Riverfront Park before Renovations

Downtown Pittsburgh is bordered by three rivers; the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio. These shores were utilized for transport since the city was founded in 1758. During the Industrial Revolution and the booming steel production years the rivers became sectioned off by highways, rail yards, and warehouses. Landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. proposed a system of riverside parks for the city way back in 1911. It wasn’t until the 1990’s, however, that the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust revived the idea as part of its master plan to redevelop Downtown’s red light district into the arts-centric Cultural District. The Trust ended up commissioning a unique collaboration between landscape architect Michael Van Valkenburgh and artists Ann Hamilton and Michael Mercil. With that began a decade-long process of research, design and construction.