10 September 2007 | New Hazlett Theater | 6:30 p.m.
On July 18, 2007, Pop City published this response to a survey in our June 27th issue. Readers overwhelmingly judged their city as special in five ways:
• Loyal and proud – “Pittsburgh built America with steel and is leading America in the high tech age.”
• Great value and quality of life – “Pittsburgh has a low cost of living which means artists can buy homes and still have money left over.”
• Accessible and friendly – “Pittsburghers wave you to turn left in front of them in traffic.”
• Leading edge – “Pittsburgh has the first ever Ph.D in robotics.”
• Unique – “Pittsburgh is the first city to put French fries on a sandwich.”
Readers had much more to say, of course, and their comments provide an inside look at our city’s strengths. One respondent summed up one aspect of Pittsburgh that some faster growing cities find hard to duplicate: “The city is at once old world and modern. We allow the future to grow on top of the past.”
So for this, our inaugural event, we invited a panel of people, whose lives and work revolves around the vitality of our region, to get their view of the city, and what they would do if they were in charge. Come and join the discussion, and be sure to bring your own ideas.
Our moderator Carol Coletta, is a passionate advocate for cities, and has devoted her life to answering the question: What makes cities succeed? Our panelists will include Lenore Blum, a Distinguished Career Professor of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon; Dr. Eric Beckman, on leave from his academic post at the University of Pittsburgh and founder of Cohera Medical Inc.; Mike Edwards, President and CEO of the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership; and Grant Oliphant, Vice President of programs and planning at The Heinz Endowments.
Cocktails and conversation to follow.