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Allegheny Riverfront Park and the Sister Bridges Experience: A Vision Coming to Life

By February 19, 2025February 20th, 2025Uncategorized
A peaceful urban park scene bathed in warm, golden sunlight. A man sits on a long concrete bench, relaxed with one arm resting on the backrest, while a small dog sits nearby. A tree-lined pathway stretches alongside the bench, creating a shaded walkway. In the distance, another person strolls down the path. The surrounding greenery and soft evening light create a calm, inviting atmosphere, while cars are faintly visible in the background, blending the urban and natural environments.

In March 2025, Riverlife will break ground on the rehabilitation of Allegheny Riverfront Park’s upper promenade.

For twenty-five years, this park has been a vital link between downtown Pittsburgh and the Allegheny riverfront–redefining how Pittsburghers engage with the city and sparking a movement for riverfront transformation.

Allegheny Riverfront Park remains a model for what riverfront development can be: spaces that connect people to the water, from the neighborhoods to the city, and to each other.

A Pioneering Design

Reimagining urban waterfronts isn’t a new concept. Frederick Law Olmsted popularized the idea in the 19th century. Pittsburgh even had a plan as early as 1911. But for most of the 20th century, industry and commerce walled off the rivers from the public. The idea for Allegheny Riverfront Park emerged at a time when cities were finally reconsidering how they treated their waterfronts.

A vintage-style photograph of a riverside scene on a cold day. A person wearing a dark jacket and rollerblades leans against a yellow metal railing, looking out over an icy river. The sidewalk runs alongside a busy street with several cars, and more pedestrians can be seen further down the walkway. In the background, a bridge spans the river, and industrial buildings are faintly visible under a cloudy sky. The overall image has a grainy texture, adding to its nostalgic feel.
A detailed plan view map of the Allegheny Riverfront in Pittsburgh, labeled with street names, building names (Renaissance Pittsburgh, Byham Theater), park levels (ARP Lower/Upper), and the Allegheny River.

What set this project apart was its philosophy: work with nature, not against it.

The original design team–led by landscape architect Michael Van Valkenburgh–chose plant species that could survive and regenerate after flooding. Instead of forcing art into the space as an afterthought, they wove it into the infrastructure: handrails, boat tie-offs, textured surfaces, and tinted concrete.

This was radical thinking at the time, and it earned the park national recognition:

  • 1997 Progressive Architecture Award Citation
  • 2002 ASLA Design Honor Award
  • 2002 EDRA/Places Place-Making Award

“This is significant place-making in an incredibly difficult urban condition.” ~Jury Comment, Places Award (2002)

The project was helmed by Carol Brown, the first President and CEO of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. Under her leadership, the Trust saw the potential to create a park that would transform a once-overlooked stretch of downtown into a vibrant public space. Brown enlisted Van Valkenburgh and his team, who began shaping the park’s vision in 1994. Their approach was ambitious–embracing the site’s natural constraints and leveraging them to create a truly adaptive, resilient urban landscape.

A park scene with a stone bench, young trees casting shadows, and a person enjoying the sunlight in the background.
A paved walking path along the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh, with people strolling, lush greenery, and bridges crossing overhead, set against a backdrop of city buildings.

Artists Ann Hamilton and Michael Mercil worked collaboratively on a design that would create pedestrian access to the river’s edge. The goal was to seamlessly integrate art into a new landscape of trees and boulders, turning an underutilized space into a destination.

The lower promenade was completed in 1998, and the upper promenade opened to the public in 2000.

By the time the park opened, it had already set a new standard for riverfront design. Fort Duquesne Boulevard had been transformed into an inviting public space. It wasn’t just a facelift–it was a revolution in landscape architecture, proving that an urban park could be both transformational and artful. 

It also helped lay the groundwork for Pittsburgh’s broader riverfront vision: these spaces could–and should–be claimed for public use.

A Space that Became Essential

Allegheny Riverfront Park has become an essential part of Pittsburgh’s daily rhythm.

It’s where office workers take a midday breath of fresh air, where festival goers find a quiet reprieve, and where theater patrons may linger before a show. Steelers and Pirates fans pass through en route to Acrisure Stadium and PNC Park, with the promise of ice cold water or essential game day gear to be found at the edges of this public place.

A lively outdoor event with a crowd of people gathered under green-and-white striped tents and umbrellas. The scene is set on a sunny day with a bright blue sky and scattered clouds. Trees with lush green leaves and some bare branches line the area, providing partial shade. A street sign indicating a left curve stands in the foreground next to a yellow fire hydrant. The crowd appears to be enjoying food and drinks, with vendor stalls visible in the background. A large streetlamp arches over the scene, adding an urban touch to the festive atmosphere.

The Toll of Time

Pittsburgh’s weather has put this park through its paces. The most glaring issue? The upper promenade’s bluestone pavers. Years of freeze-thaw cycles and water infiltration has led to uneven surfaces. For those using wheelchairs, strollers, or bicycles, these conditions pose significant safety concerns.

The deterioration of the bluestone pavers is the result of a combination of factors: Frequent exposure to road salt and the pressure applied by maintenance vehicles contributed to water infiltration, which, over time, led to significant damage. Additionally, the original stone proved to be softer and more vulnerable to these conditions.

As part of the rehabilitation, more durable pavers are being selected to ensure greater resilience and longevity.

A deteriorated pedestrian path with broken concrete slabs, flanked by temporary metal barriers and a weathered yellow railing, leading to a bridge with industrial features.

Restoring a Landmark

A close-up photo of a chalkboard sign with the handwritten question, "What is your one wish for the Allegheny Riverfront?" positioned in front of the Roberto Clemente Bridge in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Riverlife’s phased restoration plan–led by local landscape architects LBA and developed in collaboration with the original designers at Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates–aims to preserve the park’s original vision while strengthening it for the future. Community input has been key, ensuring the improvements enhance what makes the space special without compromising its identity.

The approach will restore the integrity of the design while respecting its artistic and environmental intent. This work will reinforce the park’s resilience, and ensure that it can withstand Pittsburgh’s weather and remain a welcoming place for years to come.

In addition, it will also rethink the visitor experience–enhancing safety, accessibility, and activation opportunities without erasing what makes the park so unique.

A Bridge to the Future

The rehabilitation of Allegheny Riverfront Park is a key project in a larger sequence of transformations reshaping this river room. As nearby development continues, the Sister Bridges Experience is emerging as a regional epicenter of authentic vitality and growth.

Throughout the open spaces surrounding the three century-old bridges, more than $100M have been invested in infrastructure, improved water access, and enhanced public parks. This includes completed and ongoing projects, with even more playful interventions ready to make a splash in the spring and summer of 2025.

Further investment at Arts Landing—the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s new civic space—along with future improvements to Allegheny Riverfront Park’s Lower Promenade plans and Allegheny Landing on the North Shore adds over another $100M collectively to this overall investment in open spaces.

A split image showing urban planning concepts: On the left, an aerial view of a city with a river, bridge, and green space, and on the right, a close-up of a circular park with a shaded structure and people walking.

Meanwhile, the Warhol expansion, POP District, and the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership’s Market Square modernization are strengthening the connection between downtown and the rivers.

Beyond public spaces, transformative real estate investments–entertainment venues, market-rate and affordable housing, lodging, and retail–are all in motion. When all is said and done, the overall investment to this area brings a vibrant river room that will seamlessly link both sides of the Allegheny River.

Aerial perspective rendering of Pittsburgh's Allegheny River, showcasing the Three Sisters Bridges, a revitalized Allegheny Landing with pedestrian activity, and potential Riverlife development along the riverbanks.

Riverlife’s vision for the Sister Bridges Experience is coming to life, bringing together enhancements that will make all sides of this river a place where people gather, celebrate, reflect, and create lasting memories.

This scale of transformation ensures Pittsburgh’s Sister Bridges remains one of its greatest assets for generations to come.

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