Projects

St. John’s Green

Program Area: ReClaim

Topic: Community Engagement, Vacant Land

Year: 2015, 2016

Neighborhood: Brighton Heights

Project Updates

Read our blog about the process of community outreach that we’ve been using for St. John’s Green.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) owns a large vacant lot in the neighborhood of Brighton Heights that was the former home of the St. John’s Hospital. As the URA is looking for a new plan for the space, they’ve asked a few partners to lend their expertise. Ecologists from Chatham University have done an ecological assessment of the site which will help to inform which uses make the most sense. GTECH has been working to gather input from Brighton Heights neighbors, and local design company, Origin4Design, is working alongside GTECH to put input from neighbors into a comprehensive design.

The image below shows the location and property lines of the lot, now called St. John’s Green. Spanning three acres, the lot contains a mix of healthy wooded areas, meadow, some invasive plants, and concrete foundations remaining from the St. Johns hospital buildings. While there are many ideas about what the space could be, neighbors are working to determine the use that best fits with the needs and interests of the neighborhood throughout the winter and spring. Luckily, there’s space for more than one idea at St. John’s Green!

If you’re a neighbor to the St. John’s Green and would like to get involved, email us.

3420 Fleming Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15212, USA

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Huddling up on a windy April day!

Neighbors examining the new plan proposals for the St. John's Green.

Discussing the different plans for the site.

Neighbors sharing ideas for the St. John's Green.

This lot is... This lot needs... This lot could be...

Neighbors of all ages visited the St. John's Green to give their input.

We like to have games and food at events to make a more comfortable and fun atmosphere.

Working on a vacant lot project is an awesome way to get to know your neighbors.

The plans for the St. John's Green is in the hands of the Brighton Heights community.

A young neighbor sharing some ideas for the St. John's Green.

Satellite image showing the boundaries of the 3 acre site of St. John's Green.

We find that we learn more from a community when we have several ways of sharing input.

Neighbors were able to provide their feedback on the designs on sticky notes.

Learning more about the history of the site

Residents came from all around the site.