The Charles Street Valley
Empowering a Community to Reclaim its Public Space
$450,000+
Funding Secured
9 Community Spaces Rebuilt
1 Dormant City Plan Reactivated
The Challenge: Overcoming Civic Inertia
On Pittsburgh's North Shore, The Charles Street Valley is a community with a powerful spirit and a clear vision for its future. Like many neighborhood, it faced a common challenge: cherished public spaces were struggling to get the attention and resources needed for critical updates. A central gathering spot, the Cross-Strauss Parklet, had fallen into disrepair over several years, a casualty of tight municipal budgets and complex civic processes that can often slow progress.
The community had the passion but needed a strategic partner to help navigate the system, build a coalition, and transform frustration into a funded, actionable plan.
Our Solution: A Strategy for Empowerment
We were brought in to build a bridge between the community's vision and its implementation. Our first move was not to create a grand, top-down plan, but to listen. We walked the parklet with neighbors, learning about their hopes, fears and frustrations. This process of authentic, on-the-ground engagement built trust and a powerful consensus around a set of achievable goals.
We translated that shared vision into compelling imagery—inspiring renderings to serve as a powerful tool for building public excitement and demonstrating the project's potential to funders.
Armed with a clear vision and a unified voice, we worked with Charles Street Valley leadership to develop a "healthy communities" narrative that reframed the project as a mission-driven investment in the neighborhood’s children. This strategic approach unlocked new possibilities, allowing us to build a diverse public-private partnership that attracted support from corporate donors and foundations and ultimately secured over $450,000 for the parklet's complete revitalization.
This initial victory was about more than just a playground; it was a proof of concept. During the project, a larger vision for a neighborhood-wide greenway emerged. We leveraged the newfound momentum from the parklet to begin implementing a decade-old, shelved City Greenway Master Plan piece by piece, starting with a disused trail across the street. This "build-it-as-you-go" approach is a core tenet of our firm: we believe a plan is a verb, and our focus is always on creating tangible, on-the-ground results that build toward a bigger, more ambitious future.
“Everyone came together because we knew we needed a playground and we made it happen and that is the power of community and collaboration.”
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey, 6/22/24
The Outcomes: A Neighborhood on the Rise
Our partnership with the Charles Street community transformed years of frustration into a series of celebrated, tangible victories that have sparked a neighborhood-wide renewal.
$450,000+ secured through a new public-private funding coalition to completely renovate a beloved community parklet.
9 community spaces around the parklet were rebuilt, creating a safe, beautiful, and vibrant new community hub.
Reactivated a dormant city-wide master plan, beginning the long-awaited implementation of the Perry South Greenway.
Empowered a community by providing them with the strategic tools, including a long-term Funding Matrix, to continue advocating for and building their vision for years to come.
