Why Pittsburgh?

From the topography, to their position as a river city, to their revitalization & rejuvenation of their steel district & downtown, to their impressive population of college students, Pittsburgh provides Dubuque a story not unlike our own. Over the past 30 years, Pittsburgh has become a model comprehensive community transformation that has created a diverse, balanced & resilient economy driven by people that have imagined a bright future-& who have worked together to make it happen.

Ready, Set, Pittsburgh!

Click the play button below to view a short video.

Identifying our priorities & researching cities with similar characteristics & goals Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania surprisingly emerged as the perfect destination & profile city for our 1st Intercity Leadership Visit. Like Dubuque, Pittsburgh has transformed from their past challenges with enormous success & has much to share with us as we look at our identified priorities of economic development, workforce development, colleges, tourism, safety & sustainability.

Fun Facts about Pittsburgh:

• America’s most livable city in 2007
• Home to over 100 billion-dollar+ global corporations (Alcoa, Heinz, Westinghouse)
• Comprehensive transportation infrastructure system: 18 railroad systems; more than 1,000 motor carrier service providers; 200 river terminals; 2nd busiest inland port in the U.S.
• Ranked by Forbes.com as one of the “Top Ten Cities for Job Growth” in 2009
• Second most educated city in the United States
• The region’s colleges and universities produce over 32,000 college graduates each year
• One of the shortest average daily commutes (25 minutes)
• A climate of innovation -- 120 corporate and federal research and development centers
• Ranked #6 among the “Best U.S. City to Earn a Living”
• Consistently among the top five locations for number of ‘green-certified’ buildings in the nation, including the world’s largest LEED Gold Certified Green Convention Center (David L. Lawrence Convention Center)
• Ranked #1 in a study of farmers’ markets and community gardens per capita
• Ranked #1 in the Nation and #26 in the world for “Global Livability”
• Ranked #10 “World’s Cleanest Cities”
• Ranked 3rd lowest crime rate among the top 50 U.S. metro areas
• Ranked #1 “Best City for Relocating Families” in the Nation and the #1 “Best Place to Raise Children” in Pennsylvania
• Ranked #9 “Most Walkable U.S. City” and #10 among the “25 Best Walking Places in America”
• A college town with over 29 colleges and universities hosting over 135,000 students
• Carnegie Mellon and the University of Pittsburgh consistently rank among the Nation’s best
• The Pittsburgh Regional Compact is an employer-educator partnership designed to develop our region’s workforce for 21st-century jobs. The Compact engages regional employers, educators and program providers in a coordinated partnership to prepare southwestern Pennsylvania students for successful careers in the region
• Three billion dollar industry - employing 50,000 people - attracting 10 million visitors annually
• Thriving arts, culture and theater communities: 500+ arts, cultural and heritage organizations; world class museums and architecture; the number of theaters in downtown Pittsburgh rivals most cities outside New York
• Ranked #3 “Top 25 U.S. Art Destinations,” mid-sized city category
• Ranked #9 “Best City for Couples”