ANCHOR CHANDI CHAPMAN HAS MORE ON THE EFFORT TONIGHT. PITTSBURGH IS KNOWN FOR ITS BRIDGES AND ITS RIVERS. WELL, NOW THE CITY IS WORKING WITH A LOCAL ORGANIZATION TO TRY TO BEAUTIFY THE RIVERFRONTS. RIVER LIFE AND ITS PARTNERS HAVE CREATED A PROGRAM CALLED UPKEEP, WHICH IS A PERMANENT CARE AND MAINTENANCE PROGRAM FOR PITTSBURGH’S RIVERFRONT. THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH AND A GROUP, RIVER LIFE, LAUNCHED A NEW INITIATIVE, UPKEEP, TO BEAUTIFY PITTSBURGH’S 15 MILE RIVERFRONT LOOP, INCLUDING PARKS, TRAILS, AND PUBLIC GREEN SPACES. THE MAINTENANCE WILL BE MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH COORDINATED EFFORTS WITH ALLEGHENY CLEAN WAYS. FRIENDS OF THE RIVERFRONT LAND FORCE AND THE PITTSBURGH DOWNTOWN PARTNERSHIP, AND INCLUDES $6 MILLION WORTH OF IMPROVEMENTS. RIVER LIFE IN THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH HAVE ENTERED INTO A 20 YEAR AGREEMENT. HOW THE PROGRAM ADDRESSES CLEANING UP LITTER, VEGETATION MANAGEMENT, PRESSURE WASHING AND DEBRIS REMOVING. AND IF YOU’RE WONDERING ABOUT THOSE ABANDONED BOATS IN THE RIVER, MAYOR COREY O’CONNOR SAYS THE EYESORE WILL BE PART OF THE CLEANUP. FINALLY, HAVING A LONG TERM AGREEMENT IS VERY HELPFUL. YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS SEE THESE ONE OFFS. WHERE IT’S, OH, THIS SUMMER WE’RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING SMALL AND HELP OUT. NOW YOU HAVE A 20 YEAR AGREEMENT WHERE THIS IS GOING TO BE CONSTANT CLEANUP, CONSTANT INVESTMENT. AND THAT’S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE NEVER DONE BEFORE. AND I THINK IT’S BENEFICIAL TO EVERYBODY. NOW PARTS OF THE RIVER ARE STILL FROZEN. BUT WORK ON THIS PROJECT WILL BEGIN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
City of Pittsburgh and Riverlife have launched ‘UpKeep,’ a new initiative to beautify riverfronts
Updated: 6:50 PM EST Feb 12, 2026
Pittsburgh is known for its bridges and rivers. Now, the city is teaming up with a local organization to beautify riverfronts.”UpKeep” is a new initiative to beautify the city’s 15-mile riverfront loop, including parks, trails, and public green spaces. Riverlife and the city of Pittsburgh have entered into a 20-year agreement.”Riverlife and its partners have created a program called UpKeep, which is a permanent care and maintenance program for Pittsburgh’s riverfronts,” Riverlife CEO and president Matthew Galluzzo said.The maintenance will be made possible through coordinated efforts with Allegheny Cleanways, Friends of the Riverfront, Landforce and the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, and includes $6 million worth of improvements.”This is the iconic view that you see when you are in Pittsburgh. There’s no way, whether you’re traveling from out of the city into the city, you are crossing a river. And I think it’s the heart of Pittsburgh. It’s what made us,” Mayor Corey O’Connor said.The program addresses cleaning up litter, vegetation management, pressure washing and debris removal.”To make sure that when people come down for a Pirates game, or they’re coming down to see a performance on the riverfronts, that their expectations are met, that they can focus on making memories with their friends and their families,” Galluzzo said.”Finally having a long-term agreement is very helpful,” O’Connor said. “We always see these one-offs where it’s, oh, this summer, we are going to do something small and help out. Now you have a 20-year agreement where this is going to be constant cleanup, constant investment. That’s something that we have never done before, and I think it’s beneficial to everybody.”Regarding abandoned boats in the river, O’Connor added, “Obviously, that’s part of cleanup. All of that debris, everything like that — it’s not only an eyesore, but it doesn’t help the environment. I think, for us, the rivers are part of not only our identity but the environment we live in.”
PITTSBURGH —
Pittsburgh is known for its bridges and rivers. Now, the city is teaming up with a local organization to beautify riverfronts.
“UpKeep” is a new initiative to beautify the city’s 15-mile riverfront loop, including parks, trails, and public green spaces. Riverlife and the city of Pittsburgh have entered into a 20-year agreement.
“Riverlife and its partners have created a program called UpKeep, which is a permanent care and maintenance program for Pittsburgh’s riverfronts,” Riverlife CEO and president Matthew Galluzzo said.
The maintenance will be made possible through coordinated efforts with Allegheny Cleanways, Friends of the Riverfront, Landforce and the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, and includes $6 million worth of improvements.
“This is the iconic view that you see when you are in Pittsburgh. There’s no way, whether you’re traveling from out of the city into the city, you are crossing a river. And I think it’s the heart of Pittsburgh. It’s what made us,” Mayor Corey O’Connor said.
The program addresses cleaning up litter, vegetation management, pressure washing and debris removal.
“To make sure that when people come down for a Pirates game, or they’re coming down to see a performance on the riverfronts, that their expectations are met, that they can focus on making memories with their friends and their families,” Galluzzo said.
“Finally having a long-term agreement is very helpful,” O’Connor said. “We always see these one-offs where it’s, oh, this summer, we are going to do something small and help out. Now you have a 20-year agreement where this is going to be constant cleanup, constant investment. That’s something that we have never done before, and I think it’s beneficial to everybody.”
Regarding abandoned boats in the river, O’Connor added, “Obviously, that’s part of cleanup. All of that debris, everything like that — it’s not only an eyesore, but it doesn’t help the environment. I think, for us, the rivers are part of not only our identity but the environment we live in.”