Utility Notation

Have you ever noticed the dots, lines, and dashes spray painted on the ground and wondered what they meant? Join artist Ruby Waldo for Utility Notation, a guided walk through Point Breeze to learn how to recognize and interpret utility code.

Just as the sidewalk directs the movement of pedestrians above the ground, electric cables, gas lines, water mains, and sewage pipes guide the flow of resources below it. These systems are tucked underground and woven into networks out of sight. Utility code is visual language to notate this hidden infrastructure.

Participants will learn the colors and symbols of utility code before using the sight of each marking as a cue for simple movement or embodied observation. A visual score will be distributed for participants to refer to on the walk and to keep after the session. Utility Notation encourages participants to pay close attention to the surface of the sidewalk and to their own bodies as they move along it.

About Ruby Waldo

Ruby Waldo is a pedestrian in Pittsburgh, PA. Her work is concerned with the body and the built environment, the landscape she lives in and the rhythms that shape it. Her projects range from newspapers and mail to walks and workshops that are informed by her experience as a caregiver and educator. In the studio, Ruby is often gathering, arranging, or redistributing materials such as archival imagery, architectural salvage, and found choreography. She holds a BFA in Interdisciplinary Sculpture with a concentration in Social Practice & Sustainability from The Maryland Institute College of Art. In 2027, she will graduate from the Vermont Center for Integrative Herbalism with her certification as a clinical herbalist. For now, Ruby works in the children’s department of the public library.

Tour Meeting Location

Participants will meet at Westinghouse Park.

We ask that participants arrive by 9:45 AM so that there is time to check people in and to start the tour promptly at 10:00 AM.

Parking and Transportation

Street parking is available within the vicinity of Westinghouse Park.

If taking public transportation, the closest Pittsburgh Regional Transit stop are:

• East Busway and Homewood Station B, serving routes P7, P12, P16, P67, P68, P69, P71, P76, and P78
• Penn Avenue and Murtland Street serving routes 67, 69, and 71C
• Homewood Avenue and Thomas Street serving route 74

For more information, please visit the Pittsburgh Regional Transit website at: https://www.rideprt.org/.

There is a POGOH Bike Share station located at Tioga Street and N. Homewood Avenue. For more information on POGOH Bike Share, please visit: https://pogoh.com/system-map/.

Access and Accommodations

This event will be held outdoors and will take place rain or shine. Please dress accordingly and wear comfortable shoes. The total distance of the tour is 1.25 miles on concrete and asphalt with curb cuts and marked crossings along the tour route. This tour does not include stairs. There is no seating available on this tour.

Porta-potties are available in Westinghouse Park.

To request additional accommodations for this event, please submit your request in writing on the event registration form. A Shiftworks staff member will follow up with you directly about your request. We will attempt to implement requests for reasonable accommodations to the best of our ability, but cannot guarantee that all requests will be met. Alternate accommodations may be suggested by staff. All requests must be made by Monday, September 14, 2026.

Questions should be directed to ashley@shiftworkspgh.org.

Photography, Videography, and Other Documentation

Participants should be aware that photography, video recording, and/or other documentation of the event by Shiftworks, other attendees, or the media may take place during the event. Participants will have an opportunity to indicate if they choose to opt out of being included in event documentation, and our team will make reasonable efforts to accommodate these preferences.

Registration

This tour is free and open to the public; advance registration is required.