Decentralization of Pittsburgh
Not unlike most cities in the U.S., the rise in popularity of the automobile and the construction of the interstate highways from the 1950's through the 80's dramatically changed the structure of the city. Up until that time, the city was densely populated in its core and along its rivers and rail lines. But from World War II onward, the city was rapidly decentralized as the upper and rapidly growing middle classes were lured out of the city by shopping malls, sprawling lawns, the promise of safer neighborhoods, and the American Dream. Pittsburgh’s population plummeted from its peak in 1950 of about 676,000 to 305,000 in 2010, a more than 50% decrease (USCB 2014).
While the residents fled the city in droves over that 60 year period, much of Pittsburgh’s job and employment centers did the opposite. After the mass closing of steel mills that were scattered along the river banks of Allegheny County and beyond in the 1960's and 70's, Pittsburgh saw enormous growth in the education, technology and medical industries in the 1990's and 2000's in the Oakland neighborhood, thanks to the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University (University of Pittsburgh 2014). Also, towards the end of the twentieth century Pittsburgh also saw a commercial skyscraper boom downtown, most notably for the headquarters of PNC Financial, U.S. Steel Corporation, and PPG Industries (Cacace 2014).
While the residents fled the city in droves over that 60 year period, much of Pittsburgh’s job and employment centers did the opposite. After the mass closing of steel mills that were scattered along the river banks of Allegheny County and beyond in the 1960's and 70's, Pittsburgh saw enormous growth in the education, technology and medical industries in the 1990's and 2000's in the Oakland neighborhood, thanks to the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University (University of Pittsburgh 2014). Also, towards the end of the twentieth century Pittsburgh also saw a commercial skyscraper boom downtown, most notably for the headquarters of PNC Financial, U.S. Steel Corporation, and PPG Industries (Cacace 2014).