Can the G-20 help Pittsburgh?
Not unless the region can shed the top-down thinking of its industrial past, says entrepreneur Abu Noaman.
(Reprinted in part from the Sunday, Sept 6 Pittsburgh Post Gazette)
The Pittsburgh “story” has become archetypal. A scruffy American city rises to its apex producing metals, glass and chemicals for the world, its growth fueled by plentiful natural resources, inexpensive commercial transportation thanks to three deep rivers and ample labor provided by members of some 90 different ethnic groups. But the rise of global competition — over which the G-20 countries now preside — devastated this city and others like it.
During my time in Pittsburgh, I have learned to separate truth from hype in the “Pittsburgh rises from the ashes” epilogue. Blessed by major research universities, strong cultural resources (often funded by “old money”) and a natural beauty unmatched by any other former industrial center, a Pittsburgh “back from the dead” mythology persists. Peek under the cover, though, and you see that the city continues to resist some of the fundamental changes needed to guarantee its future.
In particular, the remnants of top-down thinking that Pittsburgh inherited from its industrial past still encapsulate it today.
Industrialization powered mass distribution, putting lots of products in the hands of lots of buyers and creating countless job opportunities for blue-collar workers. But it required heavy financial investment while putting power — and innovation — in the hands of a few.
Gains for workers came only through unionizing and protest. A patronizing parent/child, us/them mentality, which left little room for bottom-up innovative thinking and problem solving, eventually helped hollow out the factories as well as the towering glass and steel structures that Pittsburgh’s major corporations created to imprint their legacies on the city’s skyline.
Today, the industrial economy that once created work opportunities for immigrants provides little draw. What does bring newcomers to Pittsburgh are its universities. It is here where one finds the petri dishes of fresh ideas. It is here where the incubators of innovation begin. And, unfortunately, it is here where great ideas often die due to a lack of funding, management experience or vision. As a result, it is from here that major talent escapes to other, more inviting places. (continued)
Read the complete text of Abu’s essay at the Pittsburgh Post Gazette website.
Abu Noaman is the CEO of Elliance Inc., an Internet marketing company based on the North Side (www.elliance.com).
