City's Finances - A Call for Metro-Scale Reforms

Is it possible that "Pittsburgh's bankruptcy" may be just the push needed to grapple with regional solutions to financial crisis at the hub?  Pittsburgh's destiny is that of the region.  The recent Post-Gazette poll suggests the public knows this too - with high eighty percentages of both City residents and suburbanites acknowledging the City's fiscal health and livability as important to the whole region and indicating support for City/County consolidation as well.

While coming to a head now, the City's on-going structural deficit is exacerbated by many decades of our region's sprawling development.  With among the highest rate of sprawl in the nation (spread among 549 municipalities in the ten county region) our region can no longer afford a pattern of divestment from virtually all of our traditional towns and cities.  Combined with population decline, this is a recipe for our slipping as a business and commercial destination, will inflate social inequities, and deteriorate quality of life.  Today's fiscal crisis indicates it is time for Southwestern Pennsylvania to step up to regional cooperation and consider options for governance reforms in order to bolster existing communities - particularly our older cities and towns.

The only way to truly evaluate options for metropolitan-scale coordination and planning is to begin with fact based and credible consideration of the pros and cons.  Too often rhetoric and knee-jerk conclusions are drawn before informed public consideration has a chance.  A key principle of sustainable development is the certainty of linkages between issues.  For example, the way we develop as a region, whether we sprawl homes, office parks, industrial plants, and malls across the landscape or choose to protect and enhance our investments by concentrating growth on existing cities and towns effects the environment, social welfare, and local and regional economic competitiveness.  We need to connect these dots and make decisions in the best interest of the region as a whole.

Our region's competitiveness is tied to a complex system of issues that has to be considered at the regional scale.  For example, the global economy favors regions that are cohesive and well coordinated.  Today companies search worldwide for regions known for public transportation networks and distribution routes, access to specialized skills and culturally diverse workforces, regional research and commercialization capacity, and overall quality of life.  While the fiscal crisis in Pittsburgh is the tip of the iceberg in terms of fiscally distressed communities in our region, the clear message that is broadcast is that Southwestern Pennsylvania is a region with antiquated governance that is ill matched to the new economy.

Based on existing examples from around the nation, the list of reforms relevant to our region include: a comprehensive regional land use plan to "fix it first" focusing growth to revitalize our towns and cities, functional cooperation through shared services, regional tax base sharing for its fairness and metropolitan perspective when determining where best to steer public investments, and merging key elements of City and County governments.  If we grapple successfully with these governance issues, we will join the growing ranks of progressive regions around the nation taking a long-term view to deal with government fragmentation and inherent inefficiencies that cost us all.

We at Sustainable Pittsburgh have listened to the public and assembled a vision for the region's development based on investment and revitalization of our existing towns and cities.  Our recent publication, Citizens' Vision for Smart Growth is based on what people see as the region's core assets - a diverse set of livable communities.  It provides a rationale for why we need to plan regionally to attract investments, particularly those associated with the "new" economy that might not otherwise be made in Southwestern Pennsylvania if they cannot anticipate getting desired services and amenities for their business tax or user fee payments.  Have a look at the report and let's commit to consider regional reforms to rationalize functions based on economic efficiency, promoting social equity, and conserving environmental assets; to reverse the decline of our communities; and restore our place as one of America's most distinctive and competitive regions.  Now is the time to act.  Let's begin with a short, transparent process to apply the best planning and management practices from around the nation, ranging from voluntary cooperation to political consolidation, and not miss this opportunity for long-term solutions for Pittsburgh and the region's well-being. 

Court Gould, Director Sustainable Pittsburgh

Please click on the link to review: Citizens Vision for Smart Growth.