urban development

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How to Make Pittsburgh a Startup Hub
2 months ago
- Pittsburgh is attracting 25-29 year olds, creating a youth-driven food boom that signals startup potential.
- Cheap housing in historic buildings is a key advantage, but preserving old buildings is crucial to maintain appeal.
- Making the city bicycle and pedestrian friendly would attract young talent, as walking/biking is preferred over driving.
- Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a major asset; becoming the top university would draw ambitious people worldwide.
- Universities should foster startups by getting out of the way, e.g., not claiming IP and encouraging side projects.
- A tolerant, pragmatic culture (like Pittsburgh's historical immigrant roots) is essential for startup hubs.
- Pittsburgh lacks a large investor community, but trends like cheap startups, crowdfunding, and Y Combinator reduce the need.
- The path to becoming a startup hub is to amplify Pittsburgh's existing strengths: local food, density, CMU, tolerance.
Reading List 05/30/26
2 months ago
- A California chemical leak involving methyl methacrylate endangered 50,000 people; the tank was stabilized without explosion.
- Weapons-grade plutonium is being considered for use in nuclear reactor startups.
- A startup plans to clean houses to collect robot training data.
- Blue Origin experienced a rocket explosion.
- Iran ended an 88-day internet blackout and claims ship passage fees are for safety, not tolls.
- West coast cities like Seattle and Portland consider vacancy taxes on empty office space; a Denver developer is converting offices into apartments.
- Nvidia plans $150 billion annual investment in Taiwan; Huawei claims a chip design breakthrough equivalent to 1.4-nanometer processes by 2031.
- US missile manufacturing is vulnerable due to concentration of ammonium perchlorate production at few facilities.
- Ukraine is manufacturing thousands of ground-based drones.
Americans hate AI so much that politicians are losing their jobs over it
2 months ago
- Data center projects face widespread controversy due to competing interests among tech companies, power utilities, community leaders, and residents.
- Tech companies drive data center expansion to meet demand from AI and digital services, supported by state tax incentives like those in Michigan.
- Power companies profit from building new infrastructure for data centers, leading them to lobby for favorable policies and zoning changes.
- Community leaders often support data centers for promised jobs and tax revenue, despite limited employment and potential environmental costs.
- Everyday people oppose data centers due to concerns about noise, land use, water consumption, and utility costs, sometimes impacting elections as seen in Utah.
- The outcome of data center proposals depends on how officials balance the motivations and power of all involved stakeholders.
Why the West stopped making land
2 months ago
- Many famous U.S. locations, such as the Lincoln Memorial and parts of San Francisco and Chicago, were built on reclaimed land, with around 8% of major coastal cities' land reclaimed since the 1890s.
- Land reclamation in the U.S. largely stopped after 1976, despite rising land values and increased flooding, due to stringent environmental laws like NEPA and the Clean Water Act that made projects costly and slow.
- Common explanations for the decline—such as running out of suitable spots or improved transportation reducing the need—are inadequate, as other countries continue large-scale reclamation and downtown land values now justify the costs.
- Environmental regulations, particularly NEPA's lengthy impact assessments and mitigation requirements, have halted reclamation projects nationwide, as seen in cases like the Craney Island extension in Virginia, which faced decades of delays.
- Reclamation could provide significant benefits, including affordable housing, enhanced city productivity, and climate resilience, suggesting that reforming environmental laws could make it a viable and profitable practice again.
Aerial Photographs (2017)
3 months ago
- Aerial photographs document Toronto's landscape changes between 1947 and 1992.
- Taken from aircraft, these images show rivers, forests, parks, buildings, and roads.
- All aerial photographs are available for online viewing.
- To obtain copies, individual plates must be purchased.

urban development

How to Make Pittsburgh a Startup Hub

Reading List 05/30/26

Americans hate AI so much that politicians are losing their jobs over it

Why the West stopped making land

Aerial Photographs (2017)