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| Project Year Two 2001 Monongahela Pool Overview
The
green color marks the natural spots of land. The
peach color marks municipal areas such as athletic
fields, swimming pools, and parks. The
blue bars are the dams on the rivers. The red
lines are rail road tracks and the grey lines
are streets. Click the image for a
larger detail.
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Each study area has its own set of opportunities and constraints. There are more greenspaces in the Mon Valley than in the Pittsburgh Pool. There are also more brownfield sites. A brownfield site is an abandoned industrial site. As steel production declined, many jobs were lost and the region has yet to find a replacement capable of the same economic magnitude of support. What's left is a legacy of infrastructure, relics of the past embedded in the fabric of today.
Click on the
map to explore a larger version.
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The Mon Valley grew out of a dependence on the river, which dictated the form of the steel industry. Water takes the path of least resistence, so it is only natural that our transit systems follow suit. But the rails and barges that were once the backbone of the steel industry are now operating at a fraction of the volume they once were. As that industry recedes there is spatial vacuum, analogous to a highway closing to cars, thereby creating a rollerblader's paradise. But the regions relationship with the rivers is quite divorced. The Mon/Fayette Expressway project is an attempt to resuscitate the Valley with a highway, priced at around $3 billion. This highway will also follow the river, creating another psychological and physical barrier between the communities and their river. Can we dream about a commuter rail or a water trail first? |
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