The Oakland Plan Has Been Adopted by the City of Pittsburgh’s Planning Commission
PITTSBURGH — The City of Pittsburgh’s Planning Commission has adopted the Oakland Plan with conditions following a two-year long community process. The Planning Commission also made a positive recommendation to City Council to approve the related zoning amendments that will establish three new base zoning districts and expand the Inclusionary Zoning Overlay District (IZ-O) into Oakland.
This neighborhood plan builds on nearly a decade of neighborhood planning efforts led by the City’s Department of City Planning (DCP) and touches on 40 topics centered around community, development, mobility, and infrastructure. Common themes throughout the plan include:
- Growing housing and job opportunities in Oakland. New housing is needed to meet a variety of undergraduate student and long-term resident demands. The employment base needs to grow to provide jobs that are available to everyone and coupled with workforce development efforts to create pathways to prosperity.
- Utilizing public and private investments in Oakland to increase livability through new and improved open spaces, expanded tree canopy, stormwater management systems, and community services and amenities.
- Reimagining mobility systems in Oakland to prioritize the comfort and safety of pedestrians, transit riders, and cyclists.
- Acknowledging and addressing inequities for Black residents as well as students in Oakland and creating a welcoming environment for the neighborhood’s growing immigrant and newcomer populations.
“The Oakland Plan and associated Zoning proposals will guide development and investment over the next 10 years,” said Deputy Director Andrew Dash. “The adoption of the plan represents a huge public investment in the future of Oakland and the zoning changes provide us with new tools to prioritize job creation, affordable housing, and livability.”
In addition to guiding development and investment, the plan will serve as the Oakland area component of the City’s Comprehensive Plan. It's also the first plan to follow the City’s Neighborhood Plan Guide.
To meet the conditions for approval, DCP will revisit the plan’s Vision Statement and strengthen it to reflect the diverse needs of the Oakland community. The conditions for the zoning amendments will be addressed with the proposal that is presented to City Council.
The plan is available for review on EngagePGH: https://engage.pittsburghpa.gov/oakland
