200 Pittsburghers Help ‘Redd Up’ Downtown for the Summer

During the week of April 15th to April 21st, 180 volunteers, alongside PDP staff, pitched in to beautify the streets of Downtown Pittsburgh in preparation for an exciting summer season. Upcoming events, such as concerts, festivals, parades, sporting events, and markets will make Downtown a prime destination for visitors over the next few months. With an extra day added this year, the annual Picklesburgh food festival promises to be bigger and brinier than ever. And as restaurants open up their outdoor dining spaces and rooftop bars, our On-Street Services teams have been working around the clock to keep our streets and sidewalks clean and welcoming for pedestrians and diners. So they were thrilled to see hundreds of volunteers step up to supplement their hard work and come together as a community to make Downtown shine!

During ‘Redd Up’ Week, volunteers cleaned Mellon Square, the Allegheny Overlook, Market Square, and popular locations throughout the Cultural District. The PDP’s Clean Team, along with partners such as the City of Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, Friends of the Waterfront, and Allegheny County organized several beautification projects over the seven days. Volunteers helped out by sweeping mulch, picking up debris, refreshing the trash cans, cleaning up tree pits, and weeding parks and green spaces. In just one week, they removed 30 bags of trash from the Cultural District and 40 bags of weeds from the Allegheny Overlook, clocking in a total of 566 volunteer hours!

Highlights of the week included Mayor Ed Gainey’s participation in the cleanup of Allegheny Riverfront Park, along with the Allegheny Conference on Community Development and Piatt Companies, and Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato lending a hand to clean up the area around Market Square Without the dedication of all community members, from civic leaders and business owners, to workers and residents, this week wouldn’t have been possible!

Thank you to all of our volunteers for such an amazing turnout this year. Your time and care is what made this ‘Redd Up’ week such a success.

Wondering how you can get involved Downtown this summer?

Sign up for upcoming volunteer opportunities using our portal! If you missed ‘Redd Up’ week, you can always join us for Downtown Beautification Sundays – This event takes place every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bring your friends and connect with other members of the community in the fresh air. Be a part of what makes Downtown shine this season!