The Wilkinsburg Plan

The Wilkinsburg Plan was developed after months of research, public outreach, scheduled meetings, and strategy sessions. The background research for the Plan includes information about the Borough’s socioeconomics, neighborhoods and housing, transportation, land use, and community facilities. Extensive public outreach was conducted through Steering Committee and Planning Commission meetings, 6 neighborhood outreach meetings, a week-long business district charrette process, and 10 individual stakeholder interviews. Additional input was received from residents via the electronic survey that was posted on the Borough’s website.

The Wilkinsburg Plan was adopted by Borough Council in September of 2010. In 2015 this was followed by an Update of the plan, evaluating progress on goals so far and producing supplemental materials.

Plan Focus Areas

Safe, Clean, and Green

Strategies include a new focus on public safety and community policing practices, aggressive code enforcement, and the development and implementation of sustainable practices.
Livable Neighborhoods

Recommendations include leveraging existing transit facilities to support Transit Oriented Development (TOD) and a renewed effort for code enforcement and redevelopment in Borough neighborhoods.
Open for Business

Emphasizing transit oriented development, the preparation of code-compliant space, and a renewed focus on business recruitment and development to create a “critical mass” for the retail and service center at Penn Avenue and Wood Street.
Organize for Success

Focusing on creating the appropriate organizational structure to maximize the ability of the Borough to implement recommendations from the Plan, and to use a more regional approach to help with capacity building.
Vision to Reality

Recommendations include the establishment of appropriate future land use classifications and identifying related funding streams to support the implementation process.