it in public spaces and such. On the other hand, at the end of the day we are all fellow citizens, neighbors, colleagues, friends, family, and so on, and you don't want to foster an unjustified sense of otherness.

Personally, I just feel like these proposals walk this line in an appropriate way. But that's a real question worth asking, even if it ends up having a satisfactory answer.

[photoLith]

Originally Posted by Austinlee

So all of the photos I have posted on page 1 and most every photo I have ever hosted on this thread are from my Photobucket account that I have had for about 8+ years. I just got an email last night saying that due to bandwidth rules that I have them posted on a public forum I would have to upgrade to a $300 a year package. Umm, no. Not doing that. So what are the best free photo hosting sites that don't have bandwidth limits. Imgur? Some place else?

Flickr, Ive never had a problem and post loads of photos to all kinds of forums and have had it since probably 2007 or so and you can upload full resolution photos and I use it as back up for my best photos.

[wpipkins2]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

I'll just reiterate I think what has been reported sounds pretty cool. Certainly as a white guy I won't claim to speak for interested African-Americans, but I do think it is important for my kids to be exposed to local African-American history and culture in significant but also easily relatable ways, and this seems pretty on point.

I agree fully. I expose my kids to all cultures. I also teach them to value others. It was sad to hear that a young black girl with braids makes some people uncomfortable. What kind of message does this send? I am the father of a black girl that wore braids at one time. The sound of braids with beads reminds me of my little girl who i love and adore.

[Urbana]

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[wpipkins2]

Originally Posted by Urbana

I'm not sure what you are trying to imply about me. I think I have made myself pretty clear.

I will say it again, because it is very important to me that this is not mistaken. Black girls with braids do not make me uncomfortable.

What I found to be over the top is the choice to have the landscape take the form of a traditionally black hairstyle. Similarly, I would find it over the top if they chose to manicure all shrubbery into spheres to represent afros, or if they constructed many twisted parallel paths to represent cornrows.

This is not to say I have any problem with this being a black space or that black culture should not be a major theme of the space. I do not think that making this space themed around the black community makes it any lesser of a space for everyone. Black culture is an important and valuable part of the Hill and the city that was systematically disregarded in a misguided and racist urban renewal. I simply find it a bizarre design choice that, upon my first examination, smelled like some white landscape architect's bizarre impression of blackness and what the community values. If the black community embraces it, honestly, I don't care.

This discussion has transitioned far beyond the scope of the project. I wouldn't blame the mods if they chose to delete all of this.

My bigger question in all of this is why hasn't there been any renderings circulating in the media? They must have showed something at the event, after all!

My comments were not directed towards you. I have read posts on other forums with similar comments to what was posted on here. Just trying to understand the reasoning behind the views.

Once the western section of the arena site gets developed this park will have amazing city views. The arena development does not have to reach the sky but a few buildings between 10 and 20 stories tall would be ok with me. I am really interested in the tranportation center aspect of the project. Can the new BRT tie into the new deck park?

[Minivan Werner]

-edit-

Already discussed.

[GeneW]

Originally Posted by Austinlee

So all of the photos I have posted on page 1 and most every photo I have ever hosted on this thread are from my Photobucket account that I have had for about 8+ years. I just got an email last night saying that due to bandwidth rules that I have them posted on a public forum I would have to upgrade to a $300 a year package. Umm, no. Not doing that. So what are the best free photo hosting sites that don't have bandwidth limits. Imgur? Some place else?

Imgur works for me for hosting stuff that I want to post.

[Austinlee]

Originally Posted by photoLith

Flickr, Ive never had a problem and post loads of photos to all kinds of forums and have had it since probably 2007 or so and you can upload full resolution photos and I use it as back up for my best photos.

Originally Posted by GeneW

Imgur works for me for hosting stuff that I want to post.

Thanks. I thought those were my two best options.