ENGR 0715 - Engineering Applications for Society
Spring 2007 Projects
Development of Hill District Walking Routes
Community Partner: Hill House Association
Team:
Adam Smelko, Steven Boronyak, Stephen Pachuta, and Alexis Nolfi
Problem Statement:
The Hill District of Pittsburgh was once called “the crossroads of the world” by
Renaissance Poet Claude McKay. The goal of our project was the improvement of the Hill
District. With the help of the Hill House Association, we worked toward creating trails that
make “The Hill” a more aesthetically attractive and pleasantly walkable community. In addition,
we wanted to incorporate The Hill’s green space into our trails and take advantage of the striking
views overlooking the rivers. Together with the Hill House Association Members and Find the
Rivers! project members, we identified walking routes throughout the Hill District
neighborhoods. These walking routes will be used to promote exercise and personal health. We
also made sure that the routes were properly measured and marked every
quarter mile. In addition, we wanted to advertise our routes in an appealing way so that
residents are encouraged to utilize our walking routes. We also wanted our project to tie in with
the other Find the Rivers! projects, so that the Hill District and surrounding area take on the
reputation of being a positive, safe, and family-friendly community. For a more detailed
explanation of our project and how we proposed going about its completion, please refer to Final Report.
