A city that's trying harder

I recently had a chance to visit Fallingwater, Frank Lloyd Wright's masterpiece in southwestern Pennsylvania, and it was even more impressive in person that I had dreamed. More surprising, however, was the time I got to spend in nearby Pittsburgh.

Ahead of the trip, friends laughed when I said I was going to Pittsburgh for the weekend. Despite plenty of recent good press, the city often still provokes stories of pollution and declining industry. I recall a New Yorker consoling me after the Steelers beat the Seahawks in the 2005 Super Bowl: Pittsburgh NEEDS that win much more than Seattle, she said.

Image aside, during my short trip I found a livable city that's doing a lot of the right things for its future:

Mixing housing and commerce. We stayed in the new Bakery Square complex in the city's eastern end, where Google and a bunch of other tech companies mix with retail (mostly national chain, unfortunately) at a long-defunct Nabisco plant. According to locals, the project, which opened in 2010, has spurred development in the immediate area, connecting to surrounding neighborhoods. Much of Pittsburgh has narrow, walkable streets with close-together housing. We found shops lining the major streets, and many areas activated by pedestrians at all hours.

New development is only part of the success in the nearby East Liberty and Shadyside neighborhoods. I saw different building styles and heights, where each structure related differently to the street. No cookie-cutter zoning here: there was a six-story brick building, single-family houses, a 70s-era wood apartment with a lawn and a century-old brick building. That was all on one block and it worked. An architect in Pittsburgh said the city accommodates lots of design approaches because it's eager for the business. As we explored the city, we saw evidence of how this mixed development is making neighborhoods more lively north of downtown in the Mexican War Streets area and in the Southside.

Transit and mobility. Pittsburgh is moving toward bus rapid transit. I stopped by the East Liberty station on the MLK busway, a converted railbed that provides grade-separated trunk line to downtown for buses from across the eastern portion of the city. The 5-mile trip downtown takes 8 minutes. Also light rail travels from a downtown subway to the suburbs. This is all part of transit improvements over the last few decades. What's new is a variety of proposals to dramatically expand BRT.

Of course there's room for improvement. I cringed at the highways that block the city from its waterfront -- though they also make it easier to crisscross the city by car during off hours. Yet in an era where transportation alternative are increasingly important, Pittsburgh seems to be making big strides integrating transit, bike infrastructure and roads into more active neighborhoods. 

Multi-sector economy. On a macro level, one of the well-documented keys to PGH's success compared to, say, Detroit or Cleveland is its strong education, health and research sectors. The result is a regional magnet. For example, I talked young man who grew up in western Pennsylvania and moved to Pittsburgh because it's a young place with 16 universities within 9 miles. One of my lodestars was Urbanist Guide, which also makes a San Diego edition (not bad company, btw). Downtown has new residential construction and new corporate towers, and I found a lefty bookstore not far away.

Based on several conversations, reading and what I saw, Pittsburgh is doing a lot. It's not taking anything for granted. I wish other cities had the same proactive approach.