Investigating a Site
This page provides guidance in investigating a building site or a neighborhood for an architectural or urban design project. It focuses on Pittsburgh sites and resources, but similar resources may exist for sites in other municipalities.
Climate Data
- BestPlaces.net: Climate Profiles
A user-friendly source for weather data, including temperature, precipitation, and wind, for U.S. and worldwide locations.
- Northeast Regional Climate Center
With links to national data.
- Pennsylvania State Climatologist
Climate data for Pittsburgh and other Pennsylvania locations. See "City" section.
- Sun Path Chart Program (University of Oregon)
Produce sun angle charts for any U.S. location. Read the About Sun Charts link for background information.
For a Pittsburgh, enter zip code, or latitude (40 degrees) and longitude (-80 degrees), and solar time zone (-5h).- U.S. Naval Observatory Data Services
A wide variety of sun and moon data.
- Weather America: A Thirty-Year Summary of Statistical Weather Data and Rankings: The Latest Detailed Climatological Data for Over 4,000 Places--With Rankings. Lakeville, Conn.: Grey House Publishing, 2000.
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- Wind Rose Data (Natural Resources Conservation Center)
Month-by-month wind data for numerous U.S. locations including Pittsburgh.
- Pennsylvania State Data Center
The Commonwealth's official source of demographic and economic data. Select "Data and Information." Includes municipal and county profiles.
- Population, Social, Economic & Housing Data By Neighborhood, 1940 to 1990. 3 vols. Pittsburgh, Pa.: Dept. of City Planning, 1994.
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Most recent available data for the City of Pittburgh and its neighborhoods, based on the 1990 census.
- U.S. Census Bureau Data Access Tools
Includes various tools to extract data from the 1990 census and other more recent data sources by zip code, municipality, and county. See especially "Censtats," "Map Stats," and "1990 Decennial Census Lookup," which you can use to produce customized reports.
- Woodwell, James R. The Social Geography of Allegheny County: Social, Economic, and Demographic Indicators for Allegheny County Municipalities and Pittsburgh City Neighborhoods. 4 vols. Pittsburgh: University Center for Social and Urban Research, University of Pittsburgh, 1993.
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Most recent available data for the Allegheny County and its municipalities, based on the 1990 census.
- Carnegie Mellon University Architecture Archives
- Historic Pittsburgh (University of Pittsburgh and Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania)
Digital collection of books, maps, photographs, etc.
- Pennsylvania Department, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
- Library and Archives, Senator John Heinz History Center
- City of Pittsburgh Maps
Online access to a variety of City of Pittsburgh maps including neighborhoods, parks, and most importantly, the "Pittsburgh Grid Maps" (Lot-Block, Topographic, and Zoning). The topographic maps include building footprints.- Google Earth
- Hillman Library Map Collection (University of Pittsburgh)
The best collection in town including a complete set of United State Geological Survey (USGS) maps and GIS resources.
- Hunt Library Map Collections (Carnegie Mellon)
- Arts and Special Collections
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A small collection of Pittsburgh-area maps, especially for the campus and the surrounding areas. Ask at the Arts Reference desk on the fourth floor.- Hunt Reference
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A small collection of United State Geological Survey (USGS) maps and census tract maps. Ask at the Hunt Reference desk on the first floor.
- Pennsylvania Spatial Data Access
- Plat maps / Fire insurance maps
These maps were published in book format since the 1870's, most by G. M. Hopkins and the Sanborn Map Company. They usually show the names of property owners, street addresses, and dimensions for individual properties; and show footprints, building materials, and number of stories for buildings. They were republished periodically; thus a comparison of volumes for the same area shows development over time.
- Historic Pittsburgh (University of Pittsburgh and Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania)
Site includes online access to many G. M. Hopkins maps for Pittsburgh.- Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps (Hunt Library)
Sanborn maps on microfilm.
Zoning laws specify how the property within municipalities may be utilized. Zoning resources for the City of Pittsburgh:
- City of Pittsburgh Zoning Code
- City of Pittsburgh Maps
See the "Pittsburgh Grid Maps" to find zoning maps for a particular area.
Community Planning and Development
- Community Development Corporations (Pittsburgh Partnership for Neighborhood Development)
Contact the Community Development Corporation for the neighborhood that you are researching to find out about planning and development initiatives.
- City of Pittsburgh Department of City Planning
Review this Web site for sites and neighborhoods in the City of Pittsburgh. The Department produces many reports that may never appear in library collections. Useful links include:
- Community Development
- Comprehensive Planning Reports
- Information Center
- Who is my Neighborhood Planner?
Contact the planner for the area that you are interested in and ask what reports or other information is availablt.