Thanksgiving in the Dust Bowl
A new understanding of bravery and independence
Recent posts
Articles & News
How Political Leadership Makes City Streets Bikeable
Pittsburgh's Mayor Bill Peduto shows what political will and determination can do.
What Millennials Love About Pittsburgh
'Land of Opportunity' has real meaning here.
A New Vocabulary for American Towns
Three 21st-century words that are driving the nation's most dynamic municipalities
How Green Riverfronts Transformed Pittsburgh
The City of Bridges revives the rivers that helped make it an economic powerhouse.
A Field Trip to America’s Public Libraries
How they serve the needs of their communities
America’s Tiniest Innovators: Report from Pittsburgh
Teaching technology and life lessons in an urban elementary school
The Story of Moop: How an Unlikely Company Came to Be
A Pittsburgh woman managed to build a successful bag company from a failed effort to make a dress.
California Dreamin’: How Collaboration Builds Communities
In Winters, California, a library, a swimming pool, and a school make a big difference in the quality of life.
The iPhone Case That Can Call the Police
A startup in Pittsburgh has designed a smartphone case and app to deter assault and help catch the attackers.
The Company That Turns Plastic Bottles Into Fabric and Jobs
A startup in Pittsburgh shows what a social enterprise is capable of.
What a Library Levy Means to a West Virginia Town
Charleston votes to save a community pillar.
How to Sign Up for Our ‘American Futures’ Newsletter
"At the national level, American politics is bitterly polarized, and the mood of the country can seem fearful and downcast. But city by city we've seen examples of collaboration, practical-minded compromise, long-term investment in a region's future, and a coast-to-coast resurgence in manufacturing and other startup activity."
The Hard Road to Making Hard Liquor
A look at a nascent distillery in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley
Pittsburgh’s City of Asylum
In the City of Bridges, an eclectic community embraces writers in exile.
When a Community College Transforms a City
Ohio State University may be the local titan, but Columbus State Community College has also become a formidable presence.