PITTSBURGH — Landscape architecture students are making a big impact in Pittsburgh communities through a collaboration between the College of Arts and Architecture and the Penn State Center Pittsburgh, a service of Penn State Outreach.

Randon Willard, executive director for the Coraopolis Community Development Corporation, said the work he had done with students enrolled in the Pittsburgh Studio in 2011 made him look forward to the opportunity to work with them again in 2023.

“I've had the privilege of working with the Penn State Center Pittsburgh twice over the last 13 years as landscape architecture students helped us reimagine Coraopolis,” Willard said. “The students’ creativity and ability to help us think outside the box has allowed us to get our residents to envision the future of Coraopolis together. It is one thing to say, ‘let's improve Coraopolis,’ but quite different to have professional designs put together.”  

Coraopolis, a Pittsburgh-area borough founded in 1886, is the spring location for the Pittsburgh Studio — an advanced studio for landscape architecture majors. Ken Tamminga, distinguished professor of landscape architecture in the College of Arts and Architecture at Penn State, created the award-winning studio, which introduces students to the joys and challenges of designing in, and with, underserved communities. Tamminga said the goal for each studio is to deliver concepts for sustainable design to communities that can then choose to move forward with the assistance of local builders.

“The studio becomes a context within which like-minded local residents and stakeholders experience the power of the design process and the myriad of good things that flow from the working groups who build consensus on issues such as environment quality, public space, inclusivity and sustainability,” Tamminga said.

There are three project clusters:

• Mill Street and Pine Way Alley, which consist of pedestrian amenities, streetscape green infrastructure, wayfinding and traffic calming, building façade, enhanced strategies, vacant and under-utilized lot strategies.
• Riverfront Park and Precinct features river access, redesign of park plateau, accessibility and linkage to the downtown area and green infrastructure design.
•  Downtown Parkettes consist of a cluster of three small public space projects.

Jonathan Berlin is a master of landscape architecture graduate student enrolled in the Pittsburgh Studio. He said he sees his work as a hybrid between landscape architecture and restoration ecology.

“What inspires me is learning how to design landscapes that promote biological diversity while also accommodating people," Berlin said.

His focus within the Coraopolis project is to use native plants to enliven the streetscape and retain stormwater runoff.

“I hope to inspire folks to think creatively when retrofitting these streets,” he said. “I'm also running with the community's suggestion to convert two blocks of Mill Street from a one-way street with parallel parking into a pedestrian plaza. This can serve as a destination for outdoor dining areas, music, festivals, food carts and special events.”

David Himes, sustainable communities’ manager for the Penn State Center Pittsburgh, said the center has partnered with Tamminga on the Pittsburgh Studio since 2008, working in more than 18 communities.

“We strive to emphasize the opportunities to partner with the studio so that we are invited to work alongside residents in envisioning the potential of their landscapes,” Himes said. “Furthermore, we have some capacity within the office to help with parcel mapping and geospatial analysis to vet project locations to ensure a rigorous semester’s work that is interesting and rewarding to both the community and the students.”

Visit the Penn State Center Pittsburgh website to learn more about the Pittsburgh Studio and other programs offered through the center.