Arts Landing
Arts Landing, a new outdoor civic space envisioned by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust and designed by renowned landscape architecture firm Field Operations, promises to be one of the most transformative projects in the Cultural District in 25 years.
The creatively designed and community focused four-acre destination will welcome residents and visitors, host festivals and performances, exhibit public art, and provide opportunities for everyday recreation and relaxation.
Project timeline
- Groundbreaking: April 2025
- Soft Opening: April 2026 (NFL Draft)
- Grand Opening: June 2026 (Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival)
Latest News
June 1, 2025
The final financial puzzle piece is in place! A capstone $10 million grant from the Richard King Mellon Foundation has lifted Arts Landing to its initial fundraising goal. The historic grant covers the balance of construction costs and provides essential support for the ongoing operation of the new civic space.
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust thanks all project funders, whose vision and generosity are transforming the Cultural District and Downtown Pittsburgh. It is a defining moment worth celebrating.
Overview
Great Lawn & Bandshell
The heart of Arts Landing is a one-acre great lawn. The gorgeous green space centers the Allegheny River and two of the Three Sisters Bridges, welcoming pedestrians from multiple entrances.
Subtly graded topography will optimize the viewing experience for crowds gathered at the bandshell, located in the northwest corner near Fort Duquesne Boulevard and 7th Street. Its canopy design will provide protection from the elements for performers, while preserving a view of the surroundings for guests. When not in use, the bandshell will feel like an extension of other furnishings found throughout Arts Landing.
The northeast corner of the Lawn, near Fort Duquesne Boulevard and 9th Street, will be an installation site for future public art commissioned by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. Installations are expected to be temporary during the first few years.
Garden Walk
Current-day 8th Street, between Penn Avenue and Fort Duquesne Boulevard, will transform into a pedestrian-friendly Garden Walk—a verdant escape in the center of the city. No longer accessible to vehicular traffic, the Garden Walk will accommodate Cultural Trust operations and emergency vehicles as needed.
Thoughtful plantings and gentle topography will partially insulate the Garden Walk and Culture Commons – visually and acoustically – from nearby residents and businesses bordering today’s Eighth Street.
Play Room
Visitors will not find typical swing sets and see-saws in Arts Landing’s family-friendly play area. Instead, the play equipment will have artful expressions, made with natural materials well-suited to the Cultural District. Designed for a wide range of ages, these locations will encourage play and nature-based curiosity.
Backyard
The relaxing, fun atmosphere nurtured in recent years at the temporary “Backyard” activations on the 8th Street Block site will live on in a new, inviting area just south of the Play Room. The Backyard will invite passersby along Penn Avenue with a variety of seating options, picnic tables, games, planters, and overhead lighting. The adaptable space can be used for food truck roundups, pop-up markets, and other event-specific purposes.
Flex Zone
On the opposite side of Arts Landing from the Backyard, near the intersection of Fort Duquesne Boulevard and 7th Street, the Flex Zone will provide a second, inviting hardscaped area. When Arts Landing opens, the Flex Zone will open with three Pickleball courts and a small running track, providing nearly 30,000 square feet of flexible recreation area.
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Funding for the construction of Arts Landing is generously provided by the Allegheny Regional Asset District, BNY, Buhl Foundation, Burke Family Foundation, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Colcom Foundation, Dollar Bank, Eden Hall Foundation, Audrey Hillman Fisher Foundation, The Grable Foundation, The Heinz Endowments, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, Henry L. Hillman Foundation, Jewish Healthcare Foundation, PNC Foundation, and PPG Foundation.
The $31M civic space is a key part of the Downtown Revitalization Vision announced in 2024 by the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, Allegheny County, City of Pittsburgh, and Urban Redevelopment Authority and Governor Shapiro’s 10-year $600-million-dollar plan to rejuvenate Downtown Pittsburgh.