Converging Bloomfield by Brad Sherburne

Bloomfield Mixed Use Center

Celebrating Bloomfield Shravi Sharma Zharfa Ranjbar Zi Yuan

Converging Bloomfield Bradley Sherburne Chuan He

Bloomfield Market Place Deepika Banerjee Jialing Sun

Acknowledgments Bloomfield Development Corporation Dave Feehan, Acting Executive Director Shelly Majcen, Executive Director Department of City Planning of the City of Pittsburgh Patrick Roberts, Senior Transportation Planner, Carnegie Mellon Faculty Stefani Danes Don Carter Becky Mingo Steve Quick Jonathan Kline Rami El-Samahy Hal Hayes Steve Lee Doug Cooper

Table of Contents Analysis Location............................................................................................................................ 5 Site Extent....................................................................................................................... 9 Transportation................................................................................................................ 13 Census Data................................................................................................................... 19 Housing Density............................................................................................................. 27 Sunlight............................................................................................................................. 33 Water................................................................................................................................. 42 Precedents...................................................................................................................... 43 Conclusions..................................................................................................................... 53 Program............................................................................................................................ 60 Celebrating Bloomfield............................................................................................ 63 Converging Bloomfield............................................................................................ 99 Bloomfield Market Place.......................................................................................... 145

Project Statement The project statement for Master of Urban Design studio program this semester is to design a new mixed-use center for one of the most high-visibility sites in Pittsburgh: the area at the foot of the Bloomfield Bridge. The intersection of the bridge, Liberty Avenue, and Main Street creates a major place of arrival in the city, since the bridge is linked by major arterials from Downtown, Oakland, and the regional highway system. It serves not only the Bloomfield neighborhood, but West Penn and Children’s Hospitals, and destinations throughout the East End. The area also anchors the western end of the Bloomfield Business District. All around it, the fabric of dense working-class neighborhoods is largely intact, which situates the site within a highly walkable and potentially sustainable urban community. From an urban design perspective, it serves three key functions simultaneously: gateway, crossroads, and primary destination. Its significance and potential are extraordinary. For over thirty years, however, the blocks surrounding this key intersection have had no major investment, and the buildings and open spaces are banal and minimally maintained. Instead of a place of welcome and pride, the site conveys a sense of neglect and placelessness.The property facing the bridge has been primarily used as a parking lot for a suburban-type grocery store. In addition to the grocery store, the block has a small warehouse and four residential properties. On adjacent blocks are other “small box” buil ings—a drug store, auto sales and repair, warehouses, and a windowless restaurant. These are disconnected from each other and from their surroundings, often by parking lots. The five-point intersection itself is a hybrid of streets and highway ramps that drivers would avoid if they could, that cyclists dread, and all but the most intrepid pedestrians bypass. The public realm here, despite a couple planting beds, is dismal and unfriendly. From an ecological perspective, the development of the site has seriously impeded the functioning of natural systems and is dependent on an unsustainable level of public utility services and maintenance. This project focuses on an issue that is emerging in post-industrial cities throughout the United States. Urban neighborhoods built in the nineteenth century offer the density and connectivity that would make them attractive and sustainable communities for the future. However, in the automobile era in the United States, suburbs have drawn away those who have the affluence to make choices. All neighborhoods need to attract residents and investment in order to stay viable. In terms of urban ecology, every successful neighborhood establishes a “niche” for itself in the city by creating a distinctive sense of place that attracts and sustains certain types of residents, organizations, and business owners and patrons (its “market”). Even if a neighborhood has a wonderful physical environment that looks stable, it is constantly changing—people, money and other resources are flowing in or out all the time. To continue to be stable, there must be continuous investment. In cities throughout the world, the choices that younger generations are making determine their viability for the future. Pittsburgh, having lost such a large proportion of its younger population in the 1980’s, is on the front wave of this trend. Neighborhoods like Bloomfield are viable today but show many effects of a fifty-year population drain and a notable tendency of its older residents to look backward rather than toward the future. Today, younger people are interested in the urban lifestyles, amenities, and convenience that urban neighborhoods can provide. The premise we will explore in the studio is that it is only by attracting new younger residents--meaning, today, the millennials-- that the vitality of Bloomfield can be enhanced and its viability for the future assured.

The site is located at the intersection of the Bloomfield Bridge, Liberty Avenue and Main Street. Facing the Bloomfield Bridge which is the main entrance of Bloomfield Neighborhood, this site is the gateway to the whole neighborhood.

Location Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Site Location │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │7

There are many public resources around the site, such as Children’s Hospital, West Penn Hospital, Friendship Park, Allegheny Cemetery and the Bloomfield Recreation Center.

Allegheny Cemetery

Location 8 │ Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Site Location │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │

By analyzing the basic spatial elements around our site, we see that our site is a important node of this neighborhood.

Lower Lawrenceville

Children’s Hospital

Allegheny Cemetery

Arsenal Park

Ave. Penn

Site

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Libert

y Ave.

Lib

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Bloomfield Recreation Center

Blo

Liberty Ave.

idg

Lower Lawrenceville

ve. Penn A

Arsenal Park

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Children’s Hospital

Ave. Penn

ing

St Maria Ave.

idg Br fie ld

Bloomfield Recreation Center

Friendship Neighborhood

str Site ict

West Penn Hospital ert

yA ve .S

Blo

Bigelow Blvd

Lib

Liberty Ave.

Friendship A ve..

Lib

Liberty

Allegheny Cemetery

St Maria

ing

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Friendship Neighborhood

Edge

West Penn Hospital

Lib

ert

Bigelow Blvd

Path

ert

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Path

Node

Edge NodeDistrict District

Location

Landmark

Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Site Location │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │9

Our site is an important node in the Bloomfield Area. The key buildings on site are: Suresave Grocery store, Rite aid, Bloomfield Tavern, Bloomfield intersection.

10 │ Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Site Extent│ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │

Bloomfield consists of a grand junction which is its biggest potential

Ma in

Ave. Liberty

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Str e

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e dg

i Br

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et Gang wi sh Str e

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The Site consists of a large junction of 5 roads that meet at a square that acts as an entrance to Bloomfield which is seen from the Bloomfield bridge and Liberty Avenue.

Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │Site Extent│ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │11

ShurSave Grocery to be retained or replaced.

ShurSave Grocery is located at the back of a parking lot which is barely used due to its primarily pedestrian users and hence the plot fails to generate an urban street.

12 │ Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Site Extent│ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │

Rite Aid Pharmacy to be removed and replaced

The property behind right aid backs up to the site which needs to be considered while placing blocks on the back edge.

Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │Site Extent│ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │13

Highways and major streets connect Bloomfield to the rest of the city Pittsburgh.

e ue nu Aven e Av ty rd n iber va n e e L l P u Bo w o el Big

Highway Major St. Minor St. Source: pittsburghpa.gov

14 │ Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Transportation│ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │

Bloomfield has easy access to all surrounding neighborhoods.

To Central Lawrenceville

Penn A venue

To Garfield

venue Penn A

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To Downtown

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Gross Str

To Friendship

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To Downtown

To Shadyside To Downtown & Oakland

Highway Primary Street Secondary Street Tertiary Street

Source: pittsburghpa.gov Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │Transportation│ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │15

Bloomfield is a bike friendly neighborhood.

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Av e

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Liberty Av

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Pittsburgh Bike Score: 39 Bloomfield Bike Score: 71 Source: pittsburghpa.gov & walkscore.com

16 │ Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Transportation│ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │

Bloomfield is the 4th most walkable neighborhood in Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh Walk Score: 60 Bloomfield Walk Score: 88 Source: pittsburghpa.gov & walkscore.com Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │Transportation│ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │17

Bloomfield has access to public transportation.

Penn A venue

Avenue

Friendship

Lib

Avenue

Av e

m fie ld

Br id ge

Liberty

Pittsburgh Transit Score: 52 Bloomfield Transit Score: 62 There are six Port Authority bus lines which connect Bloomfield to the other neighborhoods like Shadyside, Squirell Hill, South Side....

18 │ Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Transportation│ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │

Source: pittsburghpa.gov & walkscore.com

Burt Hill Traffic Study was used in our design process as a source to make the Bloomfield Bridge intersection a safer place for pedestrian.

Some of these tactics are: - Removing the island which separates traffic from bridge to Liberty Avenue. - Combining the existing central island with the sidewalk along the Liberty Avenue to reduce confusion and probability of accidents. - Keeping Bloomfield Bridge & liberty avenue consistent with 3 lines of traffic. - Adding new signs, pavement and furniture.

Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │Transportation│ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │19

Bloomfield is a predominantly white neighborhood, with a much lower ethnic density when compared to the rest of Pittsburgh. 100

Caucasian

African American Asian 60

0 Bloomfield

Central Friendship Lawrenceville

Garfield

Lower North Lawrenceville Oakland

Polish Hill

Demographics 20 │ Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │Census Data │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │

Shadyside Pittsburgh

Bloomfield is a culturally rich neighborhood with many clusters of ethnic diversity scattered throughout it.

English

Polish

Irish

Italian

German

Bloomfield: 87 Pittsburgh: 117

Bloomfield: 175 Pittsburgh: 169

Bloomfield: 399 Pittsburgh: 361

Bloomfield: 468 Pittsburgh: 306

Bloomfield: 471 Pittsburgh: 461

Ancestry Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Census Data │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │21

The majority of owner owned houses do not have a mortgage, indicating a lack of new construction.

Homes without Mortgage 22 │ Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │Census Data │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │

Homes with Mortgage Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Census Data │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │23

Bloomfield is very closer to an area with a very high percentage of renters, and high rental rates.

Renters 24 │ Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │Census Data │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │

Median Rent Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Census Data │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │25

Bloomfield income is comparable, if not higher than these high rental areas.

Average Income 26 │ Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │Census Data │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │

Many of the home owner and rental trends seem to be correlated with the median age of both Bloomfield, and the surrounding neighborhoods.

Median Age Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Census Data │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │27

Development initiated around 1870 in Bloomfield after its annexation by the city in 1868.

Pittsburgh Historical Map 1872

28 │ Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Housing Density│ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │

Development along Liberty Avenue started mainly as commercial in 1900.

Pittsburgh Historical Map 1900

Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Housing Density│ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │29

The later half of the 1900’s witnessed construction of significant buildings like the West Penn hospital.

Pittsburgh Historical Map 1972

30 │ Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Housing Density│ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │

Over 115 years the residential density of the neighborhood has continued to grow.

Pittsburgh City Map 2013

Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Housing Density│ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │31

Bloomfield has on an average narrow parcel size of 25 feet width and most housing is three stories or less.

Parcel Map, Bloomfield

32 │ Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Housing Density│ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │

The overall density of the neighborhood is 31.5 housing units per acre.

Areas Most Suited for medium to high-density development - Areas with existing infrastructure - Areas where existing public infrastructure can be easily extended - Areas where development will not adversely impact significant natural systems - Areas where existing community character will not be adversely impacted

Total number of households = 14139

Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Housing Density│ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │33

The sun path diagram shows that the highest noon sun angle in the year is 82 degrees and the lowest one is 26 degrees.

SUMMER

WINTER

NORTH

WEST

SOUTH

Sun Path Diagram 34 │ Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Sunlight Analysis │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │

During summer time, our site is not affected by the shadow of the surrounding buildings.

Shadow (June 21) 9:00 am N

Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Sunlight Analysis │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │35

Shadow (June 21) 12:00 pm 36 │ Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Sunlight Analysis │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │

Shadow (June 21) 5:00 pm N

Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Sunlight Analysis │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │37

During the winter, the southeast part of our site will be affected by the shadow of the surrounding buildings in the morning.

Shadow (December 21) 9:00 am 38 │ Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Sunlight Analysis │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │

Shadow (December 21) 12:00 pm N

Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Sunlight Analysis │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │39

In the afternoon during the winter, the west part of our site will be affected by the shadow of the surrounding buildings, and the north part of our site will affect the surrounding buildings

Shadow (December 21) 12:00 pm 40 │ Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Sunlight Analysis │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │

External horizontal shading can help to prevent the sunlight from heating the room in summer and let the sunshine into the room in winter.

Horizontal Shading Strategy Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Sunlight Analysis │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │41

In the morning and afternoon, vertical shading can help to prevent the sunlight from going directly into the room.

Vertical Shading Strategy 42 │ Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Sunlight Analysis │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │

Historically, a stream used to flow through Bloomfield into the Allegheny River.

Site: Bloomfield

The dried up streambed can be used to collect the stormwater from North side down to the valley in the south side. At the same time, the stream can be daylighted in the stormwater gardens.

Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Water│ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │43

Designing an urban future is the key factor that will help shape Bloomfield and make it a self sustaining development.

Re-Inhabitation

Re-Development

Re-Greening

The Tactics • Generate a space for community-serving and redevelopment. • Create third places that can bring more people to Bloomfield through community interaction. • Create mixed use development. • Revitalise and regreen the existing flaura and fauna to create a green development. • Genearte an urban room that will create a better sense of place through public activity spaces.

44 │ Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Precedents│ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │

Respond to existing site conditions, creating a green and sustainable environment through mixed ues development.

Thornton Place, Seattle A town centre for North Seattle that features over 50,000 square feet of retail and commercial space. Thornton place is LEED-ND® registered, targetting Silver certification.

Thornton Place is a mixed use redevelopment of a parking lot which consists of Retail Appartments, Condominiums, A cinema Hall and other Retail Shops and a large public plazza. The site also rejuvinated its existing creek generating a re-greened zone which sustainabily responded to its surroundings.

Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Precedents│ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │45

Revitalizing open spaces to green zones with proper consideration helps with the pedestrian flow.

Mizner Park, Florida

Mizner Park is an upscale lifestyle centre in downtown Boca Raton, Florida. Besides upscale shops, Mizher is also composed of rental apartments and offices. The Centre for the Arts at Mizner Park is a cultural centre on the north end of the development which is embodied by an amphitheater and the Boca Raton Museum of Art.

46 │ Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Precedents│ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │

Creating an urban room that acts as an anchor for the community helps grow the community through planned phasing.

Street Corner The retail owners of Belmar have been able to turn their fortunes around by launching massive remodeling programs, adding new features, tweaking their tenant mix, and altering their marketing strategies. Belmar offers its guests a stronger sense of place, a sense of community as well as an identity for the City of Lakewood and the entire west side of the Denver metropolitan area.

Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Precedents│ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │47

There is a local grocery store building which is a big box in our site.

source: googlemaps

Reuse the Big Box 48 │ Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Precedents│ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │

The original grocery store building has big blank wall and the structure of the building is very simple. The neighborhood wants a grocery store here, but the physical building is negative to the neighborhood.

The Local Grocery Store Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Precedents│ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │49

North Branch Public Library located in Denton, Texas is built from a grocery store building. The project puts a new function in the old building which works well in this case.

source: http://www.panoramio.com/photo/46952632

Precedent 1 50 │ Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Precedents│ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │

With a glass addition and a new front door, the big box is turning into a building that the community can be proud of.

source: http://www.panoramio.com/photo/46952632

Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Precedents│ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │51

Bridge 8 is a Creative Industry Park which located in Shanghai. It was developed from an old factory, the old buildings were redecorated and the big boxes were converted to offices, exhibition space and so on.

source:http://www.dianping.com/photos/5269405/photocenter

Precedent 2 52 │ Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Precedents│ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │

The additional outer wall made the buildings an asset to the city. Now it is a popular creative industry Park in Shanghai and people in this community are proud of Bridge 8.

source:http://www.dianping.com/photos/5269405/photocenter

Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Precedents│ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │53

The Bloomfield Community Vision Plan 2011-16 provides specific set of goals and objectives for improving the intersection area.

The Bloomfield Neighborhood Vision Plan lays down clearly the goals and objectives for the development of the neighborhood. These specific goals give a good basis to work on and help us understand the needs of the neighborhood better. The first objective of the vision plan that we base our design on includes enhancing the uniformity of streetscape along main business district on Liberty Avenue. The second objective is to increase public open space, green space and trees along the neighborhood. The third objective is to increase presence and importanct of bicycle community.

54 │ Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Site Conclusions│ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │

Bloomfield lacks an inviting entrance gateway to the neighborhood!

Gateway to Bloomfield Our site, the entryway for many into Bloomfield, has a series of interconnected and complex problems that make it not an accurate or desirable entryway into what is otherwise a very beautiful, thriving, and pleasant neighborhood.

The parking lot in front of the Shur Save is nearly always empty, or near empty. This area does not need nearly this much parking, and creating this much parking at the entry to Bloomfield does not communicate a positive message about an otherwise positive area. Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │Site Conclusions│ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │55

One of the oldest neighborhood of the city, Bloomfield has an individualistic built character and building typology.

The buildings in the neighborhood are predominantly constructed of bricks. The age of Bloomfield is apparent in some of detailing on the older brick buildings. Some of the details on these buildings date back to many decades

56 │ Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Site Conclusions│ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │

There is lack of usable green space in the neighborhood.

Green Space

Around the area of the Bloomfield Bridge, there is little usable green space. Made even more evident by the existence of Friendship Park nearby, this area is devoid of any areas for people to stop and rest, especially the many elderly or ill residents.

Friendship Park & Allegheny Cemetery Friendship Park and Allegheny Cemetery function green buffers that work very well in both a passive and active sense. This buffer create very pleasant conditions on the sidewalk. These provide opportunities for recreation if integrated well with the residential neighborhood.

Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │Site Conclusions│ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │57

The wide sidewalks of the neighborhood have potential for vibrant street activity.

Street Activity Bloomfield filled with variety of colors, materials & street art has a lively texture to it which is filled with energy. This, if exploited well can give a distinct character to the neighborhood streets and corners. The wide sidewalks allow for much activity besides circulation. This space is being capitalized on by a few business, creating the beginning of what could become a very vibrant street culture in the area.

58 │ Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Site Conclusions│ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │

There is a disparity in the urban fabric that diminishes the character of the otherwise active and thriving neighborhood. Urban Fabric Near the Bloomfield Bridge the continuity of the urban fabric becomes more and more disrupted. Due to vacant lots, side porches, and abandoned buildings, the compact Liberty Avenue becomes an empty region as it nears the bridge. The only dense part of the intersection lies in the chaotic signage with the variety in scale and color creating an overwhelming street front.

Street Corner The street corners of Bloomfield are very weak relative to the rest of the area. These valuable spots, both economically and in terms of identity, are generally inhabited by business that can afford to occupy them, such as chains or predatory lending agencies.

Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │Site Conclusions│ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │59

The existing conditions create an unsafe environment near the intersection.

Accident prone intersection The wide intersection with edges not defined by any built forms result in high speed vehicular traffic. The four lane intersection with the island separations creates ramps for vehicular traffic that further leads to high speed. This creates a very unsafe environment and makes the intersection an accident prone area.

Unsafe bike lanes The piloted bike lane near the Bloomfield Bridge intersection is not a very cost effective ($20,000 for sparkling green paint) or functional solution. It is being used by more cars at present instead of the intended bicycle users. This creates an environment for bikers that is both scary and unsafe.

60 │ Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Site Conclusions│ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │

Program Retail and Entertainment

Child Care: 6,000 sf indoor space, 1,500 sf outdoor space

Library: 20,000 sf

Fitness Center: 10,000 sf

Senior Rental Apartment:

1-bedroom units: 50; 2-bedroom units: 25

Renting Apartment:

2-bedroom units: 50; 3-bedroom units: 25

Parking:

Commercial: 1 per 500 sf + 15 residential visitor spaces; Residential: 150

Loading/service:

two truck parking spaces 1,500 sf trash/recycling space 400 sf transformer/mechanical equipment 600 sf Bloomfield │ Program│ CMU Masters of Design Urban Design │ Fall│2013 Bloomfield Mixed Mixed-use Use CenterCenter │Program│ CMU Masters of Urban │ Fall 2013 61 │

98 │ Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Bradley Sherburne and Peter He │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │

Converging

BLOOMFIELD

Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Bradley Sherburne and Peter He │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │99

100 │ Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Bradley Sherburne and Peter He │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │

The Bloomfield Bridge Intersection has doubled in size over the past century, creating a growing hole in the urban fabric.

1900

1957

2012

Site Conditions Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Bradley Sherburne and Peter He │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │101

Bloomfield is a tightly-knit neighborhood with a rich history of working class residents who possess a strong cultural heritage, located very close to Downtown.

Site Conditions 102 │ Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Bradley Sherburne and Peter He │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │

Bloomfield is a tightly-knit neighborhood with a rich history of working class residents who possess a strong cultural heritage, located very close to Downtown.

Site Conditions Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Bradley Sherburne and Peter He │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │103

Bloomfield is a tightly-knit neighborhood with a rich history of working class residents who possess a strong cultural heritage, located very close to Downtown.

Site Conditions 104 │ Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Bradley Sherburne and Peter He │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │

Bloomfield ranks among the lowest in Pittsburgh in tree canopy and park space.

Park Space Percentage Bloomfield Fairywood Homewood Crafton Heights Strip District Greenfield

Pittsburgh Average

Tree Canopy Percentage Central Business District Strip District Lower Lawrenceville Bloomfield

Site Conditions

Pittsburgh Average ucsur.pitt.edu

Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Bradley Sherburne and Peter He │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │105

Bloomfield is host to many celebrations year round, but lacks an appropriate outdoor space for community gatherings.

Site Conditions 106 │ Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Bradley Sherburne and Peter He │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │

Bloomfield is host to many celebrations year round, but lacks an appropriate outdoor space for community gatherings.

Site Conditions Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Bradley Sherburne and Peter He │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │107

With this additional research, the design goals of the project are: • To create a gathering place that represents all of the community of Bloomfield • Increase the amount of green in the neighborhood, both grass and trees • Reclaim the highly automobile oriented Bloomfield Bridge intersection to reconnect Liberty Avenue, and create street activity

Design Goals 108 │ Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Bradley Sherburne and Peter He │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │

The new buildings reconnect Liberty Avenue, and create a sense of enclosure Uses within the public plaza at the center.

SE View Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Bradley Sherburne and Peter He │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │109

Uses

The back side of the project connects to the neighborhood with parks and a green house.

NE View 110 │ Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Bradley Sherburne and Peter He │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │

Along Main Street are the institutional uses which reconnect the project with neighborhood. Uses

NW View Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Bradley Sherburne and Peter He │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │111

Creating a unique space experience along the Bloomfield Bridge provides a sense of arrival. Uses

SW View 112 │ Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Bradley Sherburne and Peter He │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │

This center will serve, with the West Penn Hospital, as the other anchor to the commercial district of Liberty Avenue.

Neighborhood Context N

Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Bradley Sherburne and Peter He │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │113

The project contains three separate apartment complexes, two market rate, and one senior rental.

The project contains senior housing, located to the north, and two market rate apartment buildings that line Liberty Avenue.

Residential 114 │ Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Bradley Sherburne and Peter He │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │

The project continues the strong commercial district of the Liberty Avenue up to the bridge.

To the north, connected to the library, is the gym, the retail is along Liberty Avenue, with a restaurant to the south.

Commercial N

Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Bradley Sherburne and Peter He │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │115

Integrated back into the neighborhood fabric, there is a library and a child care center.

In the north of the project is a library directly adjacent to the main public space, with a child care center further along Main Street

Instituional 116 │ Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Bradley Sherburne and Peter He │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │

Except for the intersection, most of the existing streets are preserved.

The project uses the Burt Hill recommended changes, along with a lane reduction for Howley, and a direction change for Ella.

Circulation N

Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Bradley Sherburne and Peter He │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │117

The project seeks to move parking off of the intersection, and into the middles of blocks or underground.

The three structured parking locations each support parking for the uses directly adjacent to them.

Parking 118 │ Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Bradley Sherburne and Peter He │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │

The project has a total of 226 parking spaces that can be used either by retail, tenants, or both.

81 23

122

Parking Access N

Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Bradley Sherburne and Peter He │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │119

The project has a total of 226 parking spaces that can be used either by retail, tenants, or both.

Parking to Commercial 120 │ Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Bradley Sherburne and Peter He │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │

Vertical Circulation

The project has a total of 226 parking spaces that can be used either by retail, tenants, or both.

Parking to Residential N

Vertical Circulation

Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Bradley Sherburne and Peter He │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │121

Creating bike rental within the neighborhood, allows for reduced on-site parking.

Bike Share 122 │ Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Bradley Sherburne and Peter He │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │

Linking the project together are a series of community spaces, of various characters.

The project has a variety of both hardscape and softscape open areas spread throughout for a variety of uses.

Outdoor Space N

Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Bradley Sherburne and Peter He │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │123

The central public space is a grand civic room at the bottom of the Bloomfield Bridge.

Community Square 124 │ Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Bradley Sherburne and Peter He │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │

This space would be an appropriate ending space for Bloomfield’s many parades, as well as a location for the residents to gather, creating a new third place.

Community Square Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Bradley Sherburne and Peter He │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │125

A pedestrian bridge and green space connect the two sides of the bridge.

Community Garden 126 │ Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Bradley Sherburne and Peter He │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │

This pedestrian bridge makes crossing the Bloomfield Bridge an easier, even exciting experience.

Community Garden Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Bradley Sherburne and Peter He │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │127

The courtyard of the library and senior housing is an enclosed public space.

Community Green 128 │ Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Bradley Sherburne and Peter He │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │

This space is further removed from the street, creating a calmer, safer space for community activities such as a Christmas Market.

Community Green Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Bradley Sherburne and Peter He │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │129

Main Street

Sections 130 │ Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Bradley Sherburne and Peter He │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │

Main Street

Sections Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Bradley Sherburne and Peter He │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │131

Sections 132 │ Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Bradley Sherburne and Peter He │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │

Sections Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Bradley Sherburne and Peter He │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │133

Sections 134 │ Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Bradley Sherburne and Peter He │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │

E NU AV E ER TY LIB

T EE R ST IN A M

18' Plan N

Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Bradley Sherburne and Peter He │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │135

E NU AV E ER TY LIB

T EE R ST IN A M

27' Plan 136 │ Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Bradley Sherburne and Peter He │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │

E NU AV E ER TY LIB

T EE R ST IN A M

51' Plan N

Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Bradley Sherburne and Peter He │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │137

Liberty Avenue Elevation 138 │ Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Bradley Sherburne and Peter He │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │

Liberty Avenue Elevation Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Bradley Sherburne and Peter He │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │139

Main Street Elevation 140 │ Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Bradley Sherburne and Peter He │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │

Main Street Elevation Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Bradley Sherburne and Peter He │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │141

Phasing 142 │ Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Bradley Sherburne and Peter He │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │

Bloomfield Mixed Use Center │ Bradley Sherburne and Peter He │ CMU Masters of Urban Design │ Fall 2013 │143