Pittsburgh: A Successful City?

Pittsburgh, PA, was once the crown jewel of American heavy industry. During the 19th and 20th centuries, the city was an undisputed leader in steel production, boasting some of the largest companies and wealthiest individuals in the world. Its abundance of manufacturing jobs also attracted diverse migrants seeking a better life. But when the US steel industry collapsed in the 1980s, major companies fled Pittsburgh, along with wealthier residents and much of the middle class. The city and surrounding towns plunged into poverty, and “Steel City” lost a crucial piece of its identity. By 2022, Pittsburgh appeared to be thriving again. Major research institutions like Carnegie Mellon University drove the city’s transition to an “eds and meds” economy. With its profusion of technical talent, Pittsburgh also developed industry clusters around advanced technologies like robotics and lured technology giants like Google and Amazon. Yet this newfound wealth did not extend to all corners of the city. Infrastructure was crumbling, poverty rates remained high, and Black residents had worse outcomes than both white residents and their counterparts in many other cities. Moreover, fiscal challenges and fragmented governance made it difficult for local leadership to implement solutions to these complex problems. Ed Gainey, Pittsburgh’s newly elected and first Black mayor, considered objectives for his four-year term. How could he ensure both growth and shared prosperity? Which problems should he tackle first, and who should be at the table? How would he measure progress?