Pittsburgh's 'Sociable City Plan' Balances Nightlife Impacts

Following a pilot project tested on the city's South Side, Pittsburgh is working toward expanding its "Sociable City Plan" to four additional neighborhoods in need of balancing unruly behavior with the benefits of an active nightlife scene.

1 minute read

September 22, 2014, 10:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Diana Nelson Jones reports on the Sociable City Plan, which Pittsburgh developed along with the Responsible Hospitality Institute. Described by Nelson Jones as a "blueprint for protecting quality of life without squelching the economic and social benefits of nightlife," the goal of the plan "is a focused response by teams of building and health inspectors, police, business and neighborhood organizations to help restaurant and bar owners minimize liability, damage and the need for enforcement."

The program was tested in the last year on the South Side, which has been "notorious for more than a decade as numbers of young drinkers and abusive behaviors have escalated."

"Many of those ideas used on the South Side will be rolled out as a pilot in Lawrenceville, Oakland and Market Square, Downtown, but the lessons learned can be tweaked or replicated across the city," according to the article's sources.

Monday, September 22, 2014 in Pittsburg Post-Gazette

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

Redlining map of Oakland and Berkeley.

Rethinking Redlining

For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

May 15, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

May 14, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Front of Walmart store with sign.

Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network

The company plans to install electric car chargers at most of its stores by 2030.

May 7, 2025 - Inc.

Aerial view of Albuquerque, New Mexico at sunset.

New State Study Suggests Homelessness Far Undercounted in New Mexico

An analysis of hospital visit records provided a more accurate count than the annual point-in-time count used by most agencies.

May 16 - Source NM

Close-up on white bike helmet lying on pavement with blurred red bike on its side in background abd black car visible behind it.

Michigan Bills Would Stiffen Penalties for Deadly Crashes

Proposed state legislation would close a ‘legal gap’ that lets drivers who kill get away with few repercussions.

May 16 - Wood TV 8

Muni bus on red painted bus-only lane in downtown San Francisco, California.

Report: Bus Ridership Back to 86 Percent of Pre-Covid Levels

Transit ridership around the country was up by 85 percent in all modes in 2024.

May 16 - Mass Transit