There is still much to learned about the implementation of green infrastructure within the urban environment, especially when one considers the wide variety of site conditions that may be present. Â Site conditions such as the topography, the size of the drainage area, land use and land ownership have profound impacts on green infrastructure, and can ultimately impact green infrastructure performance, effectiveness and construction costs. Â For these reasons, the overall study area has been broken into three distinct sub-areas, each of which represents a different class of site condition commonly found in the urban environments. Â These sub-areas are illustrated and described in the map exhibit and table below.
For the design charrette in April, there will be a total of six (6) design teams. Â Each team will focus their collaborative design efforts on just one of these three study areas. Â Once the designs are complete, the best ideas from all of the teams will be combined to create a comprehensive green infrastructure vision of the Southside neighborhood of Pittsburgh.
| Study Area | Characteristics and Suggested. |
| Study Area A21st Street Corridor, North of Carson Street to the Three Rivers Heritage Trail. | Study Area A is highly urbanized with a wide public right-of-way. Â The contributing watershed consists of the immediate roads, sidewalks and roof along 21st Street, but also includes considerably larger upland drainage, extending several blocks toward the east and west. Â Suggested strategy include large green infrastructure facilities, capable of significant runoff volume storage, placed to maximize capture and treatment. |
| Study Area B21st Street Corridor, Between Carson Street and Josephine Street | Study Area B is also highly urbanized with a wide public right-of-way. Â However, the contributing watershed is much smaller in size. Â The watershed consists primarily of immediate roads, sidewalks and roofs along 21st Street, and does not include substantial upland drainage. Â The suggested strategy includes smaller, right-sized green infrastructure facilities that can be incorporated easily into an aesthetic streets cape design with minimal cost investment. |
| Study Area C21 Street Corridor, South of Josephine Street towards Southside Slopes. | Study Area C is generally more park-like than Areas A and B, but contains severals large, privately-owned commercial buildings and parking lot. Â The watershed is large, and consists of a sizable upland drainage area, made up of mixed woodlands, open space and dense residential land use. Â The suggested strategy is similar to that suggested for Study Area A, but the design teams must be sensitive to the nuances of private-public site improvement projects. |
