A new direction for Pittsburgh
Regeneration after the steel industry's collapse has turned the region into a better place, unrecognizable to anyone in 1983.
From 'Hell with the lid off' to a cool place
How cool is Pittsburgh? Way cooler than folks would have predicted 30 years ago, when steel's collapse hit the region hard.
Penguins, Steelers reach the top; will Pirates follow?
Pittsburgh's sports teams have scored big, bringing plenty of attention and even more pride to the city.
Region moves from heavy industry to medicine, tech, energy
Carnegie Mellon University has led the transition from a manufacturing hub to Silicon Valley of the East.
Will we still be Pittsburgh in 2043, or only more so?
Look how far the region has come in the past 30 years; imagine what could happen in the next 30.
Locals say problems still seem the same
Sixteen people answer the question, "What is the most important problem in the Pittsburgh area?"
About the Series
Thirty years ago, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette produced a special section -- "How's Pittsburgh: A Portrait of an American City in the spring of 1983." It was a tale of Rust Belt woe. The steel industry had collapsed, leaving Depression-level unemployment and abandoned mills in its wake. Fifty thousand people a year were fleeing the area. What a difference 30 years makes. In a four-part weekly series, the Post-Gazette looks at 30 changes that have taken place over the past three decades -- and where we go from here.
-- It began with a column on May 30, 1983
-- 30 Years/30 Changes" ebook, available Nov. 5
Going Places
-- Airport is hit hard by upheaval
-- Urban rivers have been reclaimed by boaters, bass and other biota
-- Region now boasts an extensive network of trails, growing infrastructure
-- Professional sports teams get new homes that elevate the experience for fans
-- Parks are more interactive, accessible than ever before
-- Downtown takes on a more residential feel
-- Planes, trains and (high-occupancy) automobiles
-- New roads offer greater access but contribute to sprawl, gridlock
-- Eras come to a close, new options open
Institutions and Industry
-- Black-and-gold city goes eco-green
-- From heavy industry to medicine, tech energy
-- Film industry a becoming attraction
-- PNC eats up market share, boosts Downtown building
-- Riverfront property now a hot commodity
-- UPMC becomes regional power, gains international attention
-- Allegheny County's form of government has completely changed
-- 'Fracking' becomes a household word
-- Fewer students here but more school choices
Culture
-- Let the casino games begin
-- Newspapers shuffle, but TV remains stable
-- Cultural scene has burgeoned dramatically since 1983
-- Restaurants become community magnets as well as drivers of development
-- Pittsburgh has emerged as one of the USA's Geek Cities
-- Cultural Trust a major driver of revitalization
AT TROUBLED TIMES
These pages, part of a Post-Gazette special edition published on May 30, 1983, provide readers with snapshot of life here in an uncertain era.
