The Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition has been working for over a decade to create a parklet at the corner of Murray and Phillips in honor of the late mayor and city councilman Bob O’Connor. Mayor O’Connor, known for his kindness, was a longtime Squirrel Hill resident who could often be found talking with constituents at this intersection.
Here at SHUC, we wanted to make sure that the stay-at-home order didn’t prevent our neighbors in Squirrel Hill from getting to know each other. For our Kindness is Contagious series, we have been profiling community members who spread kindness through our neighborhood.
SHUC in partnership with the Squirrel Hill Historical Society has formed the Friends of the Neill Log House to stabilize and restore the historic Neill Log House.
The renovation of Wightman Park is a project that had been ongoing for several years. The space is a magical place for children to play with a thoughtful design by landscape architect Andrea Ketzel and an interactive sculpture by local artists Oreen Cohen and Alison Zapata. Council Member Erika Strassburger, one among many who lead the charge for the park renovations, was key to making this much needed renovation come to fruition.
Uncover Squirrel Hill, the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy (WPC) and the Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition partnered together to bring 50 hanging flower baskets to the neighborhood’s business district. We are enlisting support from our incredible neighbors, community, merchants and businesses to raise funds for this neighborhood beautification project!
Trees clean our air, provide shade on hot summer days, reduce stormwater runoff, improve property values, and beautify our neighborhood. These are only a few reasons why the Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition, Uncover Squirrel Hill and Tree Pittsburgh are working to get more trees planted in Squirrel Hill.
The proliferation of unsightly garbage, from cigarette butts and fast food waste to airborne shopping bags and discarded appliances, is a pervasive cultural and environmental problem that can be traced to many root sources and pathways of travel (unintentional carelessness, willful disregard, improperly bagged waste, spillage during collection, wind, storm runoff). It’s no secret that litter can have dire consequences reaching far beyond mere aesthetic degradation.
The SHUC Gateway Committee has attracted over $400,000 in streetscape and public realm improvements in the Forward-Murray gateway area of Squirrel Hill, including new street lighting, banners, planters, and more.
The Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition supports the end of systematic, institutionalized racism and will continue to work with our community partners to combat it in Squirrel Hill and throughout the City of Pittsburgh. Change starts from within. We are committed to diversifying our board so that it represents the population that lives, works and shops in Squirrel Hill. Additionally, SHUC will continue to regularly evaluate all of our initiatives to ensure that they are reflective of these values.
O’Conners Corner
The Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition has been working for over a decade to
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