Riverlife and City of Pittsburgh Launch UpKeep

The first-of-its-kind initiative provides new resources, planning, and standards to help Pittsburgh’s riverfront parks, trails, and public green spaces remain clean and welcoming for residents and visitors. Through coordinated efforts with Allegheny CleanWays, Friends of the Riverfront, Landforce, and the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership around shared maintenance standards, UpKeep will ensure a higher standard of riverfront care and experience year-round. 

UpKeep will deliver $6 million in maintenance over the next decade, supported by a landmark endowment gift from an anonymous funder and additional investments from corporate, foundation, and individual partners – with particular thanks to The Heinz Endowments, Hillman Family Foundations, the Richard King Mellon Foundation and the NiSource Charitable Foundation. 

“This may be the most important thing we do as an organization,” said Matthew Galluzzo, President and CEO of Riverlife. “UpKeep reflects a long-term commitment to caring for Pittsburgh’s riverfronts through strong partnerships and consistent coordination, and we are delighted to play a role in creating a world-class and welcoming riverfront for generations to come." 

Mayor Corey O’Connor highlighted the City’s role in supporting public spaces that connect Pittsburghers to the rivers: “The three rivers are an important part of Pittsburgh's identity and so it's important that Pittsburghers can engage with all that the rivers have to offer,” said Mayor O’Connor. “Through our UpKeep partnership with Riverlife, Pittsburgh's families will be able to enjoy clean and world-class parks and trails along our riverfronts.” 

As part of the UpKeep initiative, Riverlife and the City of Pittsburgh have entered into a 20-year agreement designed to solidify the partnership for care and maintenance. The program addresses routine maintenance needs, including litter and debris removal, vegetation management, pressure washing, and site-specific care. 

UpKeep builds on early pilot efforts conducted in 2025. Riverlife and the City plan to grow the Riverfront Care and Maintenance Fund, deploy additional maintenance equipment, and broaden coverage across parks and trails along the riverfront, addressing pesky problems like goose droppings, invasive plant species and garbage left in and along the rivers. Partners in the initiative will each receive funding via UpKeep to expand their people power for work along the riverfront loop. 

For more than 25 years, Riverlife has led efforts to transform Pittsburgh’s riverfronts into connected, accessible public spaces, overseeing more than $150 million in investment and helping catalyze billions in related economic development. UpKeep ensures that ongoing care and maintenance keep pace with the scale and importance of these riverfront assets, intentionally designed to meet the expectations of the people who make millions of visits to Pittsburgh’s riverfront’s each year. 

About Riverlife 

Since 1999, Riverlife has worked to create, activate, and celebrate Pittsburgh's riverfronts. A nonprofit leader in building a community vision for Pittsburgh's riverfronts, Riverlife has overseen a $150 million investment in the city's waterfront transformation, catalyzing $4.2 billion in related economic development, arts and culture, and ecological sustainability on or adjacent to the city's riverbanks. Riverlife centers its work on the belief that the riverfronts belong to everyone, and world-class riverfront experiences can be created for all using community-driven, equitable development and high-quality, regenerative design. Learn more at riverlifepgh.org.