4 days ago
Pittsburgh leaders call for inclusion and zoning reform to spark growth
Pittsburgh business and workforce leaders are calling on locals to be more inclusive and open to newcomers if they want to see the city flourish.
Speakers, including the recently elected Democratic mayoral nominee Corey O'Connor, gave insight into their respective plans for growth last week at a panel organized by Pittsburgh Tomorrow. Discussion revolved around shifting from research to implementation, looking for ways to grow the population and revising city zoning laws to accommodate business development.
'We have all the ingredients here to build a great downtown, a thriving economy and make places where businesses want to grow,' Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato said during opening remarks. 'We're going to welcome the NFL draft next year, which will really put a global spotlight on this region and get people to experience the best parts of Pittsburgh, and maybe want to stay.'
Doug Heuck, the CEO of Pittsburgh Tomorrow, an organization focused on attracting more residents to the region, brought together politicians, workforce development stakeholders and business leaders alongside O'Connor and Innamorato, including the Pittsburgh Robotics Network 's Jennifer Apicella; director of economic development for Allegheny County Lauren Connelly; associate director of the Andy Warhol Museum Dan Law; and president and CEO of the Advanced Leadership Institute Evan Frazier.
The next step to help the city reach its full potential, they said, is to act on the obstacles that they already know exist. Many Pittsburgh leaders are already keenly aware of the issues facing the region, Apicella said, and forums and studies researching issues are now pointless.
'We know the problems,' Apicella said. 'It's time for action,' like more private-public partnerships.
Law applied the importance of collaboration to fundraising. As startups look to bring in more money, Law said the companies should form relationships with 'the 12 people in Pittsburgh who actually have money,' in order to grow.
Making Pittsburgh more welcoming to newcomers
Pittsburgh won't have a sustainable future if locals are not open to newcomers, panelists said.
Many conversations among Pittsburgh locals revolve around 'asking where someone went to high school,' Connelly said, and that leaves new residents feeling excluded.. An investment in keeping Pittsburgh's culture, Connelly said, can help. Law gave examples like dating, attending sports games, and experiencing local art.
The 'future must be inclusive,' Frazier said, and large swathes of the city need to be involved in pushing its economic development forward.
Pittsburgh's population has grown by 1.6% between 2020 and 2024, according to the Census Bureau, and panelists said there must be a plan to attract even more people to the region.
For example, panelists said that both Pittsburgh and the US were built on immigration, and that people moving to Pittsburgh from other countries are essential to pushing the city forward.
Immigrants make up about 9% of the city's population, but 9.2% of its labor force, according to regional data from the city. On top of that, a 2023 report by the American Immigration Council concluded that immigrants produced $3.5 billion in economic output, or roughly 11% of Pittsburgh's GDP.
Panelists did not comment on President Donald Trump's recent immigration policy proposals and how that could impact the region.
Changing zoning regulations to build up infrastructure
Zoning regulations, a contentious issue during this year's mayoral primary, look to be a cornerstone of the plan to revitalize Pittsburgh's economy, according to the panelists.
A key piece of O'Connor's campaign for the Democratic nomination for mayor was his plan to implement measures to revise Pittsburgh's zoning regulations. O'Connor touched on that during the panel, saying that if elected mayor, he wants to make getting a permit to build easier.
With over 11,000 abandoned properties, critics argue that Pittsburgh's zoning regulations have stagnated local development. Law put it more bluntly and suggested developers rapidly demolish ailing properties to allow for neighborhood beautification.
Some action related to zoning has already taken place as part of Innamorato's 500 in 500 plan, which aims to move 500 unhoused people into sustainable housing within 500 days. So far, 420 people have been placed in 'human-centered' housing, roughly a year into the program, she said.
The ultimate goal, the panelists said, is to bring the city together.
'The vision needs to be welcoming families, welcoming immigrants, welcoming new technology companies,' O'Connor said, 'so that they can expand.'
