Squirrel Hill Neighborhood
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Wightman Park
Project Description
Overview
The Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority (PWSA) identified this project as an opportunity to incorporate a City Park Master Plan into its Green First Plan to address the City’s combined sewer overflow issues.
Ethos expanded upon the original stormwater wetland design by proposing to use it at as a pretreatment feature prior to a large underground stormwater infiltration bed under the proposed baseball field. Upstream of the park, the project modifies the combined sewer inlets along the block of Solway Street in front of the park to capture 3.25 acres of “directly connected” impervious surfaces. Green Infrastructure elements include right-of-way tree planters and green inlets, a cascading water features, an extensive rain garden and subsurface storage.
As Project Manager and Contract Prime, Ethos was responsible for coordinating the efforts of numerous subconsultants, and led the overall design, stormwater modeling, plan production, permitting, and community engagement efforts. The park is presently under construction, scheduled for completion in late Summer or Fall 2020. A second phase – the Wightman Streets GSI project – is presently under construction and will capture an additional 3 acres from the surrounding neighborhood.
Services Provided
- Project Management
- Conceptual Design
- Costing / Performance
- Stormwater Modeling
- Site, Utility, Grading & Stormwater Design
- Community Engagement
- Plan Production
- Specifications
- Land Development
- Environmental Permitting
- Construction Administration
Design Process
Green infrastructure design by Ethos Collaborative. Renderings by Others.
01.
Master Planning
The planning process aimed to address the community needs for an exciting public space and environmental needs for runoff reduction and stormwater capture.
02.
Hydrologic Assessment
The team analyzed the historic and current conditions at the site, including historic streams, impervious surfaces, and the terrain. This information revealed that the park’s location is naturally prone to collecting water, which makes it an ideal place to implement stormwater management strategies. Instead of burying the water, the design of the park embraces the water’s presence.
Historical Streams
The park is located along a historic stream channel that ran through the Squirrel Hill neighborhood when it was first built, but was subsequently enclosed in the City's combined sewer infrastructure.
Terrain Analysis
The terrain of Wightman Park resembles a natural pond, and is therefore an ideal location to capture and store stormwater from the surrounding neighborhood.
Green infrastructure design by Ethos Collaborative. Renderings by Others.
RESULTS
Plan Development
Through coordination with other designers, the plan for Wightman Park addresses stormwater concerns while providing the residents of the Squirrel Hill neighborhood with a lively public space.
Photos
Completed Project
Community & Design Partners
Pashek + MTR
- Site Design Lead
- Landscape Architecture
- Community Engagement
Sci-Tek Consultants
- Topographical & Boundary Survey
- Geotechnical
- Environmental
- Utility Coordination
Carriage House
- Community Input & Feedback
Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition
- Community Input & Feedback