Image above: Spaces can become more welcoming with an integration of green infrastructure and public amenities. Above is a rendering of a potential small plaza for Fifth and Moultrie [Figure 87 in plan].
When it rains, sewers that flow through Uptown capture rainwater flowing downhill from the Hill District. Many times the accumulated rain will overwhelm the sewer system, resulting in combined sewer overflow — the overload of the sewer system and contamination of local waterways — and basement backups and surface flooding. The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority is in the middle of its' Green First planning process across the city to prioritize sewersheds and target investments in green infrastructure as a means of reducing combined sewer overflow events and other stormwater-related hazards. In Uptown, two sewersheds have been identified through the EcoInnovation District planning process for improvement: the M19, which flows from the Upper and Middle Hill through Uptown near the Birmingham Bridge to the Monongahela, and M5, which flows through Uptown's western half.
The M19 sewershed has been identified as a top priority, and further studies are needed in Uptown to identify strategies that can manage stormwater throughout the corridor. Such strategies are likely to include establishing green streets, green alleys and incorporating stormwater systems into parks. Homeowners are also encouraged to enlist their own stormwater management tools, such as rain barrels, rain gardens, small scale urban agriculture and cisterns, to alleviate the negative effects of combined sewer overflow events. These strategies are expected to create multiple benefits of stormwater treatment, reduction in the urban heat island effect, and provide more green space, and are key to spurring development and reinvestment in much of the district as well as supporting the existing residents.
Learn more in the Infrastructure Chapter of the EcoInnovation Plan(PDF, 80MB).