Urban Hardscape Transformed into a Community Green Space

Urban Hardscape Transformed into a Community Green Space

Pittsburgh, PA — The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust transformed an unused urban hardscape in Pittsburgh’s Cultural District into a green space to benefit the community’s residents and visitors. The Trust hired SYNLawn Pittsburgh to beautify a formerly concrete parking lot site and convert it into a social and entertainment destination known as The Backyard at 8th & Penn.

image of Artificial grass at the Backyard at 8th and Penn by SYNLawn and The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust

Revitalizing Urban Spaces to Improve Quality of Life

More than 80 percent of Americans live in urban environments, so it’s important for people dwelling in cities to have convenient access to public community green space since it affects their well-being and quality of life. The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust understands that exposure to natural-looking environments creates opportunities for socialization and promotes a sense of community belonging, which in turn, can lead to positive mental and physical health benefits.

The Trust owned an unused parking lot that was deteriorating and not contributing to the city or the community. In an effort to support city revitalization efforts and create a new venue for their annual Arts Fest, they hired SYNLawn Pittsburgh to provide landscape architectural services to transform the property into a community green space.

The Trust and SYNLawn Pittsburgh collaborated to design an aesthetically pleasing destination for residents to gather, socialize with neighbors, attend seasonal events and take advantage of recreational activities offered by the Trust. The design included a large space for art exhibits, new rain gardens to control stormwater runoff, large tree boxes to provide canopy trees for shade, an area for food trucks and mobile bars and a stage for concerts and other live events.

image of Artificial grass at the Backyard at 8th and Penn by SYNLawn and The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust

Installing Environmentally Friendly Turf

SYNLawn Pittsburgh selected the eco-friendly SYNAugustine 547 to renovate the urban space. The team installed approximately 6,000 square feet of faux grass in front of the stage to use for concert and event seating space, relaxing with friends and family and for recreational games and activities such as corn hole and morning yoga sessions.

SYNAugustine 547 is made with SYNLawn’s exclusive EnviroLoc™ backing system that replaces up to 60% of the petroleum-based polyol with renewable soybeans. This USDA Certified Biobased turf is also made with Super Yarn™ technology that provides heat reflective, anti-static, Sanitized® and non-abrasive grass blades. Plus, no watering or mowing is required for maintenance.

In addition to being an environmentally friendly turf option, SYNAugustine 547 offers the look of natural grass and is ideal for high foot traffic areas due to its excellent resiliency and support.

SYNLawn Pittsburgh worked hard to complete the project in only two months. The Trust was extremely pleased with the installation, which they call the Eco Lawn. Due to the success of the project, the Trust has expressed interest in expanding The Backyard to cover 1.2 acres of urban area, which will include a large percentage of SYNAugustine 547. The plan is to complete the installation in time for the 2023 Arts Fest.

image of Artificial grass at the Backyard at 8th and Penn by SYNLawn and The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust

image of Artificial grass at the Backyard at 8th and Penn by SYNLawn and The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust

Collaborate with SYNLawn on Your Commercial Projects

We take great pride in helping revitalize communities by installing new community green space using the safest and cleanest artificial turf available. If you’re looking for custom designs for commercial installations, our network of highly skilled distributor teams will work closely with you to bring your landscaping vision to life using our premium products.