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)
Calling all Pittsburgh residents over the age of 100! Send us photos of your hands and be a part of Arts Landing!
As part of the new outdoor civic space, Arts Landing, acclaimed citizen artist vanessa german will create Lifted, a transformative public artwork in the form of sculptural benches that honor Pittsburgh’s elders—those whose lives, labor, and legacies have helped build the soul and structure of the city.
In Lifted, german will gather tracings of the hands of Pittsburgh residents over the age of 100—centenarians whose lives span generations of change and resilience. These tracings will form the foundation of her bench designs, which will be cast in aluminum and permanently installed facing the city’s bridges and rivers—symbols of movement, memory, and enduring connection. The benches will be unveiled in Spring 2026.
Learn MoreOverview
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.
Sustainability
Environmental and social sustainability are intrinsic to the design and operation of Arts Landing.
The transformation from a vacant asphalt lot into a natural ecosystem underscores the civic space’s significant and positive environmental impact. Arts Landing will be home to various plant species, including nearly 100 trees and a wide variety of native grasses, shrubs, and plants. This native plant life will help to combat urban heat island effect, offer shade for visitors, and provide a habitat for birds, butterflies, bees, and more. Establishing areas rich in habitat and resources for pollinators supports a healthy ecosystem.
Field Operations’ design also provides innovative solutions for storm water management, including underground water tanks and surface gardens. In addition to adding character and visual interest, this system may even provide educational opportunities for students and the public. The design will help ensure that Arts Landing does not contribute to stormwater overflow issues.
Field Operations, the Cultural Trust, and project partners are committed to constructing Arts Landing using local manufacturers and fabricators as much as possible, seeking out products made from recyclable content, to reduce our environmental footprint. Approximately 75% of waste from construction and demolition will be diverted from the landfill including through processes like grinding cinder blocks recovered from building demolition for future reuse.
Lighting is another essential part of Arts Landing’s sustainable design. Fixtures will be thoughtfully installed at ground level, on poles, and in catenary arrangements overhead. The entire lighting system will be dark-sky compliant.
Once Arts Landing opens, the Cultural Trust will remain committed to sustainable practices in its day-to-day maintenance. For example, forward-thinking choices of fertilizers will avoid “forever chemicals” and plastics in landscape maintenance. Similar best practices will be used in snow removal in the winter season, avoiding potential harm of plants and harmful chemicals that could reach the water system.
Beyond the natural environment, the design of Arts Landing considers elements of social equity and economic sustainability. Though located on the Cultural Trust’s private property, the civic space is designed for public use—with open access, free programming, and a goal of broad community participation. This vision enhances social sustainability and a sense of belonging for residents, visitors, workers, students, families, and artists.
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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, and Henry L. Hillman 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.