Leading the World in Preservation
PHLF’s Market at Fifth featured as a major preservation achievement
PITTSBURGH, PA (Aug. 5, 2015) Pittsburgh has been named one of the 11 best and most livable cities in the world because of historic preservation according to Metropolis, a national magazine, which deals with “architecture and design at all scales.”
The magazine, which featured Pittsburgh in its July/August 2015 issue, selected Pittsburgh among a group of other cities including Toronto, Tokyo, Copenhagen, and Singapore, among others, which were selected for distinction in other areas ranging from walkability to culture, transportation planning, and landscapes.
“This is a great recognition for our city, which is showing the world that through adaptive reuse of our historic buildings, historic preservation is an underlying basis for social, human, and economic renewal,” said Mayor William Peduto.
Citing the decades-long efforts of preservationists, neighborhood activists, and specifically the work of the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation in battling the failed policies of urban renewal, the magazine noted that, “Pittsburgh, like so many other Rust Belt cities, faced huge hurdles with the decline of its steel industry. But it is overcoming many of these challenges thanks, in great part, to its preservation movements, neighborhood renewal projects, and active communities.”
“To have our City compared to others around the globe and be listed because of what we have achieved in preservation is an incredible distinction and honors the work of many citizens and organizations,” PHLF President Arthur Ziegler, said. “Our organization is especially honored to receive this recognition as we celebrate 50 years of our work in neighborhoods and communities across the region.”
The magazine featured PHLF’s Market at Fifth development in Downtown Pittsburgh, which combined quality retail and market-rate apartments in a LEED-Gold development, to highlight the ways in which the preservation community prevented “the demolition of 64 historic buildings in the core Downtown business area.”
In May, Mayor Peduto announced the completion of the restoration of 11 facades on 10 significant historic buildings in Downtown as part of the City’s ongoing revitalization of its core business district through historic preservation principles.
The buildings’ facades were restored by PHLF through a Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania awarded to the City through its Urban Redevelopment Authority.