Hill District Centre Avenue Corridor Plan Wins Urban Design Award

Centre Avenue Corridor Plan Wins Urban Design Award

The Centre Avenue Corridor Redevelopment and Design Plan showcases the resilient spirit of the Hill District with The Avenue reborn as a place of exchange—where residents meet, visitors are welcomed, institutions share resources, and businesses showcase their offerings. At the Design Pittsburgh Gala, the Plan received a Certificate of Merit in Regional & Urban Design and was cited by the jury as an “excellent study looking at the complexity of urban design” in the evolution of a community. The awards gala closed the annual design exhibition and competition of AIA Pittsburgh, a chapter of the American Institute of Architects. 

The 2016 Design Pittsburgh Jury made the following additional comments:

This project… clearly defines a strategy to do smaller interventions that can transform the community over time. By focusing on several small interventions along an urban path, the team has envisioned a realistic timeline for growth and transformation. The jurors were struck by the use of time as an integrated design tool. The community engagement process was simply and powerfully communicated in this submission.

evolveEA led the design team in partnership with the Hill Community Development Corporation (Hill CDC), and 4Ward Planning. The project was funded in part by the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh with support from the Office of Mayor Bill Peduto, the Office of Councilman Daniel Lavelle and the Office of City Planning, administered by the Design Center through its Design Fund program.

Christine Mondor, Principal, evolveEA commented:

It’s an honor to be recognized by this design jury, especially against national competition. We enjoyed crafting a plan with the Hill District team to help position them for equitable growth based on cultural production, as well as economic development.

Historically the Hill’s main business corridor, The Avenue’s vibrant future is shaped by “Centres” of Culture, Opportunity, and Cultivation at three key intersections. These unique Centres tie together to serve the community, attract visitors and foster economic growth. Through convening the community to articulate a shared cultural identity, the design process clarified the role of neighborhood identity in shaping place and guiding redevelopment.

Marimba Milliones, Executive Director of the Hill CDC, remarked:

The Hill District is an amazing community of talented, engaged and passionate residents and stakeholders, and the Hill CDC is privileged to represent their interests. It is gratifying to be recognized by AIA for this important redevelopment strategy and plan — a result of genuine partnership with evolveEA and the Design Center. Ultimately, we believe that redeveloping the Centre Avenue business district within the Hill District will help Pittsburgh to meet its full economic potential by shattering some of its long-time challenges of equitable development, racial diversity and cultural inclusion. We know the Hill District is a unique asset to our region, and it is affirming to be recognized. We are excited about the future, and enthusiastically work every day to advance the implementation of this phenomenal plan.

DIY District at the Centre of Cultivation, Hill District Centre Avenue Corridor Design Plan