Open house slideshowdraft
- 3. THE OPEN HOUSE IS A TEMPORARY INSTALLATION ABOUT THE COMMUNITY’S PAST AND PRESENT. We need your ideas and input to begin developing a plan that is equitable and sustainable.
- 4. THE OPEN HOUSE WILL BE OPEN THROUGH MARCH TO USE THE SPACE in march, please email ecoinnovationdistrictpgh@gmail.com
- 5. WHAT IS AN ECOINNOVATION DISTRICT plan? A community plan focused on equitable growth, economic development, and sustainability. Centered around Uptown/West Oakland, this EcoInnovation District plan will be created WITH you and include your ideas FOR YOUR COMMUNITY. This includes ensuring that improvements here reinforce the work already underway in the Hill District. FIRST THINGS FIRST…
- 6. THIS AREA IS THE FOCUS OF THE PLAN BUT…NEIGHBORHOODS DO NOT EXIST IN VACUUMS. THE TASK IS NOT JUST TO IMPROVE UPTOWN / WEST OAKLAND BUT ALSO SUPPORT THE IDEAS AND PLANS OF OUR NEIGHBORS most notably the hill district, Oakland and downtown..
- 7. NEXT QUESTION: HOW DOES THIS RELATE TO THE BUS RAPID TRANSIT (brt) PLANNING THAT began A WHILE AGO? There was some planning for BRT but that process has been put on hold so that this community plan can shape potential transit improvements and not the other way around. Planning for transit improvements will be folded into your vision for the community.
- 8. THE ECOINNOVATION DISTRICT IS JUST GETTING STARTED. THIS OPEN HOUSE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN FROM YOU. THIS IS THE FIRST OF MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO SHAPE THIS PLAN. PLEASE STAY INVOLVED!
- 9. Website discussion We launched ecoinnovationdistrict.org last week and set up Instagram and Twitter accounts to keep everyone informed.
- 10. Now is our chance to share with you some of what we’ve learned SO FAR…
- 11. Let’s start at the beginning. The area was established by james Tustin in the early 1800s. Yes, this tustin He called the area “soho” after soho in England where he studied.
- 12. This picture shows the early beginnings of uptown. Goods and materials were delivered via the river and transferred to local roads. Uptown was established as a place to move goods and people throughout the city. Houses in uptown Second avenue River boats RIVERFRONT MILLS
- 13. When industry moved in along the river, the area further developed around those mills. Uptown became home to immigrants from many countries
- 14. The area had bustling streets and active businesses of all kinds– notably along fifth and forbes. This is fifth avenue in 1908
- 15. Forbes avenue in 1913
- 16. The boulevard of the allies was created in the 1920s as a tribute to the 30 nations who sacrificed soldiers in world war i. It created a highway next to uptown and completely cut off the views to river.
- 17. The fifth avenue high school was built in 1894 and expanded in 1926. in the 1930s, it served mostly eastern European immigrants. These families settled in the surrounding blocks.
- 18. Locust street in 1951
- 19. The brusco funeral home at fifth & jumonville in 1950. this is now where the action housing development is located.
- 20. Stairs near Duquesne university in 1950
- 21. In 1976, the fifth Avenue High School basketball team won the state championship
- 22. Unfortunately, the school closed following that year
- 23. The forbes elementary school in 1966. the loss of residents in uptown (and citywide) forced the closure of this school in 1973.
- 24. At one time, The forbes school was also home to the adult & immigration school – preparing students from 28 countries for citizenship.
- 25. So what happened? Like many cities, jobs relocated outside of cities, the suburbs expanded and unfair lending practices – redlining – prevented residents from getting mortgages. Notice uptown and the hill district shown here in red
- 26. Urban renewal policies contributed to the area’s decline due to demolition and the forced relocation of residents. Demolition in the lower hill - 1955
- 27. The result is that the number of residents in communities like uptown, west Oakland and the hill district declined. This chart represents the change in uptown’s population from 1940 to 1990.
- 28. Since this time, residents and community leaders have worked hard to improve their communities. These efforts include Oakland 2025, the greater hill district master plan and greenprint to name a few. We are not starting from scratch here. Rather our task is to reinforce and support this work. Existing studies & plans
- 29. This map summarizes all of the proposals from other plans that address uptown. You’ll note that while uptown is included in these plans, it is not the focus. this is an opportunity to specifically address the challenges facing uptown and its residents and businesses.
- 30. In uptown, uptown partners have spearheaded community improvements over the past 7 years. This includes working with the city and developers to reuse vacant properties. These buildings will soon be renovated for those needing affordable housing.
- 31. Uptown partners have also undertaken activities such as neighborhood clean ups…
- 32. These efforts are consistent with the work of uptown partners who have spearheaded community improvements over the past 7 years.…tot lot improvements…
- 33. …Tree planting…
- 34. Greening…
- 37. These efforts are consistent with the work of uptown partners who have spearheaded community improvements over the past 7 years.
- 39. In addition, Uptown is now also home to innovative and growing businesses thanks to start uptown.
- 40. All of these factors led us to where we are today…
- 41. The area today is: > 204 acres > about 1,000 residents (not including students) > 81 businesses
- 42. Duquesne university, Along with upmc mercy, the arena and local businesses account for thousands of jobs in the community.
- 43. In fact, the area is really many different smaller districts: a residential core, mercy, Duquesne, the hillside, an area sometimes referred to as the portal in west Oakland and the arena. Each have their own challenges and opportunities.
- 44. Based on what we’ve learned, here are a few of the key challenges we need to work together to address…
- 45. Vacancy & blight
- 46. The condition of the community reinforces negative perceptions of crime. “ “ “ “
- 47. However, between 2004 and 2014, part 1 crimes in the area declined by 35% with huge decreases in burglary and theft.
- 48. This is how much of the area is currently vacant.
- 50. Vacancy & blight encourages bad behavior like illegal dumping. This is a real quality of life issue for residents.
- 51. But at the same time, the community is also facing concerns about redevelopment. Change seems to be on the horizon but too many properties are hard to acquire TO MAKE BETTER USE OF. “ “ “
- 52. there are also many concerns about displacement. This strategy has to be equitable “ “
- 53. For years, property was acquired, buildings were demolished and lots used for this. “all of this demolition is destroying the community”
- 54. In response, the city created the interim planning overlay district (ipod) which prohibits the demolition of buildings in the community.
- 55. Certainly, with the consol center, there are opportunities to make money on parking.
- 56. Today, surface parking takes up a lot of space!
- 57. There are also clear signs of speculation…
- 59. …And also new development
- 61. Sometimes new investment sits next to an empty building. Fortunately, the building on the left is now being renovated.
- 62. It’s not just market rate housing, there has also been substantial investment in affordable housing.
- 63. And despite the new housing, there are still not enough services for residents. Besides a few corner stores and restaurants, there are no other stores that meet daily needs. “When I was a child there were a lot of stores up and down Fifth and Forbes Avenues- there were a lot of mom and pop stores, small businesses. There are some opening up near the university, but there aren’t many stores left. “
- 64. One of the primary challenges is transportation. Thousands of cars pass through the area creating real traffic and health issues… “ “
- 65. …as well as safety concerns! These are all of the crashes in the area over the past decade – a significant number.
- 66. Frequent crash sites, like at forbes and gist, are the result of fast moving traffic. This impacts everyone’s safety, including those that are hearing and visually impaired.
- 67. The boulevard of the allies creates some of these issues. Some cars exit the boulevard and drive through the community too quickly.
- 68. And don’t even think of walking along it! Although called a “boulevard”, it is far from it. This is how much space you have as a pedestrian and fast moving cars are right next to you!
- 69. Those choosing to ride a bike see the danger – she’s decided to just ride on the sidewalk.
- 70. And all of this pass through traffic decreases air quality for residents. The darkest red below represent the poorest air quality on the map – along fifth and forbes.
- 71. The area is also home to a lot of buses. Residents have great transit access from uptown / west Oakland. Unfortunately, buses sometimes get stuck in traffic which means that if you miss the bus, you could wait a while for the next one.
- 72. And while the buses are a great asset for residents, the stops could use improvements. It’s a nice day in this picture but this would be a really unpleasant wait in the winter.
- 73. So what about open space. Is there enough play space to meet the needs of all residents?
- 74. Simply put, no. There are larger parks nearby but very few in the community.
- 75. In fact, uptown has significantly less open space for residents than any surrounding neighborhood – less than half as much as the hill district and a quarter of what exists downtown.
- 76. The Tustin tot lot is an amenity.
- 77. And so is the Tustin Street Community Garden…
- 78. But basketball courts on streets like this is usually a sign that there is a need for more open space.
- 79. And not just open space but landscapes that help to solve regular issues like flooding. Since there are steep hillsides, we should design to better manage stormwater.
- 80. You’ve seen the impacts. This is from a storm just a month ago.
- 81. Flooding and poor water management lead to crumbling infrastructure.
- 82. But despite these challenges, the area has so much going for it including historic buildings…
- 83. …A committed group of active residents organizing for positive and inclusive change…
- 84. …and Signs of pride and creativity in the community.
- 85. In fact, there are significant assets in the area. Here are just a few.
- 86. So what do you think? Where do we go from here? we need your help!
- 87. This is your checklist of activities, the more you tell us, the better this strategy will be. Have a question? Ask anyone with an ecoinnovation shirt on. Activity sheet
- 88. And remember, this is just the beginning. There are many opportunities to get involved. These include: > use this space in march for your meeting – Simply email ecoinnovationdistrict@gmail.com to request a time > interviews – We’ve done over 50 so far with residents, business owners and stakeholders > Fill out a community survey (there are some here but it is also available on the website) > Leave a comment on the website – econinnovationdistrict.org > Attend the next open house – tentatively scheduled for June – location to be determined > Focus groups – later in the process, we’ll want to have smaller group discussions with residents to talk about ideas and strategies > Public meetings – in addition to the open houses, there will be other public meetings in the Fall Be sure to check the website for updates and the data we’ve collected.
- 89. THANK YOU!