Completing the Loop

{"version":"0.3.0","atoms":[],"cards":[],"markups":[],"sections":[[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"A comprehensive vision for\nrevitalizing 15 miles of Pittsburgh\u2019s riverfront land, Completing the Loop is a\nmaster plan that articulates and advances the mission of Riverlife, a nonprofit\ndedicated to connecting the city\u2019s neighborhoods with a world-class riverfront.\nIt is the result of an 18-month-long community-centered process, and it clearly\ndescribes the steps needed to transform vacant, formerly industrial land to\nconnect Pittsburgh\u2019s celebrated three rivers with communities that have been\nhistorically cut off from them by highways and railroads. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Riverlife was founded in\n1999 as an effort to reenvision Pittsburgh\u2019s riverfront as a highlight of\ncommunity life through a continuous park system known as the Loop. An earlier\nvision plan, completed in 2001, described an initial attempt at forming a\nsystem based on several strong anchors along the riverfront. However, there\nwere still many gaps to fill and connections to be forged before that vision\ncould be realized. For more than 20 years, the nonprofit has worked closely\nwith landowners, community groups, and elected officials, fostering investment\nand land use regulations that have moved development steps closer to the\nintentions laid out in the original plan. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Completing the Loop builds\nupon the earlier placemaking and planning efforts to refresh and refine the\noriginal vision for the riverfront, proposing a set of guiding principles and\ncatalytic projects that will form a cohesive river experience. It arose from an\nintensive collaboration with the people and organizations that love the\nAllegheny, Ohio, and Monongahela rivers, ranging from those who occasionally\nvisit to those who work the waterways daily. Throughout the process, which\nengaged more than 5,000 people, the team and Riverlife pursued a common vision\nof an equitable riverfront, resulting in a slate of exciting new ideas and a\nsense of urgency that drives continued progress. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"At the high of the city\u2019s\nindustrial prowess, most people avoided the rivers. The demise of its mills\nleft degraded landscapes and large-scale contamination in their wake. In the\nensuing decades, a handful of projects established some riverfront\ndesirability, and Riverlife has woven them into a network of riverscapes that\nrestore the rivers\u2019 ecology, reestablishing healthy environments for humans and\nnonhumans alike. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"In support of this, the\nplan calls for the formation of three discrete River Rooms, a series of water\ncommons where people from all walks of life can engage with one another in an\necological setting and where the city\u2019s stewardship of its rivers enhances the\nquality of life for all residents. Water is the primary resource and focus of\nthe plan, and all additional developments and activities highlighted in\nCompleting the Loop reference it. In neighborhoods where existing physical\nbarriers limit river access, the plan proposes green street connections, places\nwhere public art, amenities, and plantings boost water quality while also\nserving as a biophilic wayfinding strategy. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"In\nbuilding on previous successes, Completing the Loop focuses directly on\nequitable principles for development. Riverlife\u2019s efforts have already yielded\nmore than $4.2 billion in projects and enhancements as well as a $40 million\nrenovation of Point State Park. This enhanced plan is expected to leverage both\npublic and private investments of nearly $4.9 billion across the next decade.\nWith its call for affordable housing, the use of a community land trust, and\nseveral community wealth-building tools, the plan ensures that everyone in\nPittsburgh will benefit. "]]]]}