Pittsburgh's Net Casts Wide

In today's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Bill Toland writes of a "Pittsburgh Manifesto" co-authored by bloggers Mike Madison, Jim Russell and Jim Morris.

Their goal? To capitalize upon the emotional attachment most ex-burghers feel for the Steel City and convert that emotion into progressive change -- in effect, self-improvement from the (geographic) outside-in.

Toland seems skeptical, if not completely dismissive, of the idea. It's easy to see why: how many times in the past 20 years have we heard how Pittsburgh is "on the cusp" of becoming a major player on the national stage, only to watch it backslide into mediocrity?

But the manifesto, high-minded as it may be, addresses the issue from an untapped (to the best of my knowledge) angle -- the collective resources and knowledge of those who have ventured beyond the Golden Triangle, and who now feel the need to infuse those gifts back into their point of origin.

In a nutshell, the manifesto can be summed up in its third paragraph:

The principles are general. They are animated by a single, overarching idea. The future of Pittsburgh depends on the region’s recognition of its dependence on other cities – and regions – and countries. And it depends on their corresponding recognition of their connections with Pittsburgh. In the 21st century, connectivity is key and king, and in that connected world, Pittsburgh has a unique asset, which we call the Pittsburgh diaspora: the thousands of people who live around the world yet who still identify closely with the Steel City. They grew up in Pittsburgh, worked in Pittsburgh, or have family in Pittsburgh. By identifying with Pittsburgh they energize it emotionally. We believe that it is possible to translate that emotional energy into economic energy. Pittsburgh can, should, and must recapture and benefit from the intellectual, economic, and cultural capital associated with the Pittsburgh diaspora. That capital is distributed geographically, but it can be invested locally.

Here at STBD, we're well aware that a large number of our viewers are either current Pittsburghers or ex-Pittsburghers who need to reconnect with images of their former hometown. Something about this city creates lifelong "citizens," regardless of where they move. Perhaps it's the city's almost New York-like dissection of "neighborhoods," its history of blue collar labor, or its geographic proximity to pretty much everywhere else that helps foster that kinship.

Or, perhaps it's the notion that Pittsburgh is forever almost a first-tier city, nearly able to run with the big boys (like Philadelphia, our more successful cousin across the state). Pittsburgh has an underdog quality about it, and that sense of having to prove its worth to the country at large is a hard image to shake. It doesn't erode simply by moving away -- and that's what the manifesto is hoping to capitalize on:

No matter where you live, if you're from Pittsburgh, you still call Pittsburgh home.

So... how, exactly, do we DO that? I think I sense a PodCamp Pittsburgh session in the making...

Photo by i_r_e_n_e via Flickr.