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secured for esthetic purposes in connection with Pittsburgh suburban thoroughfares, over and above that needed for handling the expectable future street traffic, must not be in the in the form of a general and continuous widening. But occasional pieces here and there may be taken for park purposes, as, for instance, a steep sidehill adjacent to the line and unavailable or difficult for building. On a narrow ridge, on which the thoroughfare runs, may have at some point so little available building land fronting upon it that the whole can reasonably be parked for a short distance, thus keeping open the distant views.

Park treatment of hillside street junction at Stuttgart

There are two special forms of street, developed here and there in hilly cities all over the world, of which Pittsburgh needs to take account in its suburban development. In many instances, and for long distances, existing suburban thoroughfares that must be enlarged and improved, and others that must be laid out are compelled to run along the face of hills so steep that a level cross section, even though limited to 80 feet, would leave the land on one or both sides so far above the grade as to destroy its value for building purposes. In such cases it is often practicable to make use of one-sided streets or two-level streets. The former are designed to give accessible frontage on one side only,

Public resting place and outlook spot on a one-sided hillside street in Heidelberg

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Last modified on 22-Dec 1999
Design format: copyright 1997-1999 Bruce S. Cridlebaugh
Original document: Frederick Law Olmsted, 1910