Livability

Some findings relative to livability aspects in Dormont.

Healthy Habitat

If we were to consider spectrums for some of the major aspects of what the reading and materials outline as contributing to healthy habitats, Dormont would be somewhere like the following:

(1=very poor, 2=poor, 3=neutral, 4=good, 5=very good)

Air Quality = 3

While there has been much improvement in this area, Pittsburgh is still recovering from being completely beholden to the industries that allowed it to be covered in smog. There are ongoing reports and monitoring of certain areas and their mortalities associated with industrial pollution based on their proximity to still running industrial plants. Dormont is not in one of these areas but Pittsburgh as a whole has much work to do in this area.

Water Quality = 2

Pittsburgh recently was on pace to become the next Flint. With major reports of lead, e coli, and other major hazardous substances in the water, there were communities without water for days. The rivers surrounding the city are very polluted and the city struggles to deal with stormwater runoff and the effects of aging water infrastructure. That said, Dormont as a community has invested in roads and systems that aid in the runoff, they have worked with the stormwater authority to derisk other hazardous conditions, and it always helps to be situated at the top of the hill.

Access to Transit = 5

One of Dormont’s greatest strengths. With access to the T line and multiple bus routes, you don’t need a car to get around. That said, while much of the city has access to bikesharing and dedicated bike lanes, Dormont has yet to invest in modes other than train and bus.

Access to greenspace, parks, and playgrounds = 3

With a very large park, pool (one of the largest in PA and a source of much pride here), and playground within only one-square mile of community, Dormont does well here. The reason for the three is that there is not any community gathering greenspace near the centrally-located business district which is an obvious missed opportunity in my mind.

Streetscape = 3

With a new investment of millions to redo the streetscape on its main business district, Dormont believes this is the start of even more investment there. They are now eyeing the perpendicular business district for their next streetscape project.

Mix of housing = 5

Another top strength for Dormont. With housing options mixed about 60/40 own to rent and very reasonably priced for the access to downtown and good schools, this is high point for the community.

Cohesive Community

One of the major challenges for Dormont is a lack of space for cohesion to be fostered. Often community members will throw block parties or the borough will host an event in the parking lot of the park (because the grass is all hill). There is literally no coffee shop as of today, no common gathering area that seems obvious. The school seems to serve this function in some ways but the school draws in 3 different communities (Dormont, Green Tree, and Castle Shannon) and it seems like there is tension there. There are a few faith establishments, one is front and center in the main business district, one is in a neighborhood, and the other is a huge church that is for sale on West Liberty (a main road). One way I’ve observed this affecting this community is through some hate crimes in the neighborhood (pride flags stolen, neo-nazi messages in the school). The community has responded with a grassroots yard sign campaign that All Are Welcome in Dormont #HateFreeDormont, which has been a strong display of cohesion. Yet, it seems that the aspect of not having central places of gathering do affect the ability to connect with those not immediately surrounding one’s house

Healthy People

There are a few key aspects of Dormont that challenge what seems like an otherwise healthy community and people.

1. Air and water quality - as mentioned above, these are critical and being worked but need improvement

2. Access to healthy food options - Dormont does not have a healthy, affordable grocer. There are options within a few miles but you get the sense this is a source of consternation for this community.

3. Drugs & Alcohol - As with most of the country, Dormont and its neighboring communities are struggling to adapt to the growing heroin and opioid epidemic. Similarly, Dormont is home to the largest number of diver bars in the area that stay open late and draw a crowd from outside the community. While it still seems to be somewhat contained, there are still happenings of theft and other resultants of the crippling disease of addiction.

Engaged Citizens

The big insight for me here is that Dormonsters (as they call themselves) are incredibly engaged...about current state issues. They have multiple Facebook groups that are very active. Within the last day or so I’ve seen people posting about a lost dog and everyone helping until it was found and sharing that, one person posted about a suspicious person walking into homes in the neighborhood and the group got together to identify this person and involve the police, and as you can image they post their qualms with constructions etc. as well. That said, at the community meeting I went to about the future of the business district, there were 4 people including me. Voter turnout was the highest it’s been in years and it was 23%. I’m not sure if this has to do with the citizen’s relationship to government or that it is much easier to deal with the present than to envision a collective future, but either way I found this disparity in engagement very interesting.

Shared Prosperity

While there is not a large amount of income disparity, it has become clear to me that developing a path forward for shared prosperity in Dormont will be its largest challenge in the next few years. As Pittsburgh continues growth in population, investment, and development, there are neighborhoods struggling to keep their history and community identity amidst outside investment and influence. The folks at the meeting (council members, business owners, and residents) seemed to realize that Dormont is on the precipice of something similar. But are struggling with what to do about it. It became clear this could be the area of most impact that I may be able to be of service.