We've written before about how Pittsburgh shares many of the same econmic and social challenges as West Virginia: a declining manufacturing base, loss of young talent and challenges with taxation and governance based on outdated lines drawn for small cities/townships/counties that are wasteful and overlapping.
However, Pittsburgh has really embraced positioning itself for the future in many ways. It has a fantastic university base with Pitt (sorry WVU fans) and Carnegie Mellon. It has a thriving cultural scene. It has redeveloped brownfields to add to its quality of place.
One of the ways Pittsburgh has improved is how it positions and markets itself to the rest of the world. Xplorion is
"a one-of-a-kind tech tool located on the ground floor of our Regional Enterprise Tower for residents and visitors alike to showcase the region's abundant assets. In its first year of operation, Xplorion attracted more than 10,000 residents, tourists, business leaders, and government officials from around the city, region, nation, and world. Powered by SPC's Geographic Information System (GIS), Xplorion enables visitors to view land use, population, natural amenities, and more."
How a region presents itself matters a great deal. Pittsburgh is positioning itself as a center of innovation and new economy opportunities. It's a model West Virginia should more seriously embrace in addition to showcasing our great quality of life and place.
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