New professionals in a deindustrialized city: Examining models of urban development in Pittsburgh as it responds to the new economy

Built on interviews with professionals who have recently located to the city of Pittsburgh, this project explores the traditional growth machine model and the new economy model of urban development in a deindustrialized city as it responds to a changing economy. As a deindustrialized city that has experienced both dramatic manufacturing loss and significant revitalization, Pittsburgh provides an excellent case study for examining both models of urban growth. The project examines three questions -- "What aspects of Pittsburgh do professionals that have recently located in Pittsburgh cite as reasons for investing in the city?", "What development projects or efforts in Pittsburgh have contributed to the aspects that recent locators cite as reasons for their investment?", and "To what extent do the projects that are cited by recent investors in Pittsburgh conform to either the traditional growth machine model or the new economy model, and what does this imply for the future of these models in urban theory?" Incorporating quotes from these interviews, this case study demonstrates that these professionals were primarily drawn to Pittsburgh through the perception of a unique and desirable employment opportunity with institutions that they believed were excelling and that respondents also noted an appreciation for the services and amenities Pittsburgh offered. The discussion then moves on to an illumination of several development projects that have contributed to the availability of the jobs, amenities, and services to which the respondents referred. Finally, the project demonstrates that, especially in a deindustrialized city, aspects of both the traditional growth machine model and the new economy model are relevant to any investigation.