Diane Nelson Jones report that Pittsburgh's famous Mellon Square, called the city's "emerald oasis," will reopen this week after closing for renovations in 2011.
Mellon Square will reopen to the public this week after a $10 million, three-year renovation. According to the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy website, the renovation was made possible with funding from the Richard King Mellon Foundation, The Colcom Foundation, The Eden Hall Foundation, and BNY Mellon, among others.
Diane Nelson Jones explains the need for the renovation of the park that opened in 1955 to acclaim and has already been renovated once. "After a late 1980s renovation, no funds were set aside for maintenance, and the next three decades saw the square little used by office workers and torn up by skateboarders and stunt cyclists. Drainage failures cracked the terrazzo surfaces and caused mineral deposits. The fountain mechanisms corroded. Many trees and shrubs died."
Now the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy has an agreement with the city "to operate and oversee the square" with $4 million set aside for that purpose.
Among Mellon Square's new features, is "a terrace overlooking Smithfield, [which] was part of the original design but not originally installed. It expands the usable area by 15 percent," according to Nelson Jones.
FULL STORY: Coming-out party for Mellon Square
Pittsburgh's Mellon Square Re-Opened After Six-Year Wait
Named as one of the APA's Great Public Spaces in 2008, Mellon Square in Pittsburgh was badly in need of repair. Earlier this month, the park completed a $10 million restoration process that launched in 2009.
Pittsburgh Excels at Low-Cost, Quick-Build Traffic Calming
The city’s traffic calming initiative has led to a 6 percent average reduction in speeds on corridors with recent interventions.
Downtown Pittsburgh Set to Gain 1,300 New Housing Units
Pittsburgh’s office buildings, many of which date back to the early 20th century, are prime candidates for conversion to housing.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.
The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.
Seattle's Plan for Adopting Driverless Cars
Equity, safety, accessibility and affordability are front of mind as the city prepares for robotaxis and other autonomous vehicles.
As Trump Phases Out FEMA, Is It Time to Flee the Floodplains?
With less federal funding available for disaster relief efforts, the need to relocate at-risk communities is more urgent than ever.
With Protected Lanes, 460% More People Commute by Bike
For those needing more ammo, more data proving what we already knew is here.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)