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Pittsburgh Looks to Transit For Rebirth

Posted by: Nate Berg

13 January 2009 - 5:00am

Officials in Pittsburgh are hoping that expanding transit-oriented development will spur growth in struggling and decaying neighborhoods -- and they have the voter-approved legislation to help.

"Can railcars and buses be engines of rebirth for those and other struggling communities? A growing body of planners, nationally and locally, thinks so."

"They have embraced a concept they call transit-oriented development, the aim of which is to create and sustain walkable neighborhoods with a mix of housing and retail development and transit hubs -- light-rail or busway stations -- at their core."

"The General Assembly in 2004 enacted legislation to promote development around transit hubs."

"It allows for creation of Transit Revitalization Investment Districts -- zones within a half-mile radius of those hubs -- where increased tax revenues from development can be earmarked for transit, infrastructure and streetscape improvements."

"Several efforts are under way locally to create such zones."

Full Story: Can transit grow neighborhoods?
Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, January 12, 2009
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While previous street standards emphasized uniformity, the new street design manuals emphasize flexibility and choice for design professionals to arrive at solutions that reflect the needs of each place, and satisfy broad goals that call for "livability," "improved connectivity," and "enhanced environmental quality."
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