Economy

If you build it, they will come.

Just as Pittsburgh’s rivers provided a passageway for economic opportunity over the past 300 years, today’s riverfronts offer new opportunities for local economic development and enrichment.



Sustainable riverfront development, along with cutting-edge design and a dedicated community, has helped many cities transition from post-industrial stagnation to new economic growth.

• Louisville’s 55-acre park on the riverfront created a 28% increase in business development, and waterfront workers there have increased from 350 to 5,300.
• Chattanooga’s Riverfront Park has spurred $500 million in private investing.
• Chicago’s 25-acre Millennium Park is projected to create $2.6 billion in visitor spending and have a $1.4 billion impact on real estate in the next 10 years.

Riverlife sees that same economic potential right here in Pittsburgh. In fact, it is already happening:

• From 2000-2010, over $4 billion was invested in Pittsburgh’s riverfront development, half of it private.
• Pittsburgh is home to more than 100 multi-billion dollar global company headquarters.
• More than $500 million has been invested in LEED-certified Green Buildings, of which Pittsburgh has more than 30 either built already or under construction.
• Rails-to-trails conversion in Western Pennsylvania has led to hundreds of miles of bike trails, much of it along riverfronts. The Great Allegheny Passage, which will soon link Pittsburgh with Washington, D.C., will see thousands of users each year.

The development of the riverfront has created significant new opportunities and has redefined Pittsburgh’s Downtown. Three Rivers Park’s 13-mile interconnected loop of waterfront destinations has amazing potential. With new business headquarters locating their operations along the shores of the Allegheny, Ohio and Monongahela, Pittsburgh’s Downtown is effectively expanding across the rivers. Businesses enjoy increased visibility, extraordinary views and park amenities at their doorstep for their employees.

Riverlife’s role

Since Riverlife began, more than $112,000,000 has been invested in our work developing Three Rivers Park’s riverfront green spaces and trails, catalyzing the following riverfront investments in Pittsburgh’s downtown:

Infrastructure (Roads, Bridges, etc.)                  $792,000,000

Private Development – North Shore                  $1,724,000,000

Private Development – Downtown                  $783,000,000

Private Development – Strip District                  $133,000,000

Private Development – SS/Mon River                  $580,000,000

Total Downtown Riverfront Investment                  $4,013,000,000

Since the development of Riverlife’s Vision Plan for Pittsburgh’s Riverfronts, Three Rivers Park has also supported a significant increase in downtown residential living.  Hundreds of new residential units, both for sale and for rent, have sprung up along the rivers’ edges. Downtown living reduces the severity of regional sprawl, energizes our downtown, and supports our many service businesses and cultural attractions.  The lives of these new downtown residents are enhanced by the outdoor enjoyment, healthy lifestyle, and recreational opportunities created by the Park.

Downtown Pittsburgh is blossoming by embracing its riverfronts.