• SUBSCRIBE
  • LOG IN
  • LOG OUT
  • REGISTER
  • MY PROFILE
  • Obituaries
  • Events
  • Jobs
  • Real Estate
  • Cars
  • Classified
  • PG Store
Post-Gazette.com
December 15, 2019 11:31 PM

7-day Forecast
  • Home
  • News
  • Local
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • A & E
  • Life
  • Business
  • Contact Us
Advertisement
PITTSBURGH THEN & NOW
30 Years
Click on the image to explore a map and photos of the Pittsburgh region's transformation -- then and now.


30 YEARS LATER - OVERVIEW
Pittsburgh region's mental health system under siege

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.



MOST LIVABLE CITY
Pittsburgh region's mental health system under siege

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.



A SPORTS POWERHOUSE
Pittsburgh region's mental health system under siege

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.



TECH TRANSFORMED
Pittsburgh region's mental health system under siege

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.



LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
Pittsburgh region's mental health system under siege

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.



BY THE NUMBERS

left
  • Comparing costs of everyday life Comparing costs of everyday life
  • Downtown's skyline changes Downtown's skyline changes
  • Region's largest employers Region's largest employers
  • Comparison of air quality Comparison of air quality
  • Pittsburgh's largest foundations Pittsburgh's largest foundations
  • Poll: Most important problems Poll: Most important problems
  • Drain on population Drain on population
  • Hospital beds shrink Hospital beds shrink
  • Falling school enrollment Falling school enrollment
right

IN OUR OWN WORDS
Pittsburgh region's mental health system under siege

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


People


-- Women make progress in leadership
-- Economy, students, quality of life Downtown spur regional growth
-- While the least international of large metro areas, immigration has changed
-- Numbers dwindle, but faith groups are more diverse


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


A LOOK BACK
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.


Advertisement

PG Products

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

  • HOME
  • NEWS
  • LOCAL
  • SPORTS
  • OPINION
  • A & E
  • LIFE
  • BUSINESS
  • VIDEO
  • PHOTO
  • CLASSIFIEDS
  • JOBS
  • CIRCULARS
  • CARS
  • REAL ESTATE
  • PG STORE
  • WEDDINGS
  • Site Map
  • Media Kit
  • About Us
  • RSS Feeds RSS Feeds
  • Technical Help?
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • PG Sites:

  • Sports Blogs
  • PowerSource
  • Staff Blogs
  • Community Voices
  • Early Returns
  • Pittsburgh Mom
  • The Digs
  • Special Projects
  • Plate
  • Pets
  • Social Media:

  • Twitter:
  •   News
  •   Customer Care
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Google+
  • Feedback
  • Help:

  • Subscriber services
  • Online support center
  • Products and services
  • Today’s PGe
  • Contact Us

  • Subscribe:

  • Home Delivery
  • Digital Subscriptions
  • Email Newsletters

Copyright
©
1997—2019 PG Publishing Co., Inc. All Rights Reserved.