About Carnegie

Carnegie, Pennsylvania, is a small town in the southwestern part of the state, just outside Pittsburgh. Like the rest of the rust belt, it suffered a decline in the latter part of the 20th century. But unlike most later suburban communities, the town of Carnegie has a traditional Main Street—to paraphrase Gertrude Stein, the famous writer from the Pittsburgh area: there's a there there.

Flash flooding from 2004's Hurricane Ivan forced Chartier's Creek through the first floors of much of downtown Carnegie. The people of Carnegie realized that the only way to reverse their community's decline is though radical changes in planning and zoning.

Change is never easy. But our job is made easier by other's work. We are taking the best and most applicable ideas from the SmartGrowth, New Urbanism, Traditional Neighborhood Development and similar movements to guide Carnegie's redevelopement.

Carnegie's citizens, business leaders, and local goverment officials are working to develop a new (and very different) Comprehensive Plan. Their efforts were recognized when in July 2005 Governor Rendell announced Carnegie as one of ten cities and towns from across the state to receive grants to participate in the prestigious Blueprint Communities program. This Blueprint Communites program was a major stimulus to Carnegie's redevelopment and re-planning efforts, and this website.