Pittsburgh New Liberals
@pghnewliberals.bsky.social
Advocating for abundant housing, accessible transit, technological progress, and clean air & water in the Pittsburgh region
Open, optimistic, pragmatic
Open, optimistic, pragmatic
The U.S. should place no restrictions on the number of people who can come in to work or live here.
Want to live and work in the U.S.? Great. Buy a plane ticket or show up at a border crossing, get your passport stamped, come on in.
Want to live and work in the U.S.? Great. Buy a plane ticket or show up at a border crossing, get your passport stamped, come on in.
November 14, 2025 at 3:20 PM
The U.S. should place no restrictions on the number of people who can come in to work or live here.
Want to live and work in the U.S.? Great. Buy a plane ticket or show up at a border crossing, get your passport stamped, come on in.
Want to live and work in the U.S.? Great. Buy a plane ticket or show up at a border crossing, get your passport stamped, come on in.
Also, the IZ program in Lawrenceville, Polish Hill, Bloomfield, and Oakland (and the proposed expansion to the rest of the city) does nothing to make it easier to build missing middle projects.
What has worked is the upzoning in Uptown, where some clever infill missing middle has been built.
What has worked is the upzoning in Uptown, where some clever infill missing middle has been built.
October 27, 2025 at 6:33 PM
Also, the IZ program in Lawrenceville, Polish Hill, Bloomfield, and Oakland (and the proposed expansion to the rest of the city) does nothing to make it easier to build missing middle projects.
What has worked is the upzoning in Uptown, where some clever infill missing middle has been built.
What has worked is the upzoning in Uptown, where some clever infill missing middle has been built.
So if you're going to go through the trouble of hiring a law firm and buckling in for a 3-5 year battle, it has to be a large enough project to be worth it. That's why we see the peak at around 200-249 units, where historically in Pittsburgh the peak was around 10 units.
October 27, 2025 at 6:31 PM
So if you're going to go through the trouble of hiring a law firm and buckling in for a 3-5 year battle, it has to be a large enough project to be worth it. That's why we see the peak at around 200-249 units, where historically in Pittsburgh the peak was around 10 units.
I think it has more to do with the fact that any project of more than 4 units is effectively banned across some 80% of the city, and even where they are allowed, they face large fixed costs in terms of Planning Commission, DAM meetings, CDAP meetings, etc.
October 27, 2025 at 6:31 PM
I think it has more to do with the fact that any project of more than 4 units is effectively banned across some 80% of the city, and even where they are allowed, they face large fixed costs in terms of Planning Commission, DAM meetings, CDAP meetings, etc.
That's a bit better.
Also added alt-text with table details.
Also added alt-text with table details.
October 26, 2025 at 4:14 PM
That's a bit better.
Also added alt-text with table details.
Also added alt-text with table details.
Ugh, that X-axis should say "Number of Units" not number of "projects".
Also the title is a bit janky.
Also the title is a bit janky.
October 26, 2025 at 4:11 PM
Ugh, that X-axis should say "Number of Units" not number of "projects".
Also the title is a bit janky.
Also the title is a bit janky.
We seem to be averaging a little under 1,000 units a year, with 1 in 10 of them being single family homes.
Notice that we're basically building nothing in the 2-19 unit range, the "Missing Middle."
Notice that we're basically building nothing in the 2-19 unit range, the "Missing Middle."
October 26, 2025 at 4:10 PM
We seem to be averaging a little under 1,000 units a year, with 1 in 10 of them being single family homes.
Notice that we're basically building nothing in the 2-19 unit range, the "Missing Middle."
Notice that we're basically building nothing in the 2-19 unit range, the "Missing Middle."
Digging a little deeper, I count 4,735 units permitted in Pittsburgh since 2019 (Using the 2019 to present PLI database). Numbers might be a bit off for 2019 and 2025, so maybe consider that as 2020-2024.
Here's the distribution of building size.
Here's the distribution of building size.
October 26, 2025 at 4:08 PM
Digging a little deeper, I count 4,735 units permitted in Pittsburgh since 2019 (Using the 2019 to present PLI database). Numbers might be a bit off for 2019 and 2025, so maybe consider that as 2020-2024.
Here's the distribution of building size.
Here's the distribution of building size.
By my count, there are 459 units permitted across 5 projects currently under construction in the strip.
The Maxx, The Alex, The Mercer, 3129 Liberty Ave, and Penn Ave Townhomes
The Maxx, The Alex, The Mercer, 3129 Liberty Ave, and Penn Ave Townhomes
October 23, 2025 at 1:54 AM
By my count, there are 459 units permitted across 5 projects currently under construction in the strip.
The Maxx, The Alex, The Mercer, 3129 Liberty Ave, and Penn Ave Townhomes
The Maxx, The Alex, The Mercer, 3129 Liberty Ave, and Penn Ave Townhomes
Credit to @prohousingpgh.org for their write up and advocacy.
October 15, 2025 at 7:44 PM
Credit to @prohousingpgh.org for their write up and advocacy.
Reposted by Pittsburgh New Liberals
The problem is that Trump has exempted data center *computers* from tariffs, but has not exempted *the necessary power infrastructure* from tariffs
High tariffs on batteries, solar panels, transformers, & copper wire are turbocharging the electricity price pressures caused by AI
High tariffs on batteries, solar panels, transformers, & copper wire are turbocharging the electricity price pressures caused by AI
October 5, 2025 at 2:50 PM
The problem is that Trump has exempted data center *computers* from tariffs, but has not exempted *the necessary power infrastructure* from tariffs
High tariffs on batteries, solar panels, transformers, & copper wire are turbocharging the electricity price pressures caused by AI
High tariffs on batteries, solar panels, transformers, & copper wire are turbocharging the electricity price pressures caused by AI