The Steel City Circuit: Reimagining Pittsburgh’s Steps, Slopes and Shifting Landscapes.

Abstract

Frederick Law Olmsted Jr.’s 1910 report drew attention to Pittsburgh’s incredible topography and hillside slopes yet overlooked its steps and landslides. This thesis serves as a contemporary addendum, by reframing the steps, once vital for hillside connectivity, as dual-purpose infrastructure mitigating landslides while celebrating the city’s industrial heritage. The Steel City Circuit, a 40-mile loop, is a physical and cultural stitch, linking neighborhoods on unbuildable land through slope-stabilization strategies. Along the route, vantage points examine the observer and the observed in relationship to the layered narratives of the city and its history. By filling the gaps in Olmsted’s framework, the project recasts Pittsburgh’s topography as artifact and asset, ensuring steep hillsides become catalysts for social, ecological, and economic renewal underscoring Pittsburgh’s capacity to preserve its past while ensuring a more resilient future.