Pittsburgh's Response to Pennsylvania's Decline

Birru, who also teaches urban planning, strongly agrees with the conclusion of a recent Brookings Institution's study, that the state of Pennsylvania "has spent its economic development money to encourage development in outlying areas at the expense of cities and older towns." In the Pittsburgh region, which according to Birru is struggling more than other parts of the state, he and others have pointed out reassuringly that the region was shifting its emphasis to reinvesting in existing communities and doing more joint planning." For Birru, the answer lies in good leadership.