About
University of Pittsburgh’s Institutional Master Plan (IMP) provides details related to City of Pittsburgh regulations, including building height and mass, parking, urban design and neighborhood compatibility.
Upcoming Events
Past events
Click through for slides, recordings, and other resources where available.
Updates
Pitt posted the final draft of their Institutional Master Plan online for public review (see below) on October 15, 2019. OPDC hosted an opportunity for residents to share questions and concerns with Pitt at an Oakland-Wide Community Meeting on October 29, 2019 (see below).
The City of Pittsburgh’s Department of City Planning hosted an additional public meeting alongside OPDC and the Hill District’s Registered Community Organization (RCO)—the Hill CDC—to collect further feedback on November 18, 2019.
Pitt hosted a follow-up conversation on December 5, 2019 about the Central Oakland housing development site proposed in the final draft IMP (see minutes below).
Pitt cannot move forward with any new construction proposed in their draft IMP before city approval. They can, however, begin infrastructure work that may impact traffic and pedestrian routes/access.
In anticipation of the new construction of a Wellness and Recreation Center located in Pitt’s upper campus, utility and road work began in November 2019. Pitt replaced underground power lines, replaced and separated stormwater and sewer lines, and created a more pedestrian-friendly and sustainable hillside by reconfiguring University Drive. More project updates and details will continue to be posted online here.
September 29, 2020: Pitt representatives shared IMP updates during the Oakland-Wide meeting on September 29, 2020. The university worked with the City to incorporate their comments on Pitt’s IMP. They removed the Central Oakland Housing site from their IMP after the community raised concerns about the building’s height, and to make sure the building’s design is in alignment with the City’s forthcoming comprehensive Oakland Plan. The site will be left in the plan (grayed out) and revisited in the future.
The university briefed the Planning Commission on their Institutional Master Plan on February 23, 2021. Pitt returned to the Planning Commission on March 23 and again on April 6. At the April 20 hearing, the commission voted to recommend approval of the IMP to City Council. The City Council held a virtual public hearing on Wednesday, July 14, 2021, and passed a resolution approving the plan on July 27. Mayor Bill Peduto signed the resolution into law on July 29, 2021.
The university presented plans for its new recreation and wellness center (at 3921 O’Hara Street) at a Development Activities Meeting on March 21, 2022.
Project resources:
Final Draft IMP (October 15, 2019)
Oakland-Wide Community Meeting minutes (October 29, 2019)
Community Meeting: Revisions to Central Oakland housing development site (December 5, 2019)
Oakland-Wide meeting recording and meeting notes (September 29, 2020)
Institutional Master Plan (as presented to Planning Commission on February 22, 2021)
OPDC testimony on the IMP (April 19, 2021)
Recreation and Wellness Center slides and meeting recording (March 22, 2022)