Pittsburgh; A city in Transition

.PITTSBURGH, A CITY IN TRANSITION;

a review of David Harvey’s “Rebel Cities” and the civic organizational structure in the city of Pittsburgh

Eleni Katrini - PhD Student Carnegie Mellon University

Architect NTUA - MS Sustainable Design Carnegie Mellon University www.elenikatrini.com - ekatrini@andrew.cmu.edu

.Rust Belt + Pittsburgh

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RUST BELT

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PITTSBURGH !

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.Pittsburgh the rise...

BOAT BUILDING INDUSTRY

1790

1810 1814

GOLDEN AGE

1861

1870

1910

IRON INDUSTRY + OIL REFINING http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wqYMjAw8AGk/T6DKeUi53VI/AAAAAAAAAbI/Y_N5sB1Qs90/s1600/068.jpg http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wqYMjAw8AGk/T6DKeUi53VI/AAAAAAAAAbI/Y_N5sB1Qs90/s1600/068.jpg http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/lakecountrycollector/pittsburgh-revealed.jpg

60%

.Pittsburgh the rise...

BOAT BUILDING INDUSTRY

OF THE US STEEL INDUSTRY

GOLDEN AGE

1,000,000 STEEL CITY

1790

1810 1814

1861

1870

1910

IRON INDUSTRY + OIL REFINING http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wqYMjAw8AGk/T6DKeUi53VI/AAAAAAAAAbI/Y_N5sB1Qs90/s1600/068.jpg http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wqYMjAw8AGk/T6DKeUi53VI/AAAAAAAAAbI/Y_N5sB1Qs90/s1600/068.jpg http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/lakecountrycollector/pittsburgh-revealed.jpg http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/93/Pittsburgh_Fowler_1902.png

RESIDENTS IN THE GREATER COUNTY AREA

.Pittsburgh the rise...

BOAT BUILDING INDUSTRY

GOLDEN AGE

ANDREW CARNEGIE

1790

1810 1814

1861

1870

ANDREW MELLON

1910

IRON INDUSTRY + OIL REFINING http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wqYMjAw8AGk/T6DKeUi53VI/AAAAAAAAAbI/Y_N5sB1Qs90/s1600/068.jpg http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wqYMjAw8AGk/T6DKeUi53VI/AAAAAAAAAbI/Y_N5sB1Qs90/s1600/068.jpg http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/lakecountrycollector/pittsburgh-revealed.jpg http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/93/Pittsburgh_Fowler_1902.png

HENRY J HEINZ

HENRY C FRICK

GEORGE WESTINGHOUSE

.Pittsburgh the rise...

BOAT BUILDING INDUSTRY

GOLDEN AGE

ANDREW CARNEGIE

1790

1810 1814

1861

1870

ANDREW MELLON

HENRY J HEINZ

HENRY C FRICK

1910

IMMIGRANTS FROM EASTERN + SOUTHERN EUROPE + FROM THE AFRICAN AMERICAN NORTH

IRON INDUSTRY + OIL REFINING http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wqYMjAw8AGk/T6DKeUi53VI/AAAAAAAAAbI/Y_N5sB1Qs90/s1600/068.jpg http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wqYMjAw8AGk/T6DKeUi53VI/AAAAAAAAAbI/Y_N5sB1Qs90/s1600/068.jpg http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/lakecountrycollector/pittsburgh-revealed.jpg http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/93/Pittsburgh_Fowler_1902.png

GEORGE WESTINGHOUSE

.Pittsburgh the rise...and fall BOAT BUILDING INDUSTRY

GOLDEN AGE

ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION

POPULATION:

350,000 RESIDENTS

1790

1810 1814

1861

1870

IRON INDUSTRY + OIL REFINING

1910

1930

WORKERS UNIONS UPRISINGS

1945

1959

1959 STEEL STRIKE

.Pittsburgh today

POPULATION:

14%

VACANCY

NEIGHBORHOODS

1790

1810 1814

1861

1870

1910

1930

1945

1959

DOWN TOWN BUSINESS DISTRICT

CORPORATIONS + LARGE PROPERTY OWNERS http://buyapittsburghhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Pittsburgh1.jpg | http://ih0.redbubble.net/image.5289175.4838/flat,550x550,075,f.u6.jpg http://www.pittsburghcityliving.com/img/heroes/1540.jpg | https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4109/4961517084_327975ce69_z.jpg

TODAY

300,000 RESIDENTS

.Urbanization + Capital Absorption

capital surplus absorption

.The Urban Growth Machine .US 2007

33.8%

top

1% (wealthiest U.S. citizens)

top

85%

20% (wealthiest U.S. citizens)

bottom

40% (poorest U.S. citizens)

0.20%

US total wealth

Wealth inequality in the US (data source: http://harvardmagazine.com/2011/11/what-we-know-about-wealth)

.Monopoly Rent

$ Price of land

+ Human activity & urban commons

.The Tragedy of the Urban Commons

new development

$ Price of land

the tragedy of the Urban Commons

.Change in Assessed Value 2002-2012

Source: Pittsburgh Neighborhood and Community Information System, University of Pittsburgh

.Change in Assessed Value 2002-2012

So how can this urban regeneration and transformation happen by the citizens for themselves and not for serving the market?

What are the social structures that need to be formed to promote the citizens’ and communities’ welfare instead of the financial benefits of a few?

.Scales of Civic Organization

horizontal structures - limitations in scale

A union of states in which each member state retains some independent control over internal and external affairs. Thus, for international purposes, there are separate states, not just one state. A federation, in contrast, is a union of states in which external affairs are controlled by a unified, central government.

Murray Bookchin

hyerarchical structure

.Nested Structures + Confederalism

confederalism

“The central question in this study is how a group of principals who are in an interdependent situation can organize and govern themselves to obtain continuing joint benefits when all face temptations to free-ride, shirk, or otherwise act opportunistically.� Ostrom (1990)

Elinor Ostrom Source: http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Confederalism

nested confederalism structures

.Pittsburgh today .Civic Organizations

.Pittsburgh today .Civic Organizations

.Pittsburgh today .Civic Organizations

Community Gardens

source: media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m2u8xaQI7G1qexu89.jpg

Raingardens for Stormwater source: Gtech strategies

Plans for SmallBusiness Owners graphic: evolveEA

Vacant lots Art Installations

source: www.pghmurals.com/Metal-Petals-389.cfm

.Building Community Capacity

community community community raised funding

community raised funding

consultans

external support external support

building capacity

consultans

building capacity

external funding external funding

small scale goals small scalelarge goalsscale & large longscale term goals & long term goals

.Civic Organizations in Pittsburgh

Data Source: Department of City Planning of Pittsburgh Map Author: Eleni Katrini

.Civic Organizations in Pittsburgh

Data Source: Department of City Planning of Pittsburgh Map Author: Eleni Katrini

.Civic Organizations + Change over time

Data Source: US Census Bureau 2000-2010 Department of City Planning of Pittsburgh Map Author: Eleni Katrini

.Civic Organizations in Pittsburgh

Data Source: Department of City Planning of Pittsburgh Map Author: Eleni Katrini

.Civic Organizations + Low Income Neighborhood Index // POPULATION UNDER POVERTY // UNEMPLOYMENT // EDUCATION // SINGLE PARENT HOUSEHOLDS // VACANCY

Data Source: US Census Bureau 2010 Department of City Planning of Pittsburgh Map Author: Eleni Katrini

.Civic Organizations + Low Income Neighborhood Index // POPULATION UNDER POVERTY // UNEMPLOYMENT // EDUCATION // SINGLE PARENT HOUSEHOLDS // VACANCY

DISTRESS ACTING AS

MOTIVATING FACTOR

Data Source: US Census Bureau 2010 Department of City Planning of Pittsburgh Map Author: Eleni Katrini

.The Scale Problem nation

different levels of hierarchy

state

county

STRUCTURED

city CDC

THE SCALE PROBLEM collaborative group UNSTRUCTURED

citizen

.The Money Problem

.1 Greater Scale Competition

.2 Urban Form follows Economy

.Discussion

“It is a right to change ourselves by changing the city . It is, moreover, a common rather than an individual right since this transformation inevitably depends upon the exercise of a collective power to reshape the processes of urbanization.

The freedom to make and remake our cities and ourselves is, I want to argue, one of the most precious yet most neglected of our human rights.”

David Harvey, “Rebel Cities”