A Vibrant City Center Committed to Growth

Written by Molly Green

Although we often refer to Downtown as simply Dahntahn, it represents the place most vital to the city of Pittsburgh: a vibrant city center.

A city center is the business, residential, and cultural core of a city. There is always something to do in a city center, and, within only a couple miles radius, you have all you could ever need to live a fulfilling life. Work, play, dining, shopping, entertainment–you name it; we have it.

Having a vibrant core, such as our beloved Downtown, is important because people in and around the area are drawn to it for recreation, socialization, and education. Without options for things to do or places to go, city centers would fail to be a fun, vibrant city like Pittsburgh. 

Downtown Pittsburgh is vivid, breathtaking, and active. It ranges in color from the green grasses of Point State Park to the gold steel of the Roberto Clemente Bridge. It stretches from the well-loved sidewalks of Liberty Avenue to the 64th story of the U.S. Steel Tower.

That said, Downtown isn’t just a visual spectacle. Vibrancy is reinforced by people. Downtown has something for people of all hobbies and stages of life–whether you’re a bookworm (like me) picking out her next read at a local bookstore, a mother and children attending a play at the Byham, a student stopping by Madonna’s for a bite to eat between classes, or an artist selling handmade jewelry at the Night Markets. The city center is here to support us as long as we support each other.

Shared experiences craft a “spirit of place” in a city center. Although we differ in backgrounds, the people of Pittsburgh share the public transportation system, the public school system, libraries, parks, streets, food, weather, architecture, and history. Downtown is more than just the central part of Pittsburgh; it’s the glue that holds us all together.

The Golden Triangle is a city center that becomes more vibrant each day, but there must be a commitment to its growth and culture. For instance, the DNA assisted in opening 39 businesses in Downtown in 2023 and 2024. The DNA’s Executive Director, John Valentine, affirms, “It has long been our goal to fill close to all the empty storefronts of Downtown Pittsburgh.” Two years ago, there were 76 empty storefronts Downtown. Today, the number is in the low 40s.

Valentine states: “We will not only continue doing events, but we plan to add more. It will be a combination of large and small events. There will be a lecture/speaker series that will start in May. In 2025, there will be four lectures with the hope that, in 2026, there will be one every other month. Subject matter that has been confirmed is food/restaurants and Downtown development/retail.”

Stay tuned in to The Downtowner as we will officially announce more events later this month.