OUR APPROACH Pfaffmann + Associates (P+A) and Studio for Spatial Practice (SfSP) will provide an integrated team approach that includes economic planners 4ward Planning and transportation planners Fitzgerald & Halliday. Our approach is differentiated by a passion for personal, grass roots community engagement and a willingness to try new ways to accomplish this. We are highly tuned to the culture and demographics of a place and recognize that one size and type of charrette process may not fit all. We will work to build from your substantial start on the fifty-five dialogue sessions that took place throughout South, Central, West and North Oakland. OPDC’s capacity to facilitate and develop outreach is a key a part of the way we will organize our team. The diverse stakeholders that have been engaged already are impressive. The diversity in age, race, and socio-economic background will result in a variety of themes as already shown in the conversations held to date. Our team is composed of experienced planning professionals that are attuned to Pittsburgh’s neighborhoods and to each of the identified thematic areas, whether it is streetscapes, housing or development issues. As architects who have actually implemented components of community plans, we are able to make sure that the vision for 2025 is both inspiring and achievable. We have designed the housing, transit and streetscape components of many community plans and know how to navigate the agencies that are the key to success. Christine will work closely with you to develop user-focused strategies for the charrette and interaction with the community using models, “walk-shops” and other hands-on approaches. Carl will develop an effective website and social media outlets with you to allow access to information and ideas and to encourage dialogue. I will work with you to explore the idea of a “developer workshop” to encourage these stakeholders, increase awareness and ensure that development hot spots are well understood and planned. Jeff will explore the role of heritage and culture including the arts in the neighborhoods. Our projects are diverse, yet pertinent. For instance, we have implemented a streetscape lighting project for the Northside; we are consulting on the design of the Highland Avenue Bridge; and we have completed design of innovative green infill housing in East Liberty. As preservation planning professionals, we also bring a deep understanding of the technology and economics of heritage preservation. We are LEED certified and have executed four recent LEED projects, including the Hill District Library, that have engaged the community in thinking about sustainability. We are Tree tenders and understand the urban landscape. We work with large developers and understand the challenges of places, like the Oakland Portal, and how they need to fit well within a dense neighborhood. We can imagine a thematic organization built from the following (we developed a similar approach to our work on the Central Northside and include an example of the “placemats” that resulted from the charrettes for each of the focus areas). • • • • • •
Transportation & Safety Housing Quality & Development Youth, Family & Elderly Services Neighborhood Diversity & Heritage and Culture Neighborhood Greening and Infrastructure Urban Design & Zoning Standards