Four teams of graduate students have been selected as finalists in an Urban Land Institute competition to redevelop, on paper at least, 57 acres in the Strip District near the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.

		On the Net The finalists' proposals can be seen on the www.udcompetition.uli.org Web site.

Teams from Arizona State University, Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University/University of California at Berkeley will compete for the $50,000 grand prize. Three other teams -- two from Harvard and one from MIT -- have been selected as honorable mentions in the Gerald D. Hines Student Urban Design Competition.

The finalists were chosen from 56 submissions from 25 universities in the United States and Canada. They are looking at a tract of land, now mostly parking spaces, that runs from 11th Street to 21st Street in the Strip District. Its northern edge borders the Allegheny River and its southern edge, Smallman Street.

Joseph Brown, chairman of the jury that picked the finalists, called their ideas "not just idealistic, but real."

"They pulled together some truly impressive schemes that build upon the Strip District's ongoing revitalization, and which reflect a continuing fundamental shift in the way the waterfront is used throughout Pittsburgh," he said.

Here are some details of each of the proposals:

Arizona State seeks to connect the North Shore stadiums, the Downtown Cultural District and the Strip District. The plan includes a new anchor in the Strip for entertainment and nightlife. The team also proposed a waterfront plaza, a retail edge along Smallman Street, and office and residential development.

Harvard focuses on strengthening riverfront connections, bringing cultural district activities into the site near the convention center, building on the existing amenities near Smallman and creating a higher-end residential district on the riverfront near 21st Street. Proposed development includes a cultural center, an entertainment complex, a grocery store and an outdoor riverfront stage.

The MIT proposal offers a mix of amenities for different audiences, including a Strip cineplex, a river museum, specialty shops, robotics research space, live-work lofts, a marina, a small hotel and restaurants. It also offers a light-rail extension along Smallman Street.

The Stanford-University of California collaboration includes a new pedestrian bridge linking the Strip and the North Shore, a marina and performing arts center, an arts plaza with space to showcase local talent, a "world-class" sports facility for residents and Downtown commuters, residential housing and office space.

All four teams will have the opportunity to refine their proposals before March 26, when they will present their final plans to jury members during a public forum, to be held at the Senator John Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center.

Before then, one member of each team will be brought to Pittsburgh to tour the site. The March 26 forum will end with the selection of the winning team.

There's no obligation on the part of the city to implement any of the revitalization plans, which are supposed to be practical and workable.