OT: Fixing Pittsburgh Population Drain

[SVPanther]

Following up on interesting Philly Mag thread - just throw out some ideas to address my beloved 'Burgh' population decline (something more than having beer blasts in Market Square on Fridays).

What are your ideas?

1. Commit to living in Pittsburgh for 5 years after any college/grad school, and we'll pay your student loans for 5 years.

2. Invite any and all refugees from anywhere in the world, and they get 5 years free housing.

3. Money bonus for each kid born in Pittsburgh payable at the end of 5 years, so long as they still live in Pittsburgh.

4. "Make a Baby Day"! Of course, this is a variation of the holiday in Russia (where they lost essentially an entire generation). Have fireworks at the point the night before (Pittsburghers love their fireworks) to kick things off! Sure to get plenty of good pub!

All I got for now. You?

 

[President Stache]

I think more sex usually works

 

[Big Marty1]

As the population recedes the City

 

[Big Marty1]

Gets better.

 

[Big Marty1]

It's more alive now than ever. I understand the tax revenue issue but having more babies or artificially importing folks is a questionable strategy.

 

[Big Marty1]

IMO

 

[BuffetParrothead]

Following up on interesting Philly Mag thread - just throw out some ideas to address my beloved 'Burgh' population decline (something more than having beer blasts in Market Square on Fridays).

What are your ideas?

1. Commit to living in Pittsburgh for 5 years after any college/grad school, and we'll pay your student loans for 5 years.

2. Invite any and all refugees from anywhere in the world, and they get 5 years free housing.

3. Money bonus for each kid born in Pittsburgh payable at the end of 5 years, so long as they still live in Pittsburgh.

4. "Make a Baby Day"! Of course, this is a variation of the holiday in Russia (where they lost essentially an entire generation). Have fireworks at the point the night before (Pittsburghers love their fireworks) to kick things off! Sure to get plenty of good pub!

All I got for now. You?

To quote Big Marty1 its more alive than ever!

Classic LIBERAL thinking!
Terrible Ideas all rooted in "big government give aways " all of which will have a long term negative impact and bankrupt the city of Pittsburgh and the surrounding areas.

Terrible idea # 2 will chase the quality people who you want to come and stay in the city to leave. Pittsburgh will end up with a population distribution like France who has no idea who lives in that country anymore!

Here's how you get people to come to your city.
Use the North Dakota model of creating good high paying jobs with benefits by expanding and attracting quality business to the city. North Dakota did this with the energy sector and went from bust to boom!

Pittsburgh is doing this in a different way and they're seeing positive results.

Pittsburgh was just ranked ( 2016) # 1 by Money Magazine as one of the best places to live in the county.
Growing business environment
Lots of good jobs in many industries
(Alcoa is moving back to the city)
Large medical business community
Excellent healthcare services
Its a bueatiful city
Lots of recreational opportunities ( biking, running, walking, hiking, fishing, hunting, etc)
Great Universities & U sports
Pro sports teams with solid committed owners
Excellent transportation system / buses/ airport/ cabs/ Uber
Quality housing
Affordable housing
Lots of great restraurants/bars
Quality airport
Acess to major highways & transportation systems
etc.

I'm not sure you have your fact straight. Our son purchased his first home last year in the $ 250k-275k range last year in a good area. The Pittsburgh housing market was and is a sellers market. He looked at homes, took a few days time to think about the houses, and they were gone in days!

I believe Pittsburgh is a city with a great future!

 

[HailToPitt725]

I'm not sure they need to do anything. Finally back on the incline for the first time in a while and will only get better with more development coming in the tech and meds area.

 

[RaleighPittFan]

Burn more fossil fuels. People who moved away for warmer climates would be inclined to more back if the weather improved.

Just a thought.

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

Improve schools in the city, so people stop fleeing.

We love living in the city, and our son starts kindergarten in the fall, pittsburgh public.

I'm about the only person in my hospital with a kid who actually lives in the city.
It's bizarre

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

To quote Big Marty1 its more alive than ever!

Classic LIBERAL thinking!
Terrible Ideas all rooted in "big government give aways " all of which will have a long term negative impact and bankrupt the city of Pittsburgh and the surrounding areas.

Terrible idea # 2 will chase the quality people who you want to come and stay in the city to leave. Pittsburgh will end up with a population distribution like France who has no idea who lives in that country anymore!

Here's how you get people to come to your city.
Use the North Dakota model of creating good high paying jobs with benefits by expanding and attracting quality business to the city. North Dakota did this with the energy sector and went from bust to boom!

Pittsburgh is doing this in a different way and they're seeing positive results.

Pittsburgh was just ranked ( 2016) # 1 by Money Magazine as one of the best places to live in the county.
Growing business environment
Lots of good jobs in many industries
(Alcoa is moving back to the city)
Large medical business community
Excellent healthcare services
Its a bueatiful city
Lots of recreational opportunities ( biking, running, walking, hiking, fishing, hunting, etc)
Great Universities & U sports
Pro sports teams with solid committed owners
Excellent transportation system / buses/ airport/ cabs/ Uber
Quality housing
Affordable housing
Lots of great restraurants/bars
Quality airport
Acess to major highways & transportation systems
etc.

I'm not sure you have your fact straight. Our son purchased his first home last year in the $ 250k-275k range last year in a good area. The Pittsburgh housing market was and is a sellers market. He looked at homes, took a few days time to think about the houses, and they were gone in days!

I believe Pittsburgh is a city with a great future!

Where did he buy?

 

[Revenge Of The Noise]

Gets better.

Burma Shave

 

[OaklandPanther139]

<<<
2. Invite any and all refugees from anywhere in the world, and they get 5 years free housing.>>

The end result of this path is saving the population of the city (maybe if you import enough), but changing everything that makes it what it is.

Also, offering free housing wouldn't exactly fly when you have people living in this country can't pay rent. Why should so called refugees get pass when leaving so many behind in country as is

 

[pittdan77]

In the next ten years, a very large portion of PGH's population will die off. Pennsylvania as a whole is "old". I'm not sure doing anything to "fix" it will work. You can't fix weather or Yinzer attitudes. You either love it or hate it. That's Pittsburgh.

 

[OaklandPanther139]

In the next ten years, a very large portion of PGH's population will die off. Pennsylvania as a whole is "old". I'm not sure doing anything to "fix" it will work. You can't fix weather or Yinzer attitudes. You either love it or hate it. That's Pittsburgh.

Fixing it involves letting UPMC CMU and Pitt being allowed to buy what they want in this city....not bike lanes. Will never happen so I'm sure we'll be told we need to import some economic migrants disguised as refugees to save us by those that know better.

 

[pittdan77]

Fixing it involves letting UPMC CMU and Pitt being allowed to buy what they want in this city....not bike lanes. Will never happen so I'm sure we'll be told we need to import some economic migrants disguised as refugees to save us by those that know better.

No idea what's right but I also am not ready to "buy in" to the notion that Pittsburgh is in some sort of trouble either. Especially coming from a Philly publication in a city that is always trying to funnel more revenue to that hell hole.

Pittsburgh is at the mercy of Philly. Not nearly as badly as many rural areas that get left with the scraps but you don't have to spend more than ten minutes in Harrisburg to figure out which part of the state is running the show.

 

[HailtoPitt]

Improve schools in the city, so people stop fleeing.

We love living in the city, and our son starts kindergarten in the fall, pittsburgh public.

I'm about the only person in my hospital with a kid who actually lives in the city.
It's bizarre

Too many idiots in charge of PPS. I still can't believe their Superintendent hire.

 

[OaklandPanther139]

Too many idiots in charge of PPS. I still can't believe their Superintendent hire.

I can, he appears to have a key attribute....

 

[pitt-girl]

Improve schools in the city, so people stop fleeing.

We love living in the city, and our son starts kindergarten in the fall, pittsburgh public.

I'm about the only person in my hospital with a kid who actually lives in the city.
It's bizarre

I think you answered your own question. A number of suburb school systems are extremely strong K-12.

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

I think you answered your own question. A number of suburb school systems are extremely strong K-12.

Depends on your view.living 40 minutes Away isn't living in the city

Frankly plenty of good schools in the city,
But many folks aren't comfortable with it because of demographics

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

Improve schools in the city, so people stop fleeing.

We love living in the city, and our son starts kindergarten in the fall, pittsburgh public.

I'm about the only person in my hospital with a kid who actually lives in the city.
It's bizarre

Well you are a hero. So you got that going for you.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

In the next ten years, a very large portion of PGH's population will die off. Pennsylvania as a whole is "old". I'm not sure doing anything to "fix" it will work. You can't fix weather or Yinzer attitudes. You either love it or hate it. That's Pittsburgh.

I disagree. It is flipping. The old yinzer mentality keeps on dying off. The biggest issue I have with Pittsburgh is it needs more people moving in (whether natives or immigrants) and the locals need to get out of tahn more than their weekly pilgrammage to OCMD or Myrtle Beach n' at.

But the city has changed so much in the 20 years or so since I first left (for the better), and I wish it was like this when I was 20-25 years younger.

The challenge now for the city is as the "rehabilitate" these areas like Lawrenceville and the Strip, and now Garfield and E'Sliberty, and the downtown CBD, where higher income folks are relocating, is the gentrification and pricing out of those who have lived there the past 40 years. It is a difficult balance that all cities face.

 

[PantherO]

Has anyone seen the Mayor's ads for re-election? I think that says it all. Sadly, if anyone watched the Mayoral debate, that would be another reason to move out.

 

[BuffetParrothead]

Too many idiots in charge of PPS. I still can't believe their Superintendent hire.

It happens in every school system.
Instead of finding smart business oriented people for Superintendents the school systems promote teachers to principals and principals to superintendants over and over again primarly based on senority not compentencies!

I know and play golf with the Superintendent of our school system. He retired making $ 175k, he was a career educator, good at that , has a great personality, everyone like him, but he has zero business sense.

To make things worse typical board of eds aren't the brightest bulbs in the pack!

 

[HailtoPitt]

It happens in every school system.
Instead of finding smart business oriented people for Superintendents the school systems promote teachers to principals and principals to superintendants over and over again primarly based on senority not compentencies!

I know and play golf with the Superintendent of our school system. He retired making $ 175k, he was a career educator, good at that , has a great personality, everyone like him, but he has zero business sense.

To make things worse typical board of eds aren't the brightest bulbs in the pack!

The most recent hire was especially egregious. Unbelievable, really. Makes the Pitt coaching search process look good.

 

[Panther Parrothead]

Following up on interesting Philly Mag thread - just throw out some ideas to address my beloved 'Burgh' population decline (something more than having beer blasts in Market Square on Fridays).

What are your ideas?

1. Commit to living in Pittsburgh for 5 years after any college/grad school, and we'll pay your student loans for 5 years.

2. Invite any and all refugees from anywhere in the world, and they get 5 years free housing.

3. Money bonus for each kid born in Pittsburgh payable at the end of 5 years, so long as they still live in Pittsburgh.

4. "Make a Baby Day"! Of course, this is a variation of the holiday in Russia (where they lost essentially an entire generation). Have fireworks at the point the night before (Pittsburghers love their fireworks) to kick things off! Sure to get plenty of good pub!

All I got for now. You?

The simple solutions are weekly fireworks nights (complete with random drawings for bobbleheads), with free concerts by The Clarks and Donnie Iris & the Cruisers.

But seriously, it was The University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University that prevented Pittsburgh from becoming Detroit, so why doesn't the city cut them more breaks and work with them even more than they do now?

Pittsburgh's universities remain the city's best asset; it's foolish to not follow their lead even more - especially when such cooperation leads to job creation.

 

[Slick Manager of Champs]

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

Well you are a hero. So you got that going for you.

Seem applicable to the topic of the thread.

 

[Rugger]

Improve schools in the city, so people stop fleeing.

We love living in the city, and our son starts kindergarten in the fall, pittsburgh public.

I'm about the only person in my hospital with a kid who actually lives in the city.
It's bizarre

Upgrading city schools would be a major factor in quality population growth. You can build all the lofts and apartments you want downtown but very few kids will be living there. Once these people decide to start a family, they move to the suburbs with good school districts.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

Upgrading city schools would be a major factor in quality population growth. You can build all the lofts and apartments you want downtown but very few kids will be living there. Once these people decide to start a family, they move to the suburbs with good school districts.

What is interesting is that it obviously can be done. I am guessing the quality of education at Allderdice HS is probably on par with the tonier Pittsburgh suburbs. So it can be done.

 

[SVPanther]

Upgrading city schools would be a major factor in quality population growth. You can build all the lofts and apartments you want downtown but very few kids will be living there. Once these people decide to start a family, they move to the suburbs with good school districts.

Strawman. The entire region is losing population in a major way (ok, Butler Co +1%, but you get my drift).
You guys are getting off topic and going Yinzer! Give me solutions!

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

Strawman. The entire region is losing population in a major way (ok, Butler Co +1%, but you get my drift).
You guys are getting off topic and going Yinzer! Give me solutions!

Is bigger better? Serious question. Is bigger better? I think if you have a stagnant population, but it is educated, has decent income, vibrant, etc.....fine. Unless you are jn China, most areas have an equilibrium where the city and region is going to be what it is going to be.

Oh, you want a solution? Get rid of the Unions. I am kidding. Only half so.

 

[SVPanther]

Is bigger better? Serious question. Is bigger better? I think if you have a stagnant population, but it is educated, has decent income, vibrant, etc.....fine. Unless you are jn China, most areas have an equilibrium where the city and region is going to be what it is going to be.

Oh, you want a solution? Get rid of the Unions. I am kidding. Only half so.

Can't fund basic city services without tax revenue. How you shrink infrastructure designed for 3x the number of actual residents, is beyond me. Pittsburgh needs more people.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

Can't fund basic city services without tax revenue. How you shrink infrastructure designed for 3x the number of actual residents, is beyond me. Pittsburgh needs more people.

If ya got an hour or two......I can explain why it wouldn't.

 

[SVPanther]

Speak to me. If you need a couple of hours to explain it, you got explaining to do. Seriously?

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

Speak to me. If you need a couple of hours to explain it, you got explaining to do. Seriously?

Pens game. Priorities. But what I have to say is EXACTLY what areas like Pittsburgh need to do to survive and thrive.

 

[SVPanther]

Pens game. Priorities. But what I have to say is EXACTLY what areas like Pittsburgh need to do to survive and thrive.

Love Pens. Can't bear to watch game. Hoping for the best. Expecting the worst.

 

[BuffetParrothead]

Love Pens. Can't bear to watch game. Hoping for the best. Expecting the worst.

 

[BuffetParrothead]

Can't fund basic city services without tax revenue. How you shrink infrastructure designed for 3x the number of actual residents, is beyond me. Pittsburgh needs more people.

The cities business tax base is expanding for example Alcoa is moving back to Pittsburgh.
As industries expand ( healthcare, medical /research, energy, basic manufacturing) the quality jobs will be filled by quality people and Pittsburgh and the surrounding areas will be a great place to live and raise a family.
Check out the Money Magazine article citing Pittsburgh as the # 1 city to live in!
You're a the glass is half empty loser who doesn't or wont say a good thing about anything especially Pittsburgh!

 

[tps48]

Following up on interesting Philly Mag thread - just throw out some ideas to address my beloved 'Burgh' population decline (something more than having beer blasts in Market Square on Fridays).

What are your ideas?

1. Commit to living in Pittsburgh for 5 years after any college/grad school, and we'll pay your student loans for 5 years.

2. Invite any and all refugees from anywhere in the world, and they get 5 years free housing.

3. Money bonus for each kid born in Pittsburgh payable at the end of 5 years, so long as they still live in Pittsburgh.

4. "Make a Baby Day"! Of course, this is a variation of the holiday in Russia (where they lost essentially an entire generation). Have fireworks at the point the night before (Pittsburghers love their fireworks) to kick things off! Sure to get plenty of good pub!

All I got for now. You?