Build a Vision from Eye Level
Public Space Public Life Survey
Build a Vision from Eye Level
Why Collect Data?
To find human stories To inform strategy and design To provide evidence To make objective choices To benchmark progress To discover new opportunities To create urgency for change
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Build a Vision from Eye Level
the PSPL / Methods Wednesday, October 21 7am - 10pm Sunny all day Low - 43 째F High - 70 째F Saturday, October 24 7am - 10pm Light rain after 3pm Low - 48 째F High - 64 째F Amazing volunteers: a community affair! The survey was conducted by ~50 volunteers over two days from Pitt, CMU, Bike PGH, PDP and Envision, DPW, city planning, and other local urbanists
s n o ti i d n o c y a d y r e Ev
s l a iv t s fe o -n
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Build a Vision from Eye Level Survey Locations 6TH ST GATEWAY CENTER
7TH & PENN
PENN AVE
LIBERTY AVE
POINT STATE PARK WOOD ST & 6TH LIBERTY AVE
MARKET SQUARE
MARKET ST
MELLON SQUARE
SMITHFIELD ST
r GRANT ST
STEEL PLAZA
PENN STATION
Build a Vision from Eye Level Public Life
# WALKING
# CYCLING
Build a Vision from Eye Level Public Life
STANDING
WAITING FOR TRANSIT
SECONDARY SEATING
BYO SEATING
LYING DOWN
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
CULTURAL ACTIVITY
COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY
CHILDREN PLAYING
AGE + GENDER
BENCH SITTING
CAFE SITTING
Build a Vision from Eye Level Public Life
PAVEMENT QUALITY
TREE CANOPY
PAVEMENT MATERIAL
SEATING
FACADE ACTIVITY
LIGHTING
Build a Vision from Eye Level
Public Life Highlights
Public Life / Highlights
1 Downtown looks like a CBD Not a complete neighborhood e! k i sp e im t h c n u l Liberty and 8th
g n i rn e o t m no mmu co
Smithfield and 6th
fe i l t h g i n e som
Gateway Center
Weekday data: hourly counts
s i e r ch a u n q u s r t rb e k r o ma spot f % 0 e 5 h t s p o dr d n e k wee
Public Life / Highlights
2 50% less public life on the weekend means people don’t choose to come downtown
Market Square
RAIN!
Weekend
e! k i sp e im t h c n u l
data: hourly counts
Liberty and 8th
g n i rn e o t m no mmu co
Smithfield and 6th
fe i l t h g i n e som
Gateway Center
Weekday data: hourly counts
Public Life / Highlights
3 There is no network that supports everyday cycling Bridges are busy, but where do people cycling go from there?
People cycling / Weekday 4pm Evening Commute
Public Life / Highlights
4 Downtown is full of adults
Typical age mix Downtown
Saturday at Katz + EQT Plaza
Seniors, Kids, and Teens
Seniors, Kids, and Teens
Pedestrians
(Stationary Activity 8am)
With some exceptions. Where are young and old people choosing to go instead? How can we learn from places and times that do have multi-generational public life?
Public Life / Highlights
5 13% standing
Transit Riders Rule!
At key times bus riders account for
71% waiting for transit
30-85%
of stationary activities 5% bench sitting 2% cafe seating 9% secondary seating
Liberty and 7th Weekday average
Lots of activity at Market Square!
Public Life / Highlights
6 Downtown has some open space gems
Healthy mix of activities at Point State Park
But some spaces with comparable qualities aren’t performing as well.
Po Ga Ga Ma Ma Lo Ka Lo Up Me Up Up Ste int tew tew rk pe pe rk we tz + we pe l el l o e e r r r r r nS Pla Sta ay ay tS tS E S L L L S i i m Q mi b b q t qu ibe te za Pa at T e e u i t t r r Pa are rty Pla hfi hfi are ty Lib rk t yB e rk za eld er ld us ty wa y
Stationary Activity Types
Standing
Sitting
Active
Build a Vision from Eye Level
Public Space Highlights
Public Space / Highlights
1 Discontinuous pedestrian network Pavement quality varies in downtown. There is a solid core, but the edges are crumbling and Smithfield is patchy.
Pavement Quality
Public Space / Highlights
Fair
Good
Poor
Public Space / Highlights
2 Uneven Facade Quality Active facades make pedestrians feel safe, and make the walking experience pleasant. There are many active facades downtown - but also lots of banks, federal buildings, vacant buildings, and parking garages. Facade Quality
Public Space / Highlights
Vibrant
Inactive
Active
Dull
Monument
Parking Lot
Public Space / Highlights
3 Public Space / Public Life Mismatch Spaces with similar public space profiles have very different user profiles.
480
Market Square
cafe seats
200
280
public seats
public seats
Average weekday staying activities
22
Mellon Square
Average weekday staying activities
132 Market Square
Mellon Square
Build a Vision from Eye Level
Key Findings
Build a Vision from Eye Level / Key Findings
1 Downtown is a thriving business district 113,000 people work downtown every day. $438M was invested in Pittsburgh technology companies in 2014
source: 2015 PDP state of the downtown
Build a Vision from Eye Level / Key Findings
2 …with major recent investments like PNC place. And more on the way
Build a Vision from Eye Level / Key Findings
3 Downtown is a multi-modal transit hub 54% of commuters in Downtown Pittsburgh ride the bus or T (compared to 19% city-wide and 6% metro-wide)
source: 2015 PDP state of the downtown
Build a Vision from Eye Level / Key Findings
4 Nicely scaled, walkable downtown blocks
Build a Vision from Eye Level / Key Findings
5 Unique historical assets naturally celebrated by view corridors
Build a Vision from Eye Level / Key Findings
6 Plenty of open space and proximity to natural beauty 18% public space 27% streets + sidewalks 45% public realm
Build a Vision from Eye Level / Key Findings
7 A great culture of public life They know how to take over public space during sporting events, festivals, red lights and theater events
Build a Vision from Eye Level / Key Findings
8 Downtown is becoming more mixed-use 300 restaurants - spreading out from the cultural district. Point Park University enrolls 4,000 students. 1,000 undergraduates live on campus
Build a Vision from Eye Level / Key Findings
9 Downtown is a growing residential center 12,000 people choose to live in the greater downtown area - with 4,000 more units of housing on the way
source: 2015 PDP state of the downtown
Build a Vision from Eye Level / Key Findings
10 Growth can be shared by everyone A National Bureau of Economic Research 2014 report named PGH the second best U.S. city for intergenerational economic mobility
Build a Vision from Eye Level / Key Findings
11 Pittsburgh has the world’s best bus stop
Pairing a crowded bus stop with the comfortable amenities of Katz Plaza is a great match: comfortable transit waiting experience and activated plaza.
Build a Vision from Eye Level / Key Findings
12 It also has some poor ones Too many bus stops in Pittsburgh have next to zero amenities for transit riders. Without a dignified waiting experience it’s no surprise stops appear disorganized and cause a conflict with people walking and with shop owners.
Build a Vision from Eye Level / Key Findings
13 Some public spaces are congested - and others empty Many privately owned public spaces are often closed to the public - or difficult to access.
Build a Vision from Eye Level / Key Findings
14 Some streets try to serve too many systems at the same time. Conflicts between pedestrians, cyclists, busses, and private vehicles on Pittsburgh’s narrow streets means pedestrians and cyclists often get the short end of the stick
Build a Vision from Eye Level / Key Findings
Downtown Pittsburgh has incredible assets and spirit of public life, but its public spaces are not serving the people that need it most and not welcoming to the new users and uses that would make it a dynamic neighborhood
Data Appendix: Survey Locations
15 count locations for people moving (walking and cycling) 12 counts of people staying 4 counts of age and gender of people moving 4 counts of age and gender of people staying
Data Appendix
People Walking
People walking / Weekday 8am Morning Commute
Findings: Some people walking to work
data: weekday hourly counts October 21, 2015
People walking / Weekday 12pm Lunch Break
Findings:
data: weekday hourly counts October 21, 2015
Busy for weekday lunch!
People walking / Weekday 4pm Evening Commute
Findings: Upper Smithfield is downtown’s transit hub
data: weekday hourly counts October 21, 2015
People walking / Weekday 7pm Nightlife
Findings: Nightlife is in Market Square and the Cultural District Most nightlife is in the Cultural District Little nightlife on lower Smithfield
data: weekday hourly counts October 21, 2015
People walking / Weekday & Weekend
Liberty and 8th
Smithfield and 6th
Findings:
Market Square
Downtown’s public life looks like a CBD - not a complete neighborhood Weekday: no morning commute lunchtime spike! some nightlife Weekend: market square is the spot for brunch weekend drops 50%
RAIN!
Gateway Center
Weekday data: hourly counts
Weekend
People walking / In Comparison
Findings: Weekday: PGH experiences a dramatic droop when other cities do not Weekend: Low weekend peaks
Data Appendix
Stationary Activity
Stationary Activities / Weekday
Findings: Market Square is popular Nice mix of uses at Point State Park No one at Mellon Square
data: average hourly counts by day October 21, 2015
Stationary Activities / Weekend
Findings: Diversity of uses at Market Square and Point Sate Park
data: average hourly counts by day October 21, 2015
Point Park increases use on the weekend - the only one
Stationary Activities / Weekday
Findings: Bus riders rule - 30% of all people spending time are waiting for transit. At key times on Liberty that figure is 85% data: average hourly counts by day
Market Square attracts lots of activity No one is sitting on Smithfield
October 21, 2015
Stationary Activities / Weekend
Findings: data: average hourly counts by day
Pittsburgh has some gems staying activities are diverse and robust in Point State Park and Market Square
October 21, 2015
Data Appendix
People Cycling
People cycling / Weekday 8am Morning Commute
Findings: Where are the bike commuters? Just as many commuters on the Smithfield Bridge as on Penn Avenue
data: weekday hourly counts October 21, 2015
People cycling / Weekday 12pm Lunch Break
Findings: Cycling picks up in the afternoon Bridges are busy But where are people cycling through downtown?
data: weekday hourly counts October 21, 2015
People cycling / Weekday 4pm Evening Commute
Findings: Smithfield Bridge is a busy bicycle route, as is Penn
data: weekday hourly counts October 21, 2015
People cycling / Weekday 7pm Nightlife
Findings: Not much cycling home in the evening
data: weekday hourly counts October 21, 2015
People cycling / Weekend 8am
Findings: Roberto Clemente Bridge busy in the morning
data: weekend hourly counts October 24, 2015
People cycling / Weekend 12pm
Findings: Bridges are busy - but where are people choosing to bike through the city?
data: weekend hourly counts October 24, 2015
People cycling / Weekend 4pm
Findings: Does cycling normally drop off on weekend evenings?
data: weekend hourly counts October 24, 2015
People cycling / Weekend 7pm
Findings: Not much cycling to weekend evening entertainment
data: weekend hourly counts October 24, 2015
People cycling / Weekday & Weekend
Cyclists
Ft. Duquesne Bridge
Roberto Clemente Bridge
BvA
Pt State Park Penn @ 7th
Smithfield Bridge
RAIN! Findings: Balanced recreational and commuter cycling Weekday: some nightlife Weekend: Is it normally this slow on weekend evenings?
Weekday data: hourly counts
Weekend
People cycling / In Comparison
Findings: Weekday: More AM bike commuting in other cities Weekend: Same weekend peak as other cities
Data Appendix
Age and Gender
Men & Women / Downtown
Findings: There are more men than women moving around downtown - but the farmer’s market flips this ratio by 10% Mellon Square is mostly men Farmer’s market is mostly women
Age Groups / Downtown
Greater Downtown
Pedestrians
Stationary
Seniors, Kids, and Teens
Findings:
Thursday Farmer’s Market Seniors, Kids, and Teens
Greater downtown is a multigenerational community - but its public life often isn’t. Youth and seniors make up 35% of the population in greater downtown, but only 10-20% of its public life - except at key times and locations
Wednesday Liberty @ 8th
Saturday Katz + EQT
(People Walking 3pm)
(Stationary Activity 8am)
Data Appendix
Pavement Quality
Sidewalk Pavement Quality / Downtown
Findings: Solid core But the edges are crumbling!
Sidewalk Pavement Quality / Key Corridors
Findings: Quality varies on key corridors 10,000 people per weekday day walk through Market Square lots of nice pavement! 10,000 people per weekday walk past Smithfield and 5th pavement is mixed 5,000 people per weekday walk down Grant at Liberty - nice pavement!
Sidewalk Pavement Quality / Key Corridors
Findings: In general quality is high, but some corridors bring down the general experience of being downtown
Data Appendix
Facade Quality
Facade Activity / Downtown
Findings: There are many active facades downtown. There are also lots of banks, federal buildings, vacant buildings, and parking garages
Facade Activity / Key Corridors
Findings: Corridors have more active facades than downtown as a whole
Facade Activity / Key Corridors
Latent Potential: Underperforming Pavement on Active Streets / Key Corridors
Findings: Upper Smithfield has lots of potential for a pavement project
Latent Potential: Underperforming Pavement on Active Streets
Findings: …so does firstside
Data Appendix
Street Furnishings / Trees and Benches
Tree Condition / Key Corridors
Findings: Tree canopy + quality varies Gateway Center Weekday average number of people spending time: 37 Katz + EQT Plaza Weekday average number of people spending time: 41 Mellon Square Weekday average number of people spending time: 22
Seating / Public Seating (benches & chairs) and Cafe Seating
Findings: If you build it - they might not come - just because a public space has places to sit, doesn’t mean it is inviting. For every one person sitting at Mellon Square, there are 7 people sitting at Market Square 5,000 people per day stand to wait for a bus at Smithfield and 6th Market Square At any given time on a weekday 112 people are sitting Smithfield 7% of all people spending time are “secondary seating” because there isn’t anywhere to sit! Mellon Square At any given time on a weekday 15 people are sitting
Public Space / Key takeaways
1.
Katz Plaza
Market Square
Mellon Square
Steel Plaza
Findings: Discontinuous pedestrian network Market Square, and certain key corridors have a high quality public realm. However, outside certain corridors, discontinuity in quality and character of downtown pavement, tree canopy, and seating result in the feeling of a fragmented public realm.
PPG Place
Where’s the seating on Smithfield + Liberty?
Public Space / Key takeaways
1.
Findings: Discontinuous pedestrian network Market Square, and certain key corridors have a high quality public realm. However, outside certain corridors, discontinuity in quality and character of downtown pavement, tree canopy, and seating result in the feeling of a fragmented public realm.
Where’sare Where thethe seating trees on Smithfield?
Public Space / Key takeaways
2. Findings: Public space / public life mismatch Some first-rate streets have few users, and some not-so-nice streets have tons. 11,000 people per weekday walk past Smithfield and 7th pavement is mixed 10,000 people per weekday day walk through Market Square lots of nice pavement 7,000 people per weekday walk down Grant at Liberty - nice pavement!
Solid core but the edges are crumbling