Roll up your sleeves and join a working group

In the 200 years as a chartered city, Pittsburgh has yet to create a comprehensive plan.

A comprehensive plan is a document that guides a community’s growth and development. It’s a roadmap for how a city will manage the areas that they have control over, such as land use, development, infrastructure, transportation, housing, parks, and sustainability. 

These plans are not only important in decision making and value setting, but will assist the city in finding the funding to implement these ideas. 

Most of Pittsburgh’s existing plans are on the neighborhood or subject specific level. For example, the City’s 2020 Bike(+) Plan sets out how the city will achieve their goal of an interconnected bike network over 10 years. However, this plan may not necessarily “talk” to or reflect other plans, such as a neighborhood plan or a climate action plan. These plans may even have contradictory items in them.

Mayor Gainey has announced that his administration will create the first comprehensive plan in the city’s history. Called Pittsburgh 2050, the comp plan will attempt to put all of these ideas into one place, and help set the priorities for at least the next 20 years, using the principles of a Just Transition. The Just Transition “imagines a world where a strong economy and a healthy environment go hand in hand. This approach makes sure that the shift toward sustainability doesn’t come at the expense of workers, residents, or communities. Everyone deserves a fair process that protects their jobs, health, and economic well-being.”

A key part in creating this comprehensive plan is you! 

Something as vast and far reaching as a comprehensive plan needs community buy in to succeed. To ensure that residents support the plan, it means that residents need to be part of creating the plan. 

Community Input Opportunities

So far, the city has created a number of ways to be involved in the creation of the comp plan.

1. Attend the kickoff meeting – On Thursday, January 30, from 5pm-8pm, the City is hosting a kick off meeting for the plan in Downtown. More info here.
2. Take the 90 to 1 Survey – Share your Pittsburgh neighborhood story. Take the Survey here
3. Join a Working Group – any City resident can apply to join one of two Comprehensive Plan working groups. 

Apply to join the Community Working Group (January 31 deadline)

Apply to join the Youth Working Group (February 15 deadline) 

Please join a working group to ensure that the needs of Pittsburghers who want a city where it’s easy to get around without a car are heard.