Beautiful and historic bridges are part of SWPA's scenic legacy.

Scenic Pittsburgh

Scenic Pittsburgh What We Do

We believe that by leveraging the unique scenic and historic assets of southwestern Pennsylvania communities, we can boost this region’s economic success, bolster environmental sustainability, preserve our history and heritage, and improve the physical and mental health of our residents.

Below are the areas we work in. Click to learn more details about each. If you have a scenic issue in your community but aren’t sure where to begin, we invite you to get in touch with us.

We offer advice to community leaders and residents at no cost and are always looking for new partners in our fight to preserve the beauty of our region.

  • Scenic Advocacy. We help citizens and community groups organize and advocate for the scenic values of their communities at council meetings and zoning board meetings
  • Zoning and Comprehensive Plan Advice and Consultancy. We reach out to municipalities in our 10-county area to help them preserve and leverage their scenic resources through zoning, comprehensive planning, and funding strategies
  • Scenic Byway Designation and Support. We propose new scenic byways in our 10-county area and work to have them designated officially, allowing communities to access a wide range of new funding opportunities that support scenic and historic assets
  • Greenspace Restoration. We target abandoned and underused potential greenspace and, with regional partners, work to restore it for community use
  • Scenic Pittsburgh Awards. We hold up and celebrate people, places, organizations and businesses that prioritize good design, good development, and scenic beauty
  • Scenic SWPA Photo Contest. We hold an annual photo contest to focus attention on the many scenic and historic assets in SWPA