University of Pittsburgh
OP-9: Landscape Management

“Land” on the University of Pittsburgh’s urban Pittsburgh campus excludes building footprints and impervious surfaces and outdoor synthetic field surfaces, which totals 117 acres. This land tally also excludes the 9 green roofs located atop Pitt’s existing building footprints but are detailed in the credit below.

DIVISION S: SUSTAINABLE LANDSCAPE DESIGN GUIDELINES
On April 5, 2017, the University of Pittsburgh published its Sustainable Landscape Design Guidelines, which define design criteria including plant selection (native and adaptable only), minimizing hardscape in favor or permeable materials, stormwater management, habitat, biodiversity, and all other ecosystem services. The Guidelines are Division S of the University’s larger Design Guidelines and consistent with the University's achievement of having several landscape personnel (including the Head of Grounds) achieve Sustainable Landcare Accreditation from Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, which requires a three-day accreditation course, exam, pledge to provide sustainable land care according to NOFA, and continuing sustainable landscaping professional education.

Read Division S: https://www.fm.pitt.edu/sites/default/files/pictures/Design_Manual/DIVISION-S.pdf

PITT SUSTAINABILITY PLAN
The 2018 Pitt Sustainability Plan (PSP) fully embraces and embeds the University’s Sustainable Landscape Design Guidelines in it is Landscape and Ecology impact area and goals. Specific PSP goals in this area include:

• Maintaining 75% of landscaped areas in accordance with Northeast Organic Farming Association Standards by 2025, ensuring a healthy environment for plants and pollinators alike.
• Adhere to Pitt’s Sustainable Landscape Design Guidelines for all new landscape designs.
• Replacing 15% of lawn area with indigenous and adapted plant species by 2030.
• Increasing tree canopy 50% by 2030

>> Pitt's progress on these goals from 2018 to 2022: https://www.sustainable.pitt.edu/progress-report/landscape-ecology-2018-22/
>> Learn more: https://www.sustainable.pitt.edu/impacts/landscape-and-ecology/

ORGANIC PRODUCTS
Reflecting both the University’s Sustainable Landscape Design Guidelines and the 2018 Pitt Sustainability Plan, Pitt has incorporated more organic products into its landscaping operations over time. An assortment of new products are regularly evaluated for effectiveness, with the most successful products incorporated into our standard maintenance procedures. Organic products (i.e., compost, mulches, and mushroom manure) are used in flower beds to enhance the nutrient value of the soil. Very little synthetic fertilizer is used on campus -- and opportunities including compost tea are being explored to further reduce the use of non-organic products.

NATIVE & PERENNIAL PLANTS + REMOVING LAWN
Many Pitt hillsides are already planted with trees, shrubs, and groundcovers to reduce stormwater runoff and mowing requirements -- and several large concrete areas have been replaced with green space. Between 2017 and 2022, Pitt converted ~0.5 acres of lawn to native plantings. Future lawn reduction opportunities are regularly evaluated as suggested in the 2021 Institutional Master Plan (IMP) and by Pitt’s Grounds team, in balance with campus needs for open space. Relatedly, a concerted effort has been made in recent years to increase the quantity of perennials, native, and drought-tolerant plants, using more native plants that require less watering and maintenance. Preferred native species recommendations are outlined in the Campus Tree Care Plan and the Campus Pollinator Habitat Plan.

>> Campus Tree Care Plan: https://www.sustainable.pitt.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/UPitt-Pittsburgh-Campus-Tree-Care-Plan-Dec-2021.pdf
>> Campus Pollinator Habitat Plan : https://www.sustainable.pitt.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Campus-Pollinator-Habitat-Plan.pdf

LANDSCAPING WASTE & MULCH
All of Pitt’s landscape waste is composted off-site -- and mulching lawnmowers are used to return nutrients to the soil through grass clippings. All mulch used on campus is made from recycled natural materials and is purchased from the same vendor who takes the University's landscape materials for composting.

IRRIGATION
Irrigation is limited and (where necessary) is provided only during optimal times to reduce water usage. The few irrigation systems on campus have been outfitted with rain sensors that are activated according to the moisture levels in the soil (which reduces water used for irrigation while helping reduce rain run off resulting from saturated soils).

As documented in Credit IN-29, the University of Pittsburgh has two external Integrated Pest Management (IPM) vendors, BOTH of whom hold the GreenPro certification (which recognizes pest management companies committed to providing commercial and residential customers with reduced risk, comprehensive and effective pest control services). Documentation of the IPM plan for one of those providers is attached.

The University of Pittsburgh has made a concerted effort to increase the use of native and ecologically appropriate, low maintenance plants, following an approved plant list in the Sustainable Landscape Design Guidelines. The University does not purchase any plant materials from the Guidelines’ invasive plant list. Designed landscapes include appropriately sized plants that will require limited maintenance.

During construction & renovation projects, the University installs fencing around the root zones of trees and shrubs and does not permit construction activities in those areas. If necessary, trees and shrubs are removed and stored, then replaced at the end of the project or installed in alternate locations on campus.

As noted below, drop spreaders significantly reduce the amount of snow melting materials required to clear sidewalks by eliminating overspray, resulting in less impact to surrounding plants and lawns.

TREES
The University is working on a more detailed tree maintenance program to better document and improve campus tree management and has been working to plant additional trees in many areas.

As part of the 2019 Campus Master Plan, Pitt completed 2 separate tree inventories logging the health and structural condition of all trees (which are embedded in both the Campus and Institutional Master Plans – and the basis for the work of the Campus Tree Advisory Committee, which is a subcommittee of the Chancellor’s Advisory Council on Sustainability). The diverse and interdisciplinary Campus Tree Advisory Committee works to help maintain the beauty of the campus landscape, while protecting the environment and fostering conservation efforts within the community. Its goals are to:

• Coordinate efforts across the university to reach the institutional goal of increasing tree canopy 50% by 2030
• Develop and update the Campus Tree Care Plan to establish planting & maintenance practices that are conducive to healthy tree populations
• Lead the University’s application for Tree Campus USA certification through the Arbor Day Foundation

In 2021, the University of Pittsburgh published the Pittsburgh campus’s first Campus Tree Care Plan, which supported the campus’s 2021 (and first) Tree Campus USA designation (received in 2022); Pitt’s Tree Campus designation was renewed for 2022 and the 2023 and future annual renewals are expected. In 2023, the University undertook a huge task to reforest parts of campus planting 836 trees in a single year.

>> Pitt Tree Campus certification details - https://www.sustainable.pitt.edu/awards/tree-campus/
>> Pitt’s Tree Committee: https://www.sustainable.pitt.edu/team-member/campus-tree-advisory-committee/
>> Campus Tree Care Plan: https://www.sustainable.pitt.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/UPitt-Pittsburgh-Campus-Tree-Care-Plan-Dec-2021.pdf

BEE CAMPUS
Pitt’s Pittsburgh campus achieved its first Bee Campus certification in 2020. This work is guided by the Pollinator Habitat Advisory Committee (a subcommittee of the Chancellor’s Advisory Council on Sustainability), which works to help make our campus environment more supportive of healthy, native pollinator populations. The Committee’s primary goals are to: 1) Create and advise on the implementation a Campus Pollinator Habitat Plan, which sets guidelines for plant choices and landscaping practices; and 2) Lead the University’s annual Bee Campus USA application through the Xerces Society.

>> Pitt’s Bee Campus USA certification details - https://www.sustainable.pitt.edu/awards/bee-campus-usa/
>> Pollinator Habitat Advisory Committee - https://www.sustainable.pitt.edu/team-member/pollinator-habitat-advisory-committee/
>> Campus Pollinator Habitat Plan - https://www.sustainable.pitt.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Campus-Pollinator-Habitat-Plan.pdf

The University of Pittsburgh is committed to responsible consumption of potable and non-potable water sources and use best-practice stormwater management and reuse on campus. The 2018 Pitt Sustainability Plan lays out several goals in that regard, including:

• Strive toward a water neutral campus, with a 3% reduction in water use by 2020 from 2017 baseline. (Achieved)
• Embrace the 2030 District goals of 50% reduction below the district average in water use intensity (consumption per square foot) by 2030 and establish design standards and operational practices to achieve them.
• Reduce impervious surfaces by 20% by 2030 from 2017 baseline.
• Divert 25% of stormwater from remaining impervious surfaces to rain gardens, bioswales, rainwater harvesting tanks, or other green stormwater infrastructure or reuse by 2030.

Learn more about Pitt’s progress towards achieving these goals in the 2018-22 Progress Report on the Pitt Sustainability Plan: https://www.sustainable.pitt.edu/progress-report/water-2018-22/

GREEN ROOFS
The University of Pittsburgh 9 green roofs of various types on eight campus buildings distributed across campus help reduce stormwater runoff and lessen the impact on the City of Pittsburgh's aging and combined stormwater system. These include:
• Green Roofs: Benedum Hall and Falk School
• Pollinator Patios: Barco Law, Hillman Library, Nordenberg Hall, and Posvar Hall
• Partial Roof Plantings: Forbes Hall, Posvar Hall, Schenley Quad

New green roofs are expected across campus over the next several years on, including on the Campus Recreation & Wellness Center and Arena & Sports Performance Center (both under construction and envisioned in the 2019 Campus Master Plan. These new green roofs will provide 135,750 square feet of pervious area by 2026.

Pitt’s Green Roofs: https://www.sustainable.pitt.edu/campus-culture/facilities/landscape-ecology/?tab=GreenRoofs

RAIN GARDENS
The University also has 8 rain gardens across campus to help detain and absorb excess rainwater, enabling it to naturally infiltrate into and nourish the soil, while helping mitigate Pittsburgh’s combined sewer overflow (CSO) issues. Students often help the Pitt Grounds team design and construct rain gardens – and sites have been evaluated for additional installations.

• Bigelow Boulevard - Includes a series of rain gardens.
• Cathedral Rain Garden – Is very visible, located on the Cathedral lawn between Heinz Chapel and the log cabin. A new lawn was installed and was designed with specialized materials and a drainage system to drain directly to the new rain garden. Bioswales were constructed as part of a new construction project to provide natural drainage to the site.
• Salk Hall Annex Rain Garden - Expanded to include 2 rain gardens in 2020.
• Sutherland Hall Rain Gardens

>> Pitt Rain Gardens: https://www.sustainable.pitt.edu/campus-culture/facilities/landscape-ecology/?tab=RainGardens
>> 2021 Bigelow Boulevard Reopening Transformation, including above and below ground stormwater amenities: https://www.sustainable.pitt.edu/bigelow-boulevard-transformation

IRRIGATION
Irrigation is limited and (where necessary) is provided only during optimal times to reduce water usage. The few irrigation systems on campus have been outfitted with rain sensors that are activated according to the moisture levels in the soil (which not only reduces the amount of water used for irrigation by only irrigating when necessary, but also helps reduce rain runoff resulting from saturated soils).

Since the publication of the 2018 Pitt Sustainability Plan, all new projects consider rainwater reuse and green stormwater infrastructure, including for reuse as cooling tower, boiler makeup water, and irrigation. While new irrigation systems are discouraged, all new irrigation systems are installed with rain stations that suspend the automatic irrigation cycle if it is raining or has sufficiently rained.

PITT STORMWATER MASTER PLAN
As further documented under OP-22, The University of Pittsburgh completed its Stormwater Master Plan in January 2021. While not a public document, Pitt’s Stormwater Masterplan sets forth stormwater requirements (including many sustainable and green landscaping and green stormwater infrastructure recommendations for all parts of our Pittsburgh campus). Given that Pitt’s Pittsburgh campus has a wide variety of specific conditions (hillside, dense urban, or green space), recommendations vary widely based on their context. All Pitt campus building and infrastructure projects are reviewed according to the recommendations in the Pitt Stormwater Master Plan – and solutions are tailored to each project.

>> Pitt Stormwater webpage - https://www.sustainable.pitt.edu/campus-culture/facilities/water/#stormwater
>> Pitt Rainwater Reuse webpage - https://www.sustainable.pitt.edu/campus-culture/facilities/water/#rainwaterreuse
>> New campus chilled water plant capturing rainwater for reuse - https://www.utimes.pitt.edu/news/new-chilled-water-plant
>> 2022 Pitt green stormwater projects tour - https://www.utimes.pitt.edu/news/pitt-s-green-stormwater
>> 2021 Bigelow Boulevard Reopening Transformation, including above and below ground stormwater amenities: https://www.sustainable.pitt.edu/bigelow-boulevard-transformation/

All landscape materials removed from campus are picked up by a local contractor for composting. This contractor also serves as the University's vendor for mulch, compost, soils, and other materials. As a result, it is very possible that the materials sent by the University for composting returns to campus as soil amendments for campus landscaping, but Pitt does not require chain of custody tracking for this materials stream.

The University also only uses shredded bark or leaf mulch (which is free from contaminated woods and dyes). Pitt also uses mulching lawnmowers, which drop clippings back on the lawns to reduce landscape waste.

The University also uses the locally made "Pitt Moss" (not related to the University, but a great name) as a growing medium in flower planters. Pitt Moss is a 100% recycled product that retains more moisture than traditional potting soil.

LIGHTING
The University of Pittsburgh has very limited accent lighting on campus, which was upgraded to LEDs over the past several years, while still providing enough lumens to support campus safety via outdoor lighting standards.

EQUIPMENT
Regarding landscaping equipment, Pitt has been phasing electric and propane equipment to reduce the University's reliance on gas and diesel -fueled equipment. Of the Pitt Grounds’ pieces of equipment, 95% have been transitioned to electric in 2023 (125 pieces of equipment), up dramatically from 20% in 2020 (25 pieces of equipment) and only 9 electric pieces in 2015. Additionally, Grounds owns 6 pieces of propane equipment – and continues to evaluate new opportunities, both to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but also noise.

>> 2023 Article highlighting Pitt Grounds team’s electrification: https://www.pitt.edu/pittwire/accolades-honors/sustainable-fall-campus-cleanup

PLANTING & IRRIGATION
The University has also been working to reduce the number of non-native plant species across campus. As mentioned previously, Pitt also uses untreated underground aquifer water to water flower beds and hanging baskets on campus (with a solar powered pump). To reduce mowing requirements, runoff, and erosion, low maintenance trees, shrubs, and groundcovers have been planted in many areas. Additionally, 9 green roofs and 9 rain gardens have been installed to reduce the impact on Pittsburgh's aging stormwater infrastructure. Low-impact ice and snow melting materials are also used.

During Winter 2015-16, the University started switching from rotary spreaders to drop spreaders (which do a better job of applying materials to sidewalks); as a result, Pitt had a ~50% reduction in the amount of materials required during normal snow and ice events (thereby reducing the amount of over-cast materials getting into soils and impacting plants and lawns).

The University's urban Pittsburgh campus is very dense with an extremely limited amount of undeveloped land (most of which accounts for celebrated open space); values provided above are estimated.

>> University of Pittsburgh's Sustainable Landscape Design Guidelines: http://fm.pitt.edu/sites/default/files/pictures/Design_Manual/DIVISION-S.pdf
>> Pitt's Institutional Master Plan: https://www.campusplan.pitt.edu/sites/default/files/PittIMP-SUBMISSION%20FOR%20PLANNING%20COMMISSION%20REVIEW%20FEB%202021.pdf
>> Pitt’s Landscape & Ecology webpage: https://www.sustainable.pitt.edu/campus-culture/facilities/landscape-ecology/
>> 2018-22 Progress Report on Pitt Sustainability Plan, Landscape & Ecology section: https://www.sustainable.pitt.edu/progress-report/landscape-ecology-2018-22/
>> Pollinators at Pitt: https://www.sustainable.pitt.edu/campus-culture/facilities/landscape-ecology/?tab=Pollinators
>> Campus Tree Care Plan: https://www.sustainable.pitt.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/UPitt-Pittsburgh-Campus-Tree-Care-Plan-Dec-2021.pdf
>> Campus Pollinator Habitat Plan : https://www.sustainable.pitt.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Campus-Pollinator-Habitat-Plan.pdf