Pittsburgh's Garfield Community Discusses Plans to Protect Neighborhood Green Space

Last week in Pittsburgh, the Bloomfied Garfield Corporation (BGC) and Western Pennsylvania Conservancy (WPC) led a community meeting to discuss the Garfield Green Zone planning process that has been facilitated by evolveEA. We began with an assessment and report last year, intended to test the proposition that intentionally protected and improved green areas in Garfield offer a positive strategy for anchoring future revitalization of the hillside community. The report from last year can be accessed via the BGC website: Garfield Green Zone Project 2015 Report.
 

 
At the latest meeting, residents talked about what they believe is one of the neighborhood’s most important assets—being inside the city but providing the ability to live in or around the woods. A recurring point of discussion was that many people in the room want to create a community land trust. They are concerned about how development might impact Garfield’s green assets.  One resident bought five parcels in the neighborhood just to prevent several old growth trees from being harmed. Another said “We want it to be green, we want it to stay green”.
 

The 2030 Garfield-Bloomfield plan identified green spaces as an important asset for the community as it redevelops. This initiative is intended to take that recommendation in a more specific direction, as the BGC and WPC work with residents to determine the best way forward.