Pittsburgh Looks to Transit For Rebirth

"Can railcars and buses be engines of rebirth for those and other struggling communities? A growing body of planners, nationally and locally, thinks so."

"They have embraced a concept they call transit-oriented development, the aim of which is to create and sustain walkable neighborhoods with a mix of housing and retail development and transit hubs -- light-rail or busway stations -- at their core."

"The General Assembly in 2004 enacted legislation to promote development around transit hubs."

"It allows for creation of Transit Revitalization Investment Districts -- zones within a half-mile radius of those hubs -- where increased tax revenues from development can be earmarked for transit, infrastructure and streetscape improvements."

"Several efforts are under way locally to create such zones."