Happy New Year...

..you don't look back because there is nothing to see...

~Osho~

O4D Studies Greening Strategies for Pittsburgh's Oakland Business District

The "rogue" crabapple above is the only sign of life (the leafy kind) along several blocks of Forbes Avenue.

One of O4D's first projects as a group is almost complete! We've been working on a feasibility study for the Oakland Neighborhood Improvement District to study the addition of street trees and other greening as well as locate several new bike racks. The study area is mainly along Forbes Avenue and includes 3 side streets: Meyran, Atwood & Oakland. If you are familiar with this area, you know that it is dense & urban, with lots of student foot traffic. The three lanes of heavy traffic along Forbes Avenue make the zone a gateway to the PITT and CMU campuses as well as UPMC and the larger East End neighborhoods. Origin 4 Design partnered with Evaine Sing, RLA on the study.

The other notable factor for this area is that it is largely void of TREES and green in general. This past summer, sidewalks were widened with "bump-outs" at many intersections in the name of pedestrian safety. New lighting, banners and baskets were also added. Our study looks at each streescape and weighs the possibility for accommodating trees. This included gathering as much information as possible about what was going on below ground.

The benefits of trees are many: cooler & cleaner air & buildings, increased traffic safety, greater time & money spent by patrons in the businesses (increased comfort and aesthetics).

Proposed tree (maybe I should tone down that yellow a bit) at the corner of Oakland and Forbes Avenues.

For areas where trees were not possible due to utilities above or below the sidewalk, there are other options for green. Below, the first two images are some very informal and inexpensive greening spotted in other cities. The far right is actually two blocks from my house in Friendship. This monster vine has completely overtaken the parking sign & even now in December still looks like this (OK so we haven't had much of a freeze yet). Green - simple - hardy. Wonder if it volunteered or was planted by someone?