Reinvention .281973.E2.80.93present.29 History of Pittsburgh

1 reinvention (1973–present)

1.1 collapse of steel
1.2 corporations
1.3 higher education
1.4 civic improvements
1.5 pittsburgh today

reinvention (1973–present)

downtown pittsburgh in july 1974



a similar picture of downtown pittsburgh mt. washington in december 2005

during 1970s , 1980s, u.s. steel industry came under increasing pressure foreign competition , american mini-mills had lower overhead using salvaged steel. manufacture in germany , japan booming. foreign mills , factories, built latest technology, benefited lower labor costs , powerful government-corporate partnerships, allowing them capture increasing market shares of steel , steel products. separately, demand steel softened due recessions, 1973 oil crisis, , increasing use of other materials. era began ridc s building on basics report in 1974.

collapse of steel

free market pressures exposed u.s. steel industry s own internal problems, included now-outdated manufacturing base had been over-expanded in 1950s , 1960s, hostile management , labor relationships, inflexibility of united steelworkers regarding wage cuts , work-rule reforms, oligarchic management styles, , poor strategic planning both unions , management. in particular, pittsburgh faced own challenges. local coke , iron ore deposits depleted, raising material costs. large mills in pittsburgh region faced competition newer, more profitable mini-mills , non-union mills lower labor costs.

beginning in late 1970s , 1980s, steel industry in pittsburgh began implode along deindustrialization of u.s. following 1981–1982 recession, example, mills laid off 153,000 workers. steel mills began shut down. these closures caused ripple effect, railroads, mines, , other factories across region lost business , closed. local economy suffered depression, marked high unemployment , underemployment, laid-off workers took lower-paying, non-union jobs. pittsburgh suffered elsewhere in rust belt declining population, , many other u.s. cities, saw white flight suburbs.

in 1991 homestead works demolished, replaced in 1999 waterfront shopping mall. direct result of loss of mill employment, number of people living in homestead dwindled. time of 2000 census, borough population 3,569. borough began financially recovering in 2002, enlarging retail tax base.

corporations

top corporate headquarters such gulf oil (1985), koppers (1987), westinghouse (1996) , rockwell international (1989) bought out larger firms, loss of high paying, white collar headquarters , research personnel (the brain drain ) massive charitable contributions home based companies local cultural , educational institutions. @ time of gulf oil merger in 1985 largest buyout in world history involving company no. 7 on fortune 500 6 years earlier. on 1,000 high paying white collar corporate , phd research jobs lost in 1 day.

today, there no steel mills within city limits of pittsburgh, although manufacture continues @ regional mills, such edgar thomson works in nearby braddock.

higher education

pittsburgh home 3 universities included in under-graduate , graduate school national rankings, university of pittsburgh, carnegie mellon university , duquesne university. carnegie mellon university , university of pittsburgh had evolved in mid-20th century along lines followed needs of heavy industries financed , directed development. collapse of steel put pressure on 2 universities reinvent research centers in science , technology acted pull regional economy toward high-technology fields. other regional collegiate institutions include robert morris university, chatham university, carlow university, point park university, la roche college, pittsburgh theological seminary, trinity school ministry (an episcopal seminary) , community college of allegheny county.

beginning in 1980s, pittsburgh s economy shifted heavy industry services, medicine, higher education, tourism, banking, corporate headquarters, , high technology. today, top 2 private employers in city university of pittsburgh medical center (26,000 employees) , west penn allegheny health system (13,000 employees).

civic improvements

despite economic turmoil, civic improvements continued. in mid-1970s, arthur p. ziegler, jr. , pittsburgh history , landmarks foundation (landmarks) wanted demonstrate historic preservation used drive economic development without use of eminent domain or public subsidies. landmarks acquired former terminal buildings , yards of pittsburgh , lake erie railroad, 1-mile (1.6 km) long property @ base of mt. washington facing city of pittsburgh. in 1976, landmarks developed site mixed-use historic adaptive reuse development gave foundation opportunity put urban planning principles practice. aided initial generous gift allegheny foundation in 1976, landmarks adapted 5 historic pittsburgh , lake erie railroad buildings new uses , added hotel, dock gateway clipper fleet, , parking areas. shops, offices, restaurants, , entertainment anchor historic riverfront site on south shore of monongahela river, opposite golden triangle (pittsburgh). station square pittsburgh s premiere attraction generating on 3,500,000 visitors year. reflects $100 million investment sources, lowest public cost , highest taxpayer return of major renewal project in pittsburgh region since 1950s. in 1994, pittsburgh history , landmarks foundation sold station square in forest city enterprises created endowment support restoration efforts , educational programs. each year staff , docents of pittsburgh history , landmarks foundation introduce more 10,000 people – teachers, students, adults, , visitors – architectural heritage of pittsburgh region , value of historic preservation.

during period, pittsburgh became national model community development, through work of activists such dorothy mae richardson, founded neighborhood housing services in 1968, organization became model nationwide neighborworks america. activists such richardson shared aim of landmarks rehabilitate pittsburgh s existing built landscape rather demolish , redevelop.

in 1985, j & l steel site on north side of monongahela river cleared , publicly subsidized high technology center built. pittsburgh technology center, home many major technology companies, planning major expansion in area soon. in 1980s, renaissance ii urban revitalization created numerous new structures, such ppg place. in 1990s, former sites of homestead, duquesne , south side j&l mills cleared. in 1992, new terminal @ pittsburgh international airport opened. in 2001, aging 3 rivers stadium replaced heinz field , pnc park, despite being rejected voter referendum.

also in 1985, al michaels revealed national tv audience how pittsburgh had transformed industrial rust belt city.

pittsburgh today

present-day pittsburgh, diversified economy, low cost of living, , rich infrastructure education , culture, has been ranked 1 of world s livable cities. tourism has boomed in pittsburgh 3,000 new hotel rooms opening since 2004 , holding consistently higher occupancy in comparable cities. meanwhile, apple, google, uber, , intel have joined 1,600 technology firms choosing operate out of pittsburgh. region has become leader in green environmental design, movement exemplified city s convention center. in last twenty years region has seen small influential group of asian immigrants, including indian sub-continent.