Riverlife Presents at International Conference

Riverlife Executive Director Lisa Schroder will be showing off the transformation of Pittsburgh’s waterfronts this week at the Transatlantic Cities Forum on Waterfront Development. The organization was asked to make the presentation in Genoa, Italy after being nominated by the German Marshal Fund. Riverlife Spokesperson Stephan Bontrager says Pittsburgh has become a great surprise story around the world. The city was put into the international spotlight with the G-20 and will stay there in the environmental community through next month when the city hosts World Environment Day. Bontrager says Schroeder will tout the region’s ability to turn the industrial riverfront into a place where the city can connect to the rivers through recreation. He says Schroder will talk about the cooperation that was needed to create the new riverfront landscape and the money that has been invested in the last 15 years including work on the Northshore, Mon Warf and the Southside. Schroeder will also talk about what is left to be done.
Also presenting at the event is Copenhagen, Denmark. Representatives from 20 international cities will be on hand. Riverlife began in 2001 following a public planning process that gathered input from thousands of areas residents. A plan to develop 13 miles interconnected waterfront park is 70% complete. The project has gathered more than $4 billion for the work.