New Localism in Pittsburgh: Strategies For Advancing the City With the People In Mind

With the creation of New Local Realty, I’ve dedicated myself to spreading the community-minded ideals of New Localism throughout Pittsburgh, the city that I love. 

If you’re unaware, New Localism is the concept of spurring economic growth within a city without disenfranchising the people who live there. This is especially important in a city like Pittsburgh, a town currently in the midst of an economic and technological renaissance—but struggling to keep property values in line for citizens interested in becoming property owners themselves. 

Through New Local Realty, I aim to spread the ideals of New Localism so that housing remains affordable and attainable for everyone, regardless of their current job or salary. 

Discovering New Localism in Pittsburgh

I first came across the idea of New Localism while taking my kids to storytime at the Carnegie Library in Squirrel Hill. 

As I was walking my kids to the reading area, I noticed a nearby shelf loaded with economic books, and I grabbed one called The New Localism, by urban experts Bruce Katz and Jeremy Nowak. 

While the kids listened to their fairy tales, I was engrossed by Katz and Nowak’s writing. Here were two people explaining how to develop an entire city while addressing social, economic, and environmental issues.

I was absolutely absorbed. I tore through pages, soaking up each and every word. 

I took the book home that day, and I read it over and over again. 

The New Localism spoke to my very soul, and I immediately understood the power of the ideas within those pages. 

Well, I ended up keeping the book. One renewal turned into a missed due date, and a missed due date turned into a late fee, and that late fee added up as I continued to read and refer to the book in my professional life. 

Eventually, I bought the book from the library just so I could keep it forever. 

Applying the Ideas of New Localism in Pittsburgh

I spotted the ideas of New Localism in practice for the first time in Oakland. There, I found RevvOakland, a co-working space run by Avenu—which is part of the influential InnovatePGH network. 

Hosted in Oakland’s Innovation District packed with universities, hospitals, and restaurants, all three organizations pointed toward the same common goal: Transform the city of Pittsburgh through technological and economical innovation. 

While working in property management, I spotted the feedback loop of all of these pieces working together. As organizations like InnovatePGH (and all of the pieces underneath it) spur economic growth, they generate high-paying jobs for highly-educated individuals. 

While hiring locally is an option, Pittsburgh is a growing tech hub, and more and more talent is being sourced from out of town. As high-wage earners come into the city, they expect excellent housing, great restaurants, world-class entertainment, and efficient transportation. 

We’ve already seen this play out in neighborhoods like Lawrenceville and Bakery Square: What was once a rundown section of Pittsburgh has turned into highly-prized real estate that has pushed many long-time residents out of their homes, simply because they couldn’t afford it. 

But as these residents are displaced by high-income earners, these earners can invest in the businesses of their neighborhood, bringing in new restaurants, shops, and other businesses. And while that’s great for Pittsburgh in general, it’s terrible for the people who were squeezed out of the neighborhoods they once loved. 

New Localism demands that we all do better by creating balance. While we certainly want brilliant people to move to Pittsburgh, we should spur growth without disenfranchising our existing neighbors—the very people who helped to make Pittsburgh so great in the first place. 

The Creation of New Local Realty

I created New Local Realty to become a driving force in bringing the values of The New Localism into our community. 

One of the major reasons: I know exactly how painful it is to lose the community you once loved. I was born and raised in Greenfield, a Pittsburgh neighborhood packed with loving neighbors and friends. But then, as an adult, I suddenly found I was unable to continue living there. Squeezed out of the community I loved so much, I realized the devastation that comes with losing your home to financial hardship. 

That’s something no one should have to go through, but it will become more common with Pittsburgh’s forecasted rising home prices—unless we take action to halt it. 

New Local Realty works with the City of Pittsburgh, local and international investors, realtors, contractors, homebuyers, and renters in the pursuit of a singular goal: Keep housing prices affordable for everyone in Pittsburgh, not just high-income households!