Rooted in Pittsburgh. Connected Across Pennsylvania.

Our Community Commitment

Pittsburgh Urban Media believes that strong communities are built through informed, engaged residents. We cover the organizations, leaders, and grassroots movements working every day to make Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania more equitable, more connected, and more just. From the Hill District to Homewood, from Harrisburg to Philadelphia — these are your stories.

“I am excited, inspired and hopeful that we can work together to help make Pittsburgh livable for all. There is much work to do, but together we can create greater opportunities for Black people and other marginalized communities.”

"From day one, my Administration hit the ground running to deliver a city that works for its residents where families can thrive, businesses can grow and we are proud of our vibrant neighborhoods."

"Pittsburgh's path forward depends on how boldly we align infrastructure, innovation, and education around opportunity. The city's success and Pittsburgh Public Schools' success are inseparable."

Get to Know Pittsburgh’s Historic Hill District

A neighborhood built on culture, resilience, and the enduring spirit of Black Pittsburgh.

Few neighborhoods have shaped Pittsburgh’s history — and the nation’s Black cultural legacy — quite like the Hill District.

Perched just above Downtown, the Hill District has long been considered the heart of Black Pittsburgh. For more than a century, it has been home to entrepreneurs, educators, musicians, athletes, artists, ministers, and civil rights leaders who helped define the city’s identity. Today, the Hill is experiencing a new chapter, balancing revitalization with the preservation of a rich cultural heritage that generations have fought to protect.

A Rich History

Beginning in the early 1900s, thousands of African Americans migrated to Pittsburgh during the Great Migration, seeking employment in the city’s booming steel industry. Many settled in the Hill District, transforming it into one of the country’s most vibrant Black communities.

By the 1940s and 1950s, the neighborhood was a thriving center of Black business, entertainment, and community life. Centre Avenue became known as Pittsburgh’s “Main Street” for Black-owned businesses, lined with restaurants, jazz clubs, theaters, pharmacies, banks, barber shops, beauty salons, and professional offices.

National legends including Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Lena Horne, and Count Basie performed in the neighborhood’s famous jazz clubs, helping establish the Hill as one of America’s premier entertainment districts. The Hill District also inspired Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson, whose celebrated “American Century Cycle” brought the neighborhood’s stories to audiences around the world.

A Neighborhood That Endured

Like many urban Black communities across America, the Hill District faced profound challenges during the era of urban renewal. In the 1950s and 1960s, construction of the Civic Arena displaced thousands of residents and hundreds of Black-owned businesses, forever altering the neighborhood’s economic landscape. Despite those losses, the Hill remained a center of faith, family, activism, and community pride.

The Hill District Today

Today, the Hill District is a neighborhood of approximately 8,000 residents made up of several distinct communities, including Crawford-Roberts, Middle Hill, Bedford Dwellings, Terrace Village, Upper Hill, and Polish Hill’s neighboring corridors. Major redevelopment projects, new housing, parks, healthcare investments, and business initiatives are bringing renewed attention to the area. Community leaders continue to advocate for development that benefits longtime residents while preserving the neighborhood’s history and character.

Landmarks Worth Visiting

Whether you’re a lifelong Pittsburgher or visiting for the first time, the Hill District offers cultural landmarks that tell the story of Black Pittsburgh:

Homewood Rising: A Neighborhood Shaping Its Own Future

Community-led redevelopment, cultural pride, and resident voices are driving a new chapter in one of Pittsburgh’s most historic Black neighborhoods.

For decades, Homewood has often been defined by headlines written from the outside looking in. But today, residents are writing a different story.

Across the neighborhood, community leaders, nonprofit organizations, educators, entrepreneurs, churches, and residents are working together to create a future that honors Homewood’s history while building new opportunities for generations to come.

The vision is ambitious: Homewood as an African American cultural destination where people choose to live, work, worship, invest, and visit. That vision is at the heart of the City’s Homewood Community Plan, developed with extensive input from residents and neighborhood stakeholders.

A Community Leading Its Own Revitalization

Unlike traditional redevelopment efforts directed from outside the neighborhood, many of Homewood’s current projects are being shaped by community organizations and residents.

The Homewood Community Development Collaborative continues to bring residents, developers, businesses, and neighborhood partners together through monthly meetings, development planning, and investment initiatives focused on housing, commercial corridors, and economic opportunity.

Their message is simple: redevelopment should benefit the people who have remained committed to Homewood through decades of change.

Investing in People, Not Just Buildings

Neighborhood investment extends beyond bricks and mortar.

The University of Pittsburgh Community Engagement Center has expanded programming that connects residents with educational opportunities, workforce development, health initiatives, youth programming, and community events designed to strengthen neighborhood partnerships.

Organizations such as Homewood Children’s Village continue to focus on improving outcomes for young people through education, family support, mentoring, and neighborhood collaboration.

Honoring Homewood’s Legacy

Homewood has long been one of Pittsburgh’s most significant African American neighborhoods. It has produced nationally recognized artists, educators, athletes, civic leaders, and writers while serving as home to institutions that continue to shape Black culture in Western Pennsylvania.

Community advocates say preserving that history is just as important as attracting new investment. From neighborhood events and small businesses to public art and youth leadership programs, residents are working to ensure that Homewood’s identity remains rooted in its people.

Looking Ahead

Challenges remain. Affordable housing, public safety, business development, and equitable investment continue to be priorities voiced by residents.

Yet community leaders say the future depends on keeping residents at the center of every decision. As redevelopment continues across Pittsburgh, Homewood is demonstrating that revitalization is most successful when it grows from the neighborhood itself — not simply around it.

Trailblazing Officer Launches Youth Equestrian Program

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