My parents & extended family were all born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA. I was born there, but spent the majority of my life growing up in Cleveland, OH. The historical similarities and current differences between these cities have always fascinated me.
From my understanding, Cleveland and Pittsburgh were two rust-belt powerhouses. Both had flourishing steel industries and were successful cities because of it. When the steel industry crashed, Pittsburgh successfully transitioned into new industries while Cleveland stagnated and suffered.
This is my understanding, and while it is vague I'm not even sure it is entirely correct. I know that Cleveland used to be a very pleasant and successful town. What exactly caused its decline? What could it have done differently? Pittsburgh seems to be doing so well having been dealt the same deck as Cleveland. What did they do that Cleveland didn't?
Any kind of information on this would help. I am looking broad concepts like government policy, immigration, & economics as well as specific events that were good or bad. Are there any good books or websites I could read about this topic?
I can't answer the question, but I wouldn't say that Pittsburgh has been far more successful than Cleveland at transitioning. Both of their core cities continue to bleed population (down about 55% from their peaks, although the 00s were not kind to Cleveland and Pittsburgh is flat over 2010 in recent estimates). In terms of their metros, both have shown more moderate population declines from their peaks as many moved from the central cities moved to the suburbs.
Population, of course, isn't the entire story, but it is interesting that both cities have made The Economist's list as the most liveable cities in the country.