About Us

As Riverfront Project Manager, Maria Riley (she/her) works closely with the Director of Projects and Planning to manage Riverlife capital projects. Maria oversees planning, design, and construction projects from the earliest design phases through project execution. She joined Riverlife’s team in 2022.

Maria holds a Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of Virginia and a bachelor’s degree from Mount Holyoke College. Over her first seventeen years of practice, Maria worked for several small landscape architecture firms in Pittsburgh and New York,  completing several park projects in both cities. 

Since gleefully returning to Pittsburgh, Maria has enjoyed restoring Allegheny Riverfront Park, and working with a multidisciplinary team to advance the West End Bridge connectors projects, which will have significant impacts across the city,  particularly throughout West Side and Manchester neighborhoods. One of her favorite areas in the Loop is the trail at Allegheny Landing. The iconic Sister Bridges create dramatic views to Downtown without feeling overwhelming, and the dock presents one of the best places to get on the river.