PublicSource is thrilled to announce the debut of Develop PGH — a focused reporting project with a goal to provide vital information, transparency and accountability about the design, planning and development of the Pittsburgh region.

Our weekly coverage will track the ins and outs of economic development and how it’s shaping communities.

Who is this for?

Develop PGH is in-depth enough for developers and government officials, but accessible to everyone invested in the long-term prosperity of our city and region. We’ll aim to always illuminate the issues from all perspectives, from developers to activists and government officials to residents. We are planning coverage that we expect will create a community primed for fair and open discussions.

What can you expect?

While in-depth coverage remains a hallmark of the PublicSource experience, we’ll be doing things a bit differently for Develop PGH. You’ll still see deeply reported stories (and we have some exciting ones to share soon), but you’ll also see more regular, incremental reporting each week. This way, you’ll know the latest about changes and decisions that may affect you and what you do next.

We hired reporter Tom Lisi to focus entirely on producing Develop PGH stories. And we promoted longtime public safety reporter Jeffrey Benzing to assistant editor to focus on this coverage. The team will be demystifying the process and policies related to economic development issues and talking with the key players, institutions and communities that guide change.

PublicSource’s Develop PGH team: assistant editor Jeff Benzing (left) and reporter Tom Lisi. (Photo by Ryan Loew/PublicSource)

In this vein of reporting, we will continue our coverage of the affordable housing shortage and transportation infrastructure, among other related issues. Our focus areas will be within the City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County.

You’ll see our stories here on PublicSource.org and in a new newsletter featuring our original reporting and a weekly rundown of everything you need to know on economic development. Sign up here.

We also want to hear from you — really!

Development isn’t just bricks and mortar. It’s not just policy. It’s how a community works and affects who gets to participate in the process. We are a resource for you, and we see our new endeavor as an invitation to a conversation.

If you have story tips and ideas, people or groups we should know about, or a perspective to share in an essay or some other creative means, send them to tom@publicsource.org or to jeff@publicsource.org.

Thank you for learning more about Develop PGH, We hope you’ll check back regularly for the exciting stories we have in the pipeline.

The project is made possible with the generous support from The Heinz Endowments.

We don't have paywalls — but your support helps us bridge crucial information gaps.

Readers tell us they can't find the information they get from our reporting anywhere else, and we're glad to provide this important service for our community. We work hard to produce accurate, timely, impactful journalism without paywalls that keeps our region informed and moving forward.

However, only .01% of the people who read our stories contribute to our work financially. Our newsroom depends on the generosity of readers like yourself to make our high-quality local journalism possible, and the costs of the resources it takes to produce it have been rising, so each member means a lot to us.

Your donation to our nonprofit newsroom helps ensure everyone in Allegheny County can stay up-to-date about decisions and events that affect them. Please make your gift of support now.

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