Episodes

  • How Lawrenceville’s Solving Its Affordability Problem

    How Lawrenceville’s Solving Its Affordability Problem
    Jan 15 2025
    Pittsburgh needs thousands of new homes to meet demand, and there’s a lot of local politicking behind potential solutions. One idea? Inclusionary zoning, which either incentivizes or mandates that a percentage of units in new housing projects be priced affordably for lower income households. A handful of neighborhoods in Pittsburgh have already tried it, including over in Lawrenceville, where residents helped pass an IZ requirement in 2019. Dave Breignan, executive director of Lawrenceville United, explains what he loves about IZ, what local leaders should understand about how it works, and which proposal he supports if inclusionary zoning ultimately expands to the rest of Pittsburgh. ICYMI: Yesterday we talked about two very different proposals being considered by the Pittsburgh Planning Commission. Please check it out! Learn more about the sponsors of this January 15th episode: The Frick Pittsburgh Museums and Gardens Become a member of City Cast Pittsburgh at membership.citycast.fm. Want more Pittsburgh news? Sign up for our daily morning Hey Pittsburgh newsletter. We’re on Instagram @CityCastPgh. Text or leave us a voicemail at 412-212-8893. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    28 mins
  • Can Inclusionary Zoning Fix Pittsburgh’s Housing Crisis?

    Can Inclusionary Zoning Fix Pittsburgh’s Housing Crisis?
    Jan 14 2025
    There’s a lot of debate about how to make Pittsburgh a livable city for everyone and ensure that longtime residents of a neighborhood aren’t pushed out by rising home prices. Host Megan Harris is with TribLive reporter Julia Burdelski to talk about the two bills in front of City Council that aim to create more affordable housing and how these very different visions could impact our city’s approach to future development. Learn more about the sponsor of this January 14th episode: The Frick Pittsburgh Museums and Gardens Become a member of City Cast Pittsburgh at membership.citycast.fm. Want more Pittsburgh news? Sign up for our daily morning Hey Pittsburgh newsletter. We’re on Instagram @CityCastPgh. Text or leave us a voicemail at 412-212-8893. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    27 mins
  • Can Adelphoi Run a Better, Safer Shuman?

    Can Adelphoi Run a Better, Safer Shuman?
    Jan 13 2025
    It’s been six months since the Highland Detention at Shuman Center reopened, with a new name and new, private, nonprofit management under Adelphoi, headquartered in Latrobe. Shuman was shut down in 2021 for “gross incompetence, negligence and misconduct.” While most of the facility is still being renovated, one pod is open with room for 12 children who’ve been charged with a crime. We’re talking to CEO Nancy Kukovich about how it’s going so far, the safety reporting requirements since the 50-year-old facility reopened, and why Adelphoi wanted to be involved with Shuman in the first place. Interested in volunteering for Shuman? Reach out to Adelphoi here. Learn more about the sponsor of this January 13th episode: The Frick Pittsburgh Museums and Gardens Become a member of City Cast Pittsburgh at membership.citycast.fm. Want more Pittsburgh news? Sign up for our daily morning Hey Pittsburgh newsletter. We’re on Instagram @CityCastPgh. Text or leave us a voicemail at 412-212-8893. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    39 mins
  • Did Fetterman Flip on Immigration? Plus, Turnpike Hikes and Butter Cow

    Did Fetterman Flip on Immigration? Plus, Turnpike Hikes and Butter Cow
    Jan 10 2025
    It’s our first Friday news roundup of the new year, and we’re catching up on a bunch of stories, from detention and deportation to the governor’s sports tickets to higher turnpike tolls. Plus, we’ve got the latest on the PA Farm Show butter sculpture, an important “I Voted” sticker contest, and ways to watch Pittsburgh on TV while you’re staying in and staying warm. Notes and references from today’s show: This week’s Hey Pittsburgh trivia! Marc Fogel’s family says they have “more hope than we have ever” after “wrongfully detained” designation [KDKA] Fetterman cosponsors GOP-led Laken Riley bill, one of the few Democrats backing it [The Inquirer] The House GOP’s first bill of 2025 could enable a Ken Paxton power grab [MSNBC] This year’s 5% Pennsylvania Turnpike toll increase comes with new toll gantries and rate calculations [Union Progress] Campaign funds, secretive nonprofit pay for Josh Shapiro's sports tickets [SpotlightPA] Under Shapiro, half of clemency recommendations remain unsigned [SpotlightPA] Josh Shapiro wasn’t on the ballot this year, but still spent millions campaigning. Here’s where the money went. [SpotlightPA] Allegheny County Councilman Sam DeMarco resigns to work for Sen. Dave McCormick [KDKA] Iulia Vann named as Allegheny County health director [PublicSource] Advocates ‘hopeful’ about change under Allegheny County Jail warden nominee [WESA] "I Voted" Sticker Contest [Allegheny County] Become a member of City Cast Pittsburgh at membership.citycast.fm. Want more Pittsburgh news? Sign up for our daily morning Hey Pittsburgh newsletter. We’re also on Instagram @CityCastPgh! Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    37 mins
  • Pittsburgh Restaurants to Try in 2025

    Pittsburgh Restaurants to Try in 2025
    Jan 9 2025
    The end of every calendar year brings with it dozens of best-of lists, and our favorite ones to scroll through are all about the food. City Cast’s Megan Harris, Sophia Lo, and Francesca Dabecco are sharing their top picks from the best of 2024 lists released by blogs, reservation sites, and more local news outlets to help you figure out where to eat out in 2025. Can’t keep up with all the restaurants? We’ve selected our number one spots and all the roundups we referenced on our website. Become a member of City Cast Pittsburgh at membership.citycast.fm. Want more Pittsburgh news? Sign up for our daily morning Hey Pittsburgh newsletter. We’re also on Instagram @CityCastPgh! Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    32 mins
  • Make Downtown Cool Again

    Make Downtown Cool Again
    Jan 8 2025
    If you’ve read the news lately, it feels like Downtown Pittsburgh keeps winning the lottery. There’s a $600 million plan to revitalize and transform the Golden Triangle, with tons of money going toward places like Point State Park and Market Square. But the investment isn’t so obvious along Smithfield Street — once the destination Downtown, now filled with vacant storefronts. Local journalists Adam Smeltz and Stephanie Strasburg tell us about efforts to make Smithfield Pittsburgh’s “it” spot again, and whether a revitalized Smithfield could truly cater to and serve all kinds of Pittsburghers. You can find their reporting on Smithfield Street in PublicSource and Pittsburgh Magazine. Become a member of City Cast Pittsburgh at membership.citycast.fm. Want more Pittsburgh news? Sign up for our daily morning Hey Pittsburgh newsletter. We’re on Instagram @CityCastPgh. Text or leave us a voicemail at 412-212-8893. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    29 mins
  • Could Pittsburgh Lose US Steel?

    Could Pittsburgh Lose US Steel?
    Jan 7 2025
    President Joe Biden made good on his promise and blocked the sale of U.S. Steel to Nippon Steel, and now both companies are suing the federal government, a Cleveland-based steel rival, and the head of the United Steelworkers union. So what happens now? Can U.S. Steel leave Pittsburgh? Is Nippon, based in Japan, really a threat to our national security? And what does all this say about Pittsburgh’s place in our global economy? Host Megan Harris and executive producer Mallory Falk try to find answers in one of the most impactful and murky stories affecting our city today. Stories discussed in today’s episode: President Biden Blocks US Steel Sale to Nippon Steel. What Does This Mean for Pittsburgh? [City Cast Pittsburgh] Nippon, US Steel file suit against Biden administration, union, and rival after $15b deal scuttled [Associated Press] Why Biden blocked a Japanese bid to buy U.S. Steel [PBS News Hour] Japan PM says blocked US Steel deal could hit investments [France 24] Become a member of City Cast Pittsburgh at membership.citycast.fm. Want more Pittsburgh news? Sign up for our daily morning Hey Pittsburgh newsletter. We’re also on Instagram @CityCastPgh! Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    24 mins
  • The Best Outdoor Winter Activities in Pittsburgh

    The Best Outdoor Winter Activities in Pittsburgh
    Jan 6 2025
    The new year kicked off with a nice, bright snowfall. While it can be tempting to bundle up and hunker down when it’s chilly outside, there are lots of great outdoor winter activities in our region, from sledding to skiing to snow tubing. The team is sharing our tips and tricks for having the perfect snow day in Pittsburgh — plus a few hacks for dealing with the wintery weather. Wondering who’s in charge of snow removal on your street? Find out here. Become a member of City Cast Pittsburgh at membership.citycast.fm. Want more Pittsburgh news? Sign up for our daily morning Hey Pittsburgh newsletter. We’re on Instagram @CityCastPgh. Text or leave us a voicemail at 412-212-8893. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    24 mins