OAKLAND, PA
PENNSYLVANIA'S GLOBAL CENTER
Oakland is Pittsburgh’s most ethnically diverse and lively neighborhood. Home to prestigious universities and museums, world-class hospitals, grand architecture, and a plethora of eateries and specialty shops, Oakland has earned its reputation as “Pittsburgh’s Second Downtown.” W|W partnered with the Oakland Business Improvement District (OBID) to develop a digital and physical brand experience that celebrates the entire Oakland community and its many assets. From a community-focused website that helps people discover all the district has to offer to bold placemaking graphics deployed throughout the neighborhood, the work brings Oakland’s energy, diversity, and sense of place to life across both digital and physical environments.
EXPLORE
Discovering the rich assets available in Oakland has never been easier. The website's Explore section contains a robust set of content categorized by food/dining, tech, banks, medical, services, shopping, apartments/housing, universities, culture, and hospitality, so that visitors can efficiently find what they are seeking or explore to satisfy their curiosity. This area of the website is curated by a team of local experts who are uniquely dialed into the Oakland scene.
PLACEMAKING & STREETSCAPE
To bring Oakland’s identity to life beyond the digital experience, W|W developed a bold, graphic placemaking system designed to energize the streetscape and celebrate the character of the neighborhood. Deployed as street pole banners throughout Oakland, the abstract, artful graphics create a cohesive visual presence that captures the district’s diversity, energy, and breadth of opportunity without favoring any single institution or industry. The system gives Oakland a more distinctive sense of place, welcoming students, workers, residents, and visitors alike. W|W also adapted the graphics for street team apparel, extending the visual identity to the people who help connect the community. The placemaking initiative was a collaboration between OBID and Pittsburgh Innovation District, for which W|W developed the integrated branding.
